High-Temperature Vacuum Heating (HTVH) presses These HTVH presses from Wickert Maschinenbau GmbH, Landau in der Pfalz, Germany, can be used by aerospace and automotive parts suppliers to process high-performance composites, such as polyetherimide, PEEK and polyphenylene sulfide, as an alternative to autoclaves. Designed especially for manufacturing composite parts, the quick-heating hydraulic presses have dedicated control software and extra connections for thermocouples. While all the presses are custom-made, the one shown has about 880 tons of compressive force. Wickert is represented in the U.S. by Desma.
What's new? Higher-temperature heating — up to about 800 degrees Fahrenheit.
Benefits Production of better-quality parts, compared to those made in autoclaves. The HTVH has faster cycle times than autoclaving and produces parts that have consistent part surfaces on both sides and tighter thickness tolerances.
Desma USA Inc., Hebron, Ky., 859-525-6610, www.wickert-usa.com
