MANUFACTURING

At Tods Technology we align the right processes to the requirements of your project. We provide agile and flexible manufacturing capability, from film infusion and acoustic material application to patterns, moulds and test rigs.

Materials Technology

Materials are tailored to each application and are tuned for performance to meet the exacting specifications of our customers.

Materials are validated through robust structural, acoustic and environmental testing, to underpin design analysis and provide vital qualification evidence.

Tods’ extensive experience in ‘design for manufacture’ ensures that appropriate material and manufacturing process choices are made at all stages of the build process. This provides cost effectiveness, repeatability and the product reliability and quality needed to meet design life requirements.

A portfolio of materials and processes

Composites (single skin) – underwater applications – fairings, acoustic windows

  • Glass, carbon or kevlar fibres
  • Polyester, vinylester, phenolic, epoxy resins
  • Hybrid composites

Stealth structures – bespoke design to meet individual requirements

  • Polyurethane cast coatings – single/multi layered casting on site
  • Baffle designs to minimise unwanted reflections and/or false targets
  • Radar absorptive, reflective structures

Buoyant materials for submersible applications

  • Syntactic core – impedance matched to water
  • Pressure rated for submarine applications

 

COMPOSITES

Prepreg

Prepreg is a composite material made from “pre-impregnated” fibres using a polymer matrix, typically epoxy resin, although many other resin options are available.

While usually requiring an expensive autoclave to cure, Tods has specialised in utilising the more cost effective Out of Autoclave (OOA) Prepregs which can be cured under vacuum in ovens. OOA prepregs are used within many industry sectors and are usually associated with thinner/lighter components.

Composite Structures
Vacuum Infusion

Resin Film Infusion

A high fibre, low void content solution with excellent mechanical properties cured under vacuum in an oven, at elevated temperature.

Potentially a lower cost alternative to prepreg, but with most of the advantages. Widely used within Marine applications for large thick parts.

Vacuum Infusion

A cost-effective process undertaken under vacuum at room temperature for making high-quality large composite parts. High-glass content, giving higher specific strength and stiffness, good interior finish, faster cycle time and lower cost tooling.
Resin Film Infusion
Handlay

Hand Lay, Wet Layup

Hand Layup or Wet Layup is an open moulding method, suitable for making a wide variety of composite products from very small to very large. It is the simplest composite moulding process, offering a low-cost tooling method, simple processing and a wide range of part sizes.

ACOUSTIC TREATMENTS

Acoustic Material Application

Tods specialises in providing bespoke, cast polymer treatments for stealth applications. These can be either low transmission loss, impedance matched materials or noise damping where high signal to noise is required.

Tods provides both in-house and onsite casting capability. Offering the ability to cast polymer treatments in large volume, in a continuous process, using specifically developed proprietary casting equipment, the cast process is controlled, monitored and verified by digital control.

Years of experience in providing cast treatments ensure reliable, consistent application that is controlled to the highest quality standards.

Acoustic Material Application