Composite Manufacturing Process with MicroWire Sensors

Composite materials are crucial across safety-critical and high-value industries, but monitoring their production and structural integrity can get challenging. RVmagnetics' MicroWire sensors offer a non-destructive, contactless solution for measuring and tracking key production metrics and ensuring structural health.

In-House Video Presentation

We are excited to hereby present our in-house video showcasing the hands-on manufacturing of a composite laminate. The video is a straightforward showcase of our MicroWire’s capabilities. This process involved layering biaxial glass fibre fabrics, applying resin coating between each layer, and following with a vacuum-sealed hardening and solidification phase. Between different layers, and in different positions – we manually inserted our MicroWire sensors, to be able to obtain contactless real-time data from within the composite pieces. We tracked the manufacturing process, and we can still detect and measure the MicroWires in the respective composite pieces. This step-by-step process highlights how MicroWire sensors seamlessly integrate into the structure without compromising its integrity.

What to Observe in the Video?

-MicroWire Integration: See how MicroWires are embedded within ten layers of biaxial glass fibre fabric with resin coating. -MicroWire detection out of Vacuum Sealing: Observe how the composite is enclosed and air is evacuated – while a sensing head monitors the integrated MicroWires throughout the solidification process. -Real-Time Monitoring: Watch as the software captures critical data, including structural shifts as the resin solidifies or a manual poking of the mould takes place. -Detection of Final Integrated MicroWires: See how we can promptly identify each MicroWire integrated in a different position within the final laminates.

These embedded MicroWires continue to monitor the structural health of the composite throughout its lifecycle. This can help a composite manufacturer or an end user to identify critical issues such as debonding, fiber sliding, critical bending/straining/compression, shocks, vibrations, etc., without invasive testing.

RVmagnetics empowers manufacturers with reliable, real-time data and lifelong structural insights.

Contact us to learn more about this exact process results, or with other inquiries.