The ICSA plant in Toledo will increase production and quality in parts fabricated under ADEX control

In News — April 12 2012

Within the framework of the CENIT project SINTONIA, activity “New Fabrication Technologies”, progress has been made in implementing an ADEX control system in the curing process of the hot plate machine at the ICSA (International Composites S.A) plant in Toledo. The hot plate machine comprises flat surfaces or “plates” with heat resistant properties which, during the curing process, are placed in contact with the upper and lower parts of the mold holding the resin, and transfers heat to it. The temperature of the resin must be kept strictly within the limits of its set point during the whole of the curing process so that the fabricated part acquires sufficient mechanical and structural properties.

The complex dynamic of the curing processes, and the problems associated with their control is well known. Given that the curing process is highly exothermic, excessively fast heating of the mold can degrade the resin contained within and give rise to defective parts. On the other hand, too slow heating can result in inefficiency by slowing down the production process. Optimized control is able to achieve the desired quality of fabricated parts, maximize production, reduce energy costs and deliver a significant technological improvement to this part of fabrication.