Manufacturing process
Also known as autoclave moulding, autoclave forming
A process in which plies of prepreg — fibres held in partially cured resin — are laid up and then cured under heat and pressure in an autoclave. It is the established aerospace route, slow and energy-intensive.
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Autoclave curing is slow, on the order of hours with cycle times above one hour, and energy-intensive, partly because the large thermal mass of the tooling and the autoclave goes through the same thermal cycle as the part; its energy intensity has driven interest in resin transfer moulding and out-of-autoclave curing.
Evidence support: Supported by the cited evidence one source
Evidence: U.S. Department of Energy 2015 Primary authority
A typical autoclave pressure for curing prepreg is 586 kPa.
Evidence support: Supported by the cited evidence one source
Evidence: U.S. Department of Energy 2015 Primary authority
A prepreg holds fibres in a resin advanced to a partly cured, tacky B stage and kept frozen to stop it curing; plies are laid up and cured at elevated temperature, in aerospace usually in an autoclave whose temperature and pressure cycle controls resin flow, degassing, consolidation and uniform polymerisation.
Evidence support: Supported by the cited evidence 2 sources, multiple sources, independence unknown
Evidence: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Flight Standards Service 2023 Primary authority; U.S. Department of Energy 2015 Primary authority
The traditional autoclave cure for aerospace prepreg is at 177 °C.
Evidence support: Supported by the cited evidence one source
Evidence: U.S. Department of Energy 2015 Primary authority
Record last updated 2026-10-30. Corrections follow the published corrections policy; superseded claims are retained, never silently edited.