CF Production Overview
- Casey Sauer
- Michael Chang
- Nick Angell (Unlicensed)
- Sofia Varner
Aerodynamics
Geometries
Front Wing
All airfoils and endplates are separate parts that will be screwed together.
Rear Wing
All airfoils and endplates are separate parts that will be screwed together.
Front Plate Dimensions:
23”x12”x0.25”
20”x8”x0.25”
4.75”x6”x0.25”
Front Airfoil Dimensions:
15”x12.5”x2.5”
15”x8.5”x1.5”
8.4”x6.25”x1”
Rear Plate Dimensions: 24”x31”0.25”
Rear Airfoil Dimensions:
14”x3.5”x40”
8.5”x1.5”x40”
6.25”x1.25”x40”
Materials
Fabric
2x2 twill 3k carbon fiber fabric
Resin https://www.fibreglast.com/product/System_2000_Epoxy_Resin_2000
System 2000 Laminating Epoxy Resin
2060 Hardener
Other/Equipment
Orange Tooling Gel Coat https://www.fibreglast.com/product/Orange_Tooling_Gel_Coat_just_gel_coats_188
For coating the mold
Vacuum pump
And associated tube/fittings
Requires standard 120V outlet
Vacuum bags and tape
Mylar film
For wrapping the airfoils before bagging for a good surface finish
Paint rollers
High-Level Procedure
Expected to take place in late January 2024
Molds [2x 2hr active]
All molds will be covered in gelcoat to prevent resin from seeping into the foam during the layup. All front molds will be coated in one session; all rear molds will be coated in the same work session.
The gel coat takes ~45 minutes to cure, as which point the parts can be removed from the ventilated area. The setup and fabrication time should take 1hr for each set, resulting in a maximum work session time of 2hr for the front and 2hr for the rear.
Front Airfoils [4hr active, 1wk passive]
The front airfoils will be laid in one work session. From setup to bagging/cleanup, the layup process should take 3hr for the six airfoils. After the parts are bagged, they must remain in the ventilated area with the vacuum pump on for the pot life of the resin (1hr).
The sealed bag can be moved, and will take 2-7 days to fully cure, pending temperature. For the curing, the parts can be brought back to campus and sit sealed up in the NER bay until fully cured.
Front Endplates [3hr active, 1wk passive]
The front endplates will be laid in one work session. From setup to bagging/cleanup, the layup process should take 2hr for the six plates. After the parts are bagged, they must remain in the ventilated area with the vacuum pump on for the pot life of the resin (1hr).
The sealed bag can be moved, and will take 2-7 days to fully cure, pending temperature. For the curing, the parts can be brought back to campus and sit sealed up in the NER bay until fully cured.
Rear Airfoils [3hr active, 1wk passive]
The rear airfoils will be laid in one work session. From setup to bagging/cleanup, the layup process should take 2hr for the three airfoils. After the parts are bagged, they must remain in the ventilated area with the vacuum pump on for the pot life of the resin (1hr).
The sealed bag can be moved, and will take 2-7 days to fully cure, pending temperature. For the curing, the parts can be brought back to campus and sit sealed up in the NER bay until fully cured.
Rear Endplates [2hr active, 1wk passive]
The rear endplates will be laid in one work session. From setup to bagging/cleanup, the layup process should take 1hr for the two plates. After the parts are bagged, they must remain in the ventilated area with the vacuum pump on for the pot life of the resin (1hr).
The sealed bag can be moved, and will take 2-7 days to fully cure, pending temperature. For the curing, the parts can be brought back to campus and sit sealed up in the NER bay until fully cured.
Bodywork
Taking place early December
Geometries
The nosecone consists of two primary panels and a top panel. The sidepod is one piece.
Nosecone primary panels: 36”x22”x5”
Nosecone top panel: 50”x28”x22”
Sidepods: 36”x12.5”x11.15”
Materials
Fabric
2x2 twill 3k carbon fiber fabric
Resin https://www.fibreglast.com/product/System_2000_Epoxy_Resin_2000
System 2000 Laminating Epoxy Resin
2060 Hardener
Other/Equipment
Orange Tooling Gel Coat https://www.fibreglast.com/product/Orange_Tooling_Gel_Coat_just_gel_coats_188
Vacuum pump, tubing, fittings
Vacuum bags and tape
Paint rollers
Mylar film
Vacuum bagging breather/bleeder https://www.fibreglast.com/product/Breather_and_Bleeder_579/Vacuum_Bagging_Films_Peel_Ply_Tapes
High-Level Procedure
Molds [4 hrs, active]
All molds will be sealed with gelcoat. Setup and fabrication will take ~180 minutes. The gel curing will take ~45 minutes. Fabrication and curing will be in an appropriately ventilated area and the molds may be removed once fully cured.
Nosecone Primary Panels [4 hrs active, 1 week passive]
Both primary panels will be fabricated in one work session. The setup, fabrication, and vacuum bagging time is ~120min for each panel. The part must remain in an appropriated ventilated area while under vacuum for the specified curing time. Once cured, the sealed part may be removed and placed into the NER bay for ~1 week to fully cure.
Nosecone Top Panel [4 hrs active, 1 week passive]
The top panel will be fabricated in one work session. The setup, fabrication, and vacuum bagging time is ~240 minutes. The part must remain in an appropriated ventilated area while under vacuum for the specified curing time. Once cured, the sealed part may be removed and placed into the NER bay for ~1 week to fully cure.
Left Sidepod [3 hrs active, 1 week passive]
The left sidepod will be fabricated in one work session. The setup, fabrication, and vacuum bagging time is ~180 minutes. The part must remain in an appropriated ventilated area while under vacuum for the specified curing time. Once cured, the sealed part may be removed and placed into the NER bay for ~1 week to fully cure.
Right Sidepod [3 hrs active, 1 week passive]
The right sidepod will be fabricated in one work session. The setup, fabrication, and vacuum bagging time is ~180 minutes. The part must remain in an appropriated ventilated area while under vacuum for the specified curing time. Once cured, the sealed part may be removed and placed into the NER bay for ~1 week to fully cure.
Seat
Geometries
The seat consists of a single carbon fiber body, the seat shell.
Seat (approximate) dimensions: 9”x18”x12”
Materials
Fabric
2x2 twill 3k carbon fiber fabric
Resin https://www.fibreglast.com/product/System_2000_Epoxy_Resin_2000
System 2000 Laminating Epoxy Resin
2060 Hardener
Other/Equipment
Orange Tooling Gel Coat https://www.fibreglast.com/product/Orange_Tooling_Gel_Coat_just_gel_coats_188
Vacuum pump, tubing, fittings
Vacuum bags and tape
Paint rollers
Mylar film
Vacuum bagging breather/bleeder https://www.fibreglast.com/product/Breather_and_Bleeder_579/Vacuum_Bagging_Films_Peel_Ply_Tapes
Dremel
Electric sander/sandpaper
N95 respirators
Gloves
High-Level Procedure
Taking place December 2023 or January 2024
Mold [2hr active]
The mold will be covered in gelcoat. The setup and fabrication time should take ~1 hour, and the gel coat will cure in ~45 minutes. Mold will be fabricated and stored in a ventilated area during curing and removed once curing completes.
Seat Layup [4hr active, 1wk passive]
The seat shell will be laid in one work session. From setup to bagging/cleanup, the process should take ~2 hours. After the seat shell is bagged, it must remain in the ventilated area with the vacuum pump on for 1 hour. After this, the sealed bag can be brought back to the NER bay and left for 2-7 days until fully cured.
Finishing [~3 hr active]
After removal from the mold, the seat shell will need to be finished. This will involve cutting off the ends with a dremel and smoothing the surface and edges by sanding. This should take a few hours and be done in a well-ventilated area with proper PPE, including N95 respirators, gloves, and coveralls.