Presses

Tender description

The University of Strathclyde's Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC) requires a Supplier to configure, manufacture, install and commission a hydraulic platen press for its new Lightweight Manufacturing Centre. This press will require high precision temperature and pressure control for accuracy, resolution and repeatability in order to provide a highly instrumented system for operational control of inputs and outputs. The system will be installed at AFRC, Westway Park, Porterfield Road, Renfrew. The press will support the development of a wide range of improved, high integrity composite components for challenging applications. The press will support the development of a wide range of improved, high integrity composite components for challenging applications. It will address the requirement for a pilot scale facility to establish the processing parameters required for the production of advanced composite materials. The AFRC requires the platen press to investigate various aspects of composite components for structural capability. The system shall be: based upon a hydraulic press having 4 pistons; capable of temperatures in excess of 390°C; have a fast ramping cycle for lower temperatures; feature an oil-heating system; and have slow-close adjustable speed. Machine operation for programming and operation shall be contained within a switch cabinet. The press shall operate in several operating modes with multiple program steps per mode. Please refer to Appendix L Guidance Notes for the ESPD in the General Attachments area of PCS-T for full details on the minimum technical and financial criteria for participating in this contract. Tenderers should note the criteria for Part 4C.1.2 Services of the ESPD, contained in the Qualification envelope of PCS-T. The criteria required for examples is as follows: Criteria: Examples must be sufficient enough to pass aeronautical standards (e.g. Airbus, Boeing standards). We need a system able to manufacture glass fibre reinforced plastic (GFRP) and carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) for advanced composite manufacture 2m2 (of micro-scale 10 - 6 m; and nano-scale 10 - 9 m). For fibres including glass, carbon, graphite and Kevlar. Laminar layups expected to be unidirectional, cross-ply, quasi-isotropic, transversely isotropic, chopped strand. Matrix materials expected to include polymers: epoxy, polyamide, phenolics, acrylic, urethane. System expected to hand wet and dry lay-ups (pre-pregs in standard widths: 76 mm to 1 270 mm).