INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED COMPOSITES MANUFACTURING INNOVATION

ABOUT IACMI-THE COMPOSITES INSTITUTE

IACMI MEMBER SUPPORTERS FOR THE COMPOSITE SLED PROJECT

The Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI), managed by the Collaborative Composite Solutions Corporation (CCS), is a partnership of more than 150 members, representing industry, universities, national laboratories, and federal, state and local governments. IACMI members and partners work together to benefit the nation’s energy and economic security by sharing existing resources and co-investing to accelerate innovative research and development in the advanced composites field. CCS is a not-for-profit organization established by The University of Tennessee Research Foundation. The national Manufacturing USA institute is supported by a $70 million commitment from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office, and over $180 million committed from IACMI’s partners. Find out more at www.iacmi.org.

IACMI HQ 2360 Cherahala Blvd. Knoxville, TN 37932 | www.iacmi.org

The composite sleds were created through a vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) process. University of Tennessee, Knoxville Tickle College of Engineering students used a combination lay-up to reinforce a variety of fibers including Carbon Fiber (CF), Basalt Fiber, and Glass Fiber (GF) with resins such as vinyl ester or epoxy – an established technology process used in the race car industry.

The advantage of fiber reinforced sleds over traditional plastic sleds is the higher mechanical performance and durability, in addition to weight reduction that leads to aerodynamic performance improvement. Students prepare the VARTM

Creating sleds with a variety of fibers allows students to gain knowledge about the characteristics of different materials; it also allows students to learn about the molding process through hands-on experiments.

Basalt FiberGlass Fiber

ABOUT DR. VAIDYA’S PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT CLASS

Students show a finished Carbon Fiber composite sled

University of Tennessee, Knoxville students in IACMI’s Chief Technology Officer and the UT/ORNL Governor’s Chair in Advanced Composites Manufacturing, Dr. Uday Vaidya’s Product Development class are learning about holistic product development – from concept to part. They are working on a comprehensive design process that involves conceptualization, sketching, CAD, finite element analysis, process simulation, material selection and optimization, prototyping and validation. The 13 graduate and 9 undergraduate students in the class are making composite sled prototypes with a focus on value-added engineered products using advanced materials.

ART TO PART: COMPOSITE SLEDS WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE, KNOXVILLE