Prepreg Cutting Equipment
![CNC Prepeg Cutter]()
Pre-Machining Services help to eliminate the need to send out parts during the inspection process and offer a range of useful applications following the initial forging process.
Whether your aerospace and defense, manufacturing or other industry-specific project calls for drilling, grinding, welding or anything in-between, our range of pre-machining services offers a wide range of processes, strategically designed to keep your operations running at full speed. MISTRAS’ global network delivers pre-machining services that boast approvals from various aerospace corporations and prime manufacturers.
MISTRAS' Pre-Machining Services
MISTRAS works closely with clients in a wide range of industries to offer comprehensive pre-machining services, including:
- CNC Milling
- CNC Turning
- CNC Prepreg Cutting
- CNC Circular Wet Cutting
- Drilling
- Grinding
- Sawing
- Polishing
- Water Jet Cutting
- Application of Tabs
- Autoclave
- RTM (Resin Transfer Molding)
- Wet Lamination
- Hot Press up to 400° C
- Strain Gauges Application
- Hot Wet Ageing Simulation
- Chemical Resistance
- Climatic Test
CNC Milling
Milling is when a tool rotates to form a specific part, and is performed across a multitude of industries. Following the initial forging process, milling helps to permanently shape the part into a useful component and is accomplished with strict attention-to-detail.
MISTRAS performs CNC milling services, strategically designed to form customers parts into their final, useful shape. This important step in the pre-machining process ensures components are properly prepared and formed as it progresses through the inspection cycle.
CNC Turning
CNC Turning (Computer Numerical Control) is an intricate machining process to fabricate custom metal parts, following initial processing steps such as cutting, forging, and milling. The material itself is rotated to create its final, permanent shape prior to inspection.
MISTRAS performs CNC turning services, an intricate process that rotates industrial components, for industries like aerospace, manufacturing, and others to form its final, permanent shape. This is one of the first steps throughout the inspection process and is completed by MISTRAS operators with extreme care and steady precision.
CNC Prepreg Cutter
The CNC Prepreg Cutter is an automated, precision-driven machine used to cut and shape various prepreg materials, which has a pre-impregnated epoxy resin.
Cutting pre-machined parts to the exact dimensions is crucial to ensuring a quality result. MISTRAS’ CNC Prepeg Cutting services is a crucial step in the initial forging process to ensure test materials, such as carbon fiber, are cut and shaped to perfection. MISTRAS’ CNC Prepreg Cutting services boasts high efficiency and is designed to cut down on unnecessary waste and added costs.
In addition, the CNC cutting machine can be used to cut and pick dry materials such as fabrics and non-crimp fabrics automatically. This serves as preparation for the subsequent processes’ Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) and vacuum injection molding.
CNC Circular Wet Cutting
By using high-performance wet cutting systems, MISTRAS is able to carry out precise and error-free cuts through almost all test materials. Many years of experience in this field enables high efficiency in this process.
During the sawing process, a wide variety of materials are cut to the exact required size using special cutting discs. The addition of water and coolant does not result in any material or structural changes. Using manual and fully automated clamping systems, parallel cuts can be made in stepless widths.
Drilling
Drilling is performed utilizing bits and various other tools to create holes in industrial parts. This is completed as an element in creating a part’s final shape and is primarily accomplished prior to the inspection process.
MISTRAS’ drilling services are an important step in the pre-inspection process for a wide-range of industry specific components. This is completed following the initial forging process, and is designed to transition raw parts, using bits and other tools to create holes, into crucial, high performance parts. This process is necessary for the creation of several testing specimens (e.g. bearing stress specimen).
Grinding
Fast-paced grinding services are performed on pre-machined test samples and are designed to remove excess material.
MISTRAS performs grinding services on pre-machined components to help increase the accuracy and precision of the product once it leaves the lab.
Sawing
Sawing is performed on a variety of industry specific parts to achieve proper separation of components prior to inspection. This meticulous process is done effectively and reliably.
Making sure your parts are properly shaped, separated, ground, polished and inspected are of the utmost importance during the production cycle. By utilizing MISTRAS’ sawing services, our customers can rest assured that operators utilize industry best practices all while maintaining structural integrity.
Polishing
After the initial forging process, parts are sometimes too rough to inspect, so MISTRAS performs polishing services to prepare components prior to ultrasonic testing (UT) or microscopy analyses to ensure surfaces have a roughness below 0,5µm.
MISTRAS performs polishing services on pre-inspected parts to ensure they ultimately perform seamlessly and provide exceptional results. Often times, these parts are unfinished following initial forging and need to be smoothed to ensure accuracy in the inspection process.
Water Jet Cutting
Water jet cutting technology is a cold cutting process in which the material is cut with supersonic water or water mixed with abrasives and thus eroded. Therefore, there are no structural changes in the material. The water jet cutting technology knows no limits for the material to be cut. Due to the burr-free cut edges and the high precision of the cutting process, no post-processing is required. This process is considered one of the most precise and accurate cutting methods.
MISTRAS' water jet cutting services help to cut all test materials without errors. Due to the almost unlimited possibilities with this procedure, we can ensure a cost-effective and efficient execution of your project.
Application of Tabs
Tabs are used for the homogeneous application of load and as protection for the test material in the loading jaws during the mechanical testing of fiber composite materials. They are usually made of GFRP, CFRP, or metal. The tabs are applied before the test specimens are machined using an adhesive film, and are applied to the test plate under pressure. By adding temperature, this process can be significantly accelerated.
Thanks to many years of experience, MISTRAS is able to manufacture the material for tabbing itself. This helps to ensure that your process runs efficiently and cost-effectively.
Autoclave
Autoclaves are chambers with which high-quality components made of fiber composite materials are cured at high temperatures and high pressure. In order to be able to exert over pressure on the parts, a vacuum bagging is typically used. This also means that the out-gassing can be extracted during the curing process, which brings the quality of the parts to a much higher level.
Whether you need to cure your aeronautic composite parts, curing samples for an incoming inspection or qualify a new composite material, MISTRAS´ autoclave service is able to provide an adequate answer especially in quality and saving costs. The extensive maintenance and the intensive monitoring mechanisms decreases your risks many times.
Resin Transfer Molding (RTM)
In the Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) process, dry fibers or prefabricated preforms are placed in a tool. After the mold is closed, liquid resin is injected into the closed mold under pressure. In this complicated process, a thermosetting resin is usually used, and heat is often used to cure the resin properly.
How often do you say you need a part formed to your exact specification but often times falls short? MISTRAS’ RTM services are an integral part of the pre-machining process is able to create materials designed to your exact specifications. In forming and carefully shaping composite materials to meet a specific set of needs, MISTRAS helps to speed up the fabrication and inspection cycle, saving you valuable time and money.
Wet Lamination
In the wet lamination process, components in simple shapes can be manufactured inexpensively. The fiber layers are cut by CNC cutting and placed in the mold. Each layer is soaked with matrix and pressed on (laminating). Then, the entire laminate is usually compressed under a vacuum bag and the excess resin is removed. The hardening process takes a few hours and usually takes place at room temperature. The components are then post-cured in an oven, which increases their temperature resistance.
Lamination enhances products by improving their strength, durability, and flexibility. This process is intended to combine an array of materials through a wet bonding process. Once this process has been completed, the materials are adhered to one another and then passed through an oven which permanently combines them.
Hot Press up to 400° C
The heated pressing process forms a specific part into a unique shape by using heat and pressure. Heating pre-machined materials allows them to properly mold and bend into your precise specifications.
The MISTRAS hot press processes covers the consolidating of high-quality thermoplastic and thermoset composites. A further process is bonding of already cured semi panels to lap shear joints and bonding of tabs to extremely plane-parallel destructive test specimens.
Strain Gauge Application
The strain gauge application is a method of condition monitoring used to measure component deformation and surface stress. These gauges are either attached or permanently embedded in the surface of a component, and when exposed to stress will typically flex to indicate a problem. This includes bridges, tunnels, railcars, vessels, wind turbine blades, and various concrete structures. By measuring changes in size and/or shape, it determines individual stresses that may ultimately affect the assets' longevity and subsequent maintenance schedules.
For MISTRAS, strain gauges are an important tool for monitoring the strain, the resulting stress and the bending of test specimens during the destructive testing. The monitoring of the previously mentioned factors can also be ensured using other tools, but the use of strain gauges representing a much more precise measurement.
Hot/Wet Aging Simulation
Aging simulation is accomplished by utilizing a combination of heat and humidity to help determine long-term effects of natural environmental stress. This is done within an abbreviated period of time and is typically performed in a controlled environment, such as a lab or other testing facility.
Ever wondered how a specific component may perform after being exposed to many years of aggressive field conditions? MISTRAS’ aging simulation services can provide a glimpse into that scenario. By combining levels of heat and humidity, we can determine the environmental effects your parts may experience after an extended period of time on the job. Our aging simulation services are the perfect choice when you need future results, immediately.
Chemical Resistance
Chemical resistance testing helps to identify the resistance strength of various materials and coatings as they hold up against chemical attacks.
While your parts and their coatings may be vulnerable to extreme chemical attacks, they don’t have to submit to the extreme conditions. MISTRAS’ chemical resistance testing puts your pre-machined parts through a rigorous set of “real world” scenarios designed to assess the degree at which they can hold up against such conditions. By ensuring your parts and coatings are able to withstand such elements, you can save significant time and money in the long run.
Climatic Test
Climatic testing is an environmental stress test, designed to mimic controlled weather and various conditions as they relate to the strength of material properties. Climatic testing includes relative humidity, dew point, moisture, and other natural weather events to measure reliability and longevity. Testing temperatures may range from -70° C to 180° C.
When deploying your parts into the harshest conditions, you need to be certain they can hold up against mother nature and all she has to offer. MISTRAS’ climatic test does just that. We place your pre-machined components in some of the harshest weather conditions to measure their vulnerability against a multitude of conditions. This service is vital to ensure longevity and productivity of your parts when performing in the toughest elements.
