With outstanding physical and mechanical properties as well as an excellent price-performance ratio, the RAKU-TOOL^® brand of board materials, Close Contour Castings, Close Contour Pastes, and liquid systems from RAMPF Tooling Solutions provides materials for high-quality, fast lightweight construction using composites.

The RAMPF Tooling Solutions stand at this year’s JEC World, the international trade show for composite materials in Paris from March 8 - 10, 2016 – Hall 6, Stand Q32-2 – is all about fast cars and lightweight materials. RAKU-TOOL^® products were used both in the construction of a GT3 racing car for the ADAC GT Masters and for a formula racing car for the GP3 series. The materials made it possible to manufacture high-quality composite parts fast and cost-effectively.

RAKU-TOOL^® board materials were used to create various molds to produce lightweight parts for the C7 GT3-R racing car from Callaway Competition, the longest-serving team in the ADAC GT Masters racing series.

RAKU-TOOL^® WB-0691 and RAKU-TOOL^® WB-0700 are particularly suited for lay-up tools, vacuum forming molds, and for processing prepregs. RAKU-TOOL^® WB-1404 molds were used to manufacture carbon fiber parts with EI-2500 / EH-2970 resin infusion.

The benefits:

• outstanding surface of the resin-infusion parts
• excellent fit accuracies
• no damage to the molds during demolding.

For the main monocoque body of the GP3/16 racing car from Italian chassis manufacturer Dallara Automobili, RAKU-TOOL^® Close Contour Casting CC/CB-6503 was used for the production of master models for prepreg lay-up tools. RAKU-TOOL^® CC/CB-6503 has a dense, fine and seamless surface, as well as good dimensional stability.

The models were used to produce lay-up tools with low temperature prepregs in the autoclave. The autoclave process allows for very high mechanical properties and a very high quality of the finished parts. A further advantage: RAKU-TOOL^® CC/CB-6503 is delivered as a three dimensional casting, which is already a close contour shape of the customer’s final model and therefore easy and quick to machine with little waste.

The nose of the GP3/16 racing car was produced using RAKU-TOOL^® Close Contour Paste CP-6131 for medium temperature prepreg lay-up tools. RAKU-TOOL^® CP-6131 is easy to process and apply. The quick and even heat distribution within the shell tool guarantees fast autoclave cycle times.

The production process is very fast and efficient – direct tooling does not require the production of a model, and the close contour shape facilitates faster milling times. Furthermore, as with all close contour products, less material is used and thus less waste produced.

RAKU-TOOL^® CP-6060 Close Contour Paste was developed especially for the production of large models and molds. The paste was, for example, used for the production of a wind turbine blade model (see picture) to manufacture wind turbine blades using the composite construction method. The material is especially suited for the production of large models and molds in the wind energy, marine, and automotive industry. RAKU-TOOL^® CP-6060 is easy to process and apply, even on vertical surfaces without slump. It can be processed after just 24 hours of curing at RT.

RAMPF Tooling Solutions has an excellent product portfolio of RAKU-TOOL^® liquid products which offers several different solutions and processes to produce excellent products. For the production of a carbon model of a sports car, various epoxy systems for three different composite construction methods can be used.

1) Resin infusion shell lay-up tool, produced using resin infusion
Surface: RAKU-TOOL^® gelcoat EG-2105 / EH-2950
Backing: RAKU-TOOL^® resin infusion EI-2500 / EH-2970-1 / carbon fibers
Produced part: carbon fiber with RAKU-TOOL^® EI-2500 / EH-2970-1

2) Prepreg shell lay-up tool, produced in resin infusion
Surface: RAKU-TOOL^® gelcoat EG-2107 / EH-2951
Backing: RAKU-TOOL^® resin infusion EI-2504 / EH-2974 / carbon fiber
Produced part: prepreg

3) RTM tool (punch/ die), produced using lay-up technique      Surface: RAKU-TOOL^® gelcoat EG-2107 / EH-2951
Back filling: RAKU-TOOL^® casting system EC-2461 / EH-2961 / AC-9061
Produced part: carbon fiber with RAKU-TOOL^® EI-2500 / EH-2972