PC-Based Monitoring and Control System for Microwave Curing of Polymer Composites

Microwave, curing is increasingly being considered as an economically viable process in the production of polymer composite parts. Nevertheless, the improper control of microwave energy for industrial production, especially for the processing of thick laminates, can lead to quality problems such as the formation of voids, non-uniform heating, and over curing. In this paper, the design and development of Cure-Control for the monitoring and control of the microwave curing of polymer composite components is discussed. In particular, this paper discusses some of the quality and production issues, as well as the control of the process parameters such as pressure, temperature and the rate of power intensity. Preliminary experiments confirm the viability of the Cure-Control system in the monitoring and controlling the curing of polymer composite components. The work has the potential of being commercialised on a large-scale, on-line basis.