As the composites industry looks for ways to simplify and accelerate part processing, finding alternatives to autoclave cure has been a recurring theme. The Holy Grail? An alternative that offers the benefits of an autoclave without the high capital and energy costs. Vistex Composites (Howes Cave, N.Y.) may have found one in its (pat. pend.) Thermal Press Curing (TPC) technology Marketed under the trade name Specialized Elastomeric Tooling, the method reportedly offers game-changing reductions in processing cost, complexity and energy consumption, as well as short tooling lead times for ther-moset and thermoplastic prepreg parts.
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