The FCMF has comprehensive capabilities in manufacturing, design/modeling,
characterization, and nondestructive evaluation of advanced materials.
The facilities complement existing facilities in the Tennessee Ecosystem
such as the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) at ORNL, the Carbon
Fiber Technology Facility (CFTF), the Joint Institute of Advanced Materials
(JIAM), Center for Renewable Carbon (CRC), and Mechanical Characterization
Laboratories at UT.
The information below is representative in nature. For additional details,
please contact fcmf@utk.edu.
Featured Manufacturing Capabilities
High-Speed Wabash Compression Press
UT-IACMI has installed a high-speed Wabash compression press for advanced composite processing.
- 150-ton compression molding capability
- Heated platens up to 650°F
- 36″ × 36″ platen size
- 60″ daylight opening
- Closing speed of 475 inches per minute
The press can accommodate a wide range of tooling and material systems, including sheet molding compound (SMC), long fiber thermoplastics (LFT), commingled materials, hot-melt impregnated tows, prepregs, wet layups, thermosets, thermoplastics, and hybrid composites.
Natural Fiber Spinning Line
The natural fiber spinning line is used to produce continuous fiber tows from discontinuous natural fibers such as coir.
Coir fibers are extracted from coconut shells and processed into short and long fibers approximately 6–8 inches in length. Fibers are supplied through an automatic vibratory feeder to willowing wheels, aligned at high speed through V-shaped guides, and converted into continuous fiber.
- Natural fiber feeding and alignment
- Continuous tow production
- Twisted or untwisted tow capability
- Coir and other sustainable fiber research
- Composite reinforcement development
Fiber Sizing Line
The FCMF Fiber Sizing Line supports research and process development focused on carbon fiber surface treatment, handling, and fiber-matrix compatibility.
- Custom sizing formulation development
- Continuous fiber coating
- Controlled drying and curing
- Surface treatment optimization
- Process monitoring and data collection
- Evaluation of mechanical and electrical performance
- Automated data acquisition and process optimization research
Melt Spinning of Preceramic Polymers
The UT-ORNL-IACMI collaboration enabled a pilot-scale melt-spinning line for producing preceramic and high-performance polymer fibers.
The flexible system can accommodate different polymer feedstocks and produce fibers ranging from a few microns up to approximately 120 microns in diameter.
Automated Tape Placement (ATP)
Automated Tape Placement enables precise placement of continuous fiber tapes for manufacturing multi-layered, high-performance composite structures.
- Compaction roller placement head
- Thermoplastic tape and thermoset tow-preg feeding capability
- 6-axis Kawasaki ZZX130LD CNC robotic system
- Human-machine interface
- CAD-based manufacturing capability
Composites Manufacturing
Composites Manufacturing Equipment
Long Fiber Thermoplastics (LFT)
Long fiber thermoplastic extrusion-compression molding with 1.5″ and 3.5″ plasticator charge capability.
Injection Molding
350-ton injection molding system with thermilator, approximately 870 g shot weight, and 890 × 890 mm platen size.
Twin-Screw Compounding & Pelletizing
Twin-screw multi-phase compounding and underwater pelletizing for production of pellets, tapes, and rods.
Sheet Molding Compound (SMC)
18″-wide SMC line capable of processing glass, low-cost carbon fiber wide tows, basalt, recycled fiber, polyester, vinyl ester, and epoxy systems.
Composite Recycling
250-lb-per-hour mechanical shredding capability for carbon fiber, glass-fiber, thermoset, and thermoplastic composite scrap.
Autoclave
Composite molding autoclave capable of approximately 800°F with a 2.5-ft × 5-ft chamber.
Vacuum Diaphragm Forming
36″ × 36″ vacuum diaphragm forming station with infrared heating.
Low-Pressure Resin Transfer Molding
Metering, mixing, and dispensing of polyester, vinyl ester, and epoxy resins into closed-cavity flexible and hard molds.
Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM)
Single-sided VARTM tooling for production of large and non-conventional components.
Composite Fabric Laser Cutting
Dual-head laser cutting for composite and multilayer fabrics with a 63″ working width and unrestricted material length.
Plate Winding
Plate-winding capability for carbon, polypropylene, glass, and basalt fiber tows.
Wet-Laid Processing
Hand-sheet molding capability for nominal 12″ × 12″ mats using discontinuous carbon, glass, hybrid, and thermoplastic fibers.
Roll Forming
Roll-forming development capability for continuous sheet-metal profiles and hybrid sheet-metal/thermoplastic tape structures.
Thermoplastic Blow Molding
24-mm screw system for blow molding unreinforced thermoplastic components.
Composite Tooling
FCMF maintains tooling representing multiple shapes and material features.
Seat Backrest Tool
30″ × 18″ seat-backrest tool for evaluation of material flow and molding behavior.
Additive Tooling
Additive-manufactured tooling and molding activities are performed in collaboration with the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at ORNL.
Design and Modeling
Design and Modeling Capabilities
A suite of software supports product development, process modeling, optimization, structural analysis, composites, sheet metal, bulk metal, and hybrid applications.
Materials Selection: CES EduPack / Granta, SAS for defect analysis
Solid Modeling and Tooling: SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor, Dassault 3DS
Process Modeling: Moldex3D, PAM-RTM, PAM-FORM, Moldflow Advisor, Moldflow Insight, Optitex, Nextrud, DEFORM, FASTFORM
FEA, Thermal and Structural Analysis: ANSYS, Abaqus, Genoa/MCQ, LS-DYNA, noise and vibration analysis
Characterization and Nondestructive Evaluation
Characterization & NDE Equipment
- Phased-array Olympus ultrasonics with 1–10 MHz sensors and portable C-scan capability
- Dual-channel Brüel & Kjær PULSE vibration analyzer
- 4-channel MISTRAS Acoustic Emission system
- 20-kN load frame with fiber-characterization tools
- Environmental conditioning and mechanical-test fixtures
- Izod impact tester
- Drop-weight impact tower
- Gas gun for high-speed impact testing
ORNL Collaborative Facilities
ORNL Collaborative Facilities
- Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM)
- Wolf Robotics wire-feed metal additive manufacturing
- Filament winding
- Plasmatreat open-air plasma surface-treatment system
- RocTool induction heating
- 100-ton Beckwood press
- Triform hydroforming system
- Wisconsin conveying oven
- Blue M box oven
- Strongwell pultrusion line
- P4 discontinuous-fiber preforming line
- T-MAC high-rate crash-testing system
- Fiber characterization and thermography
- Additive tooling
- Low-cost carbon fiber precursor, sizing, and process-development collaboration
- Walk-in furnaces and environmental chambers
- 500-ton fast-acting press
- D-LFT plasticator
- 150-ton fast-acting Wabash press
- Thermoset and thermoplastic prepreg line
- Multi-material SMC line
- Low-cost carbon-fiber packaging for preforms
Facility Information & Collaboration
For additional information about FCMF equipment, research capabilities, industry collaboration, or facility access, contact fcmf@utk.edu.