It is a closed-type moulding technique, where a vacuum is used to impregnate the reinforcement materials with resin. The vacuum bag is assembled over the previously installed dry reinforcement materials, and once the air is removed from the gap between the bag and the tooling, the whole bag is impregnated with resin. Therefore, the laminate is uniformly saturated with the binder and air bubbles are less likely to form.
Vacuum infusion is widely used to produce small numbers of little and big parts, for example, yacht hulls. Combining different reinforcement materials, binders and inserts results in lightweight and structural products.
Examples of application:
1. large boats and yachts 2. aviation and space craft parts 3. sports equipment 4. racing car parts 5. blades of windmill generators
Main suppliers:
Basic materials:
DISTITRON
I 100
DCPD low viscosity pre-accelerated resin. Gel formation time 56-69 minutes.
DISTITRON
VE370
Vinyl-ester non-pre-accelerated resin for shipbuilding. Gel formation time 52-68 minutes.
POLYCOR
ISO NPG
Isophthalic gelcoat with neopentyl glycol for spraying and brush application. Supplied in any RAL colour. Intended use: products in permanent contact with water or an aggressive environment.
VF200G
Green multi-layer vacuum film. Ideal for ambient cure processes at temperatures up to 120 ºC.
VF450М
Purple multi-layer vacuum film. Ideal for infusion and autoclaving processes at high temperatures up to 204 ºC.
PEEL PLY
White release fabric of medium-weight poly-ester, which quickly and easily releases from most resin systems.
LTS90B
Sealant tape. Black/grey. Ideal for repair moulding processes and average temperatures up to 120 ºC.
SM5142
Sealant tape. Yellow. Ideal for vacuum infusion processes at high temperatures up to 204 ºC.
INFUPLY
Perforated release film. Includes knitted infusion net to supply resin. Easily removable from laminate. Ideal for making large parts. Significantly reduces labour consumption.
SAERTEX
Unidirectional, biaxial, triaxial and quadriaxial glass and carbon fibre fabrics with a density of 200-1400 g/sqm.
ARMAFORM
Light-weight structured PET-foam panels used as the core material in various multilayer composite products.
FASTCOTE LP
Semi-permanent release agent to extract polyester or vinyl-ester based fiberglass products from open moulds. The compound is easily applied and leaves a deep gloss without polishing.
SPRAYCOTE
Sprayable release agent. Ensures good gloss and multiple applications. Ideal for covering large composite moulds. Spraying is up to 20 times faster than traditional application.
Advantages of the technique:
1. used to make large products 2. less waste 3. significantly less styrene emissions when using polyether resins 4. better reinforcement-to-resin ratio improves strength and reduces product weight
Disadvantages of the technique:
1. labour-consuming lay-up process 2. high requirements for workforce skills 3. limited productivity
