the other way (they do this in bike frames) is to make a split mould and use a bladder on the inside to apply the pressure (obviously that would be a production thing. I'l all for blowing snot!
--- On Tue, 3/6/12, Philip Lardner <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.> wrote:
From: Philip Lardner <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Subject: RE: [Carbondragonbuildersandpilots] Re: Wing ribs
To: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Date: Tuesday, March 6, 2012, 9:23 AM
I don't know how Atos fabricate their hollow ribs (I'll take a look at a friends VQ next time we're flying), but one process that might work is to form them around a foam core as already described and then (through a couple of small holes at non-critical locations) to inject a solvent (acetone) to remove the PVC foam, which comes out as a gloopy snot! I read about this in John Wanberg's Composite Materials Fabrication Handbook #1 of 2 (available from Amazon.) I'm not sure the extra work would be worth the effort given the weight of the foam involved.
Phil.
