It is almost impossible to overestimate the importance of properly designed and manufactured tooling in composites processing. Even in the case of relatively simple, single-sided tools such as are used for autoclave moulding I have seen many instances where inadequate tooling was one of the greatest sources of scrap or reworked components in a production setting. In most variants of RTM the tooling is solely responsible for the geometry and tolerances of the part. The tool dictates how the resin will enter and leave the part and in very large part controls the filling process and thus the quality of the components. The tool must also react all the loads from mould closure and resin pressure and provide the heat required to cure the resin. The longevity and costs of the tooling make a major contribution to production economics. Its weight and ease of handling — with regard to preform loading, clamping, resin porting control and resistance to resin pressure, part ejection and transport — are major factors in the design of the production engineering approaches to be used.
