Page Comparison

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Process Characteristics	Hand Layup	Infusion	Prepreg
Complexity	Easy to do, similar to paper mache.	A lot more materials involved but once everything is set up, pulling resin is easy. Most difficult part is the setup	Easy to do, cloth is already pre-impregnated with the correct amount of resin so no other steps needed. Most difficult part is curing in the autoclave
Material & Equipment Cost	Low cost since you’re doing everything by hand	A lot of materials and equipment involved so cost is a bit higher, although some things such as vacuum bag are cheap	Need an autoclave to cure parts (expensive)
Manufacturing Time (excluding cure)	More time since you’re doing everything by hand	Can be slow due to the extra setup, but once you lock down your process then it can become more efficient	Less time since all you need to do is lay your cloth and pull vacuum
Cleanliness	Messy since you’re dealing with loose fibers and resin in an open spaceLearning Curve	If done properly, can be pretty clean since everything is contained in the vacumm bag	Cleanest since you’re not dealing with liquid resin

The basic steps to infusion are:

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The document below will be actively updated with new info as learning progresses and will be re-formatted into a final manufacturing plan by the end.

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https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/134g90ytgT7qQcQjT9B1WtSwHvMti0be5a07Op0NeREs/edit#gid=0

Progress Tracker

Date	Individual	Goals for Today	Progress/Updates	Notes and Concerns
2021-06-19	Michael Hanley	Infusion test prep	cut 2x1 ft and 1x1 ft material Image AddedImage Added	catch pot is trash, no regular cf fabric Image Added
2021-06-24	Mackenzie Lui	Cut vac bags/spiral tubing	Cut vac bags/spiral tubing Image Added	Found another catch pot. Old catch pot has gauge that is intact but the pot leaks. New catch pot might not be leaking but has a busted gauge. Swap the gauges? Image Added
2021-06-25	Renzo Villanoy	Test 3D printed connector Cut carbon fibre for testing	Prep all done Image Added	The new mold release wax has same expiry date as old one (Sep 2021) 😞 Connector tight around tube, Increase diameter by 1.5mm Image Added spiral tube 11mm diam, connector 16mm
2021-06-29	Kyle Lacson + Mackenzie Lui	Test Catchpot for Leaks	created vacuum bag and sealed a cf sample clamped catchpot and left it for 15 min, was able to hold pressure added soap to the catchpot (inlet and outlet) and found no bubbles pressure was constant throughout the 15 min we left it on, at around -28inHg Image AddedImage AddedImage Added	although gage pressure was constant, when we unclamped the catchpot we heard a hissing sound at around -15inHg the tube clamps and tubes were not compatible so we had to use tacky tape to close of any gaps used the catchpot valve to clamp for 15min. Did not have a clamp strong enough or big enough to clamp the tube we used
2021-06-29	Kyle Lacson + Mackenzie Lui	Drill 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch holes into the foam	successfully drilled the holes into the foam left it near the rest of the materials for resin infusion Image Added	took an excessive amount of time, thought of CNC a mold or 3d print a plastic stamp to make it easier next time
2021-06-29	Kyle Lacson + Mackenzie Lui	Find buckets + stir rod for resin infusion prep	found some buckets and paint stirrer and left it near the rest of the materials	none
2021-07-05	Kyle Lacson + Mackenzie Lui	Fix catchpot pressure gauge	removed an inlet off the catchpot. Used to be 3 now it has 2 inlets. (The valve that was attached to the pressure gauge was transferred to an inlet) held a vacuum for 15min, applied soap to areas where a leak may occur. No bubbles were formed and no leaks were heard Updated catchpot: Image Added before vacuum: Image Added vacuum applied and clamped: Image Added after 15 min: Image Added	pressure gauge reading is off. Reading around -10 inHg when it should start off at 0 inHg before the vacuum was applied after 15 min, pressure seemed to lower by 1inHg. tried to adjust some screws within the pressure gauge but was not able to move the needle.
2021-07-16	Mackenzie Lui Kyle Lacson	Apply mold release wax to a 1ft x 1ft area on the large glass pane	Taped out a 13”x13” area with masking tape on the large glass. Follow instructions on wax can. Applied 6 coats of wax using disposable cloth. Buffed glass 1 minute after application of each wax layer (when the wax solidifies) using disposable cloth. Buff until smooth. Application/buffing technique demonstrated in Rock West video. Image Added	Used existing boundary outlined with masking tape for 2 sides, Wait time before buffing differs from Rock West video since they are using a different wax. Large glass pane already has Locktite residue, will tacky tape stick to the border???