Hammerhead Aviation

With two down draft spray cabins Hammerhead Aviation is serious when we say we can get your production paint done. We have painted thousands of aircraft and Mil-spec parts. Our large booth is a 40’ X 50’ aircraft paint booth that comfortably fits a greyhound bus.

Light RTM is a process that requires matched tooling (insideoutside molds). A temperature controlled mold cavity is packed with dry fibers according to the layup schedule, and then a vacuum is pulled in the mold cavity while a second vacuum is used to clamp the two molds together. Radio Frequency identification (RFID) tag is used to identify the mold, while a computer sets the correct injection perimeters. When all pre-defined cavity perimeters have been met, resin is automatically injected into the mold cavity at the proper speed and temperature using a computer integrated pump to complete the process. Light RTM is an excellent process for manufacturing parts that require both inside and outside finished surfaces.

Wet layup is a process where dry fibers and resin are brought together in an open mold. Wet layup production is usually more labor intensive than other techniques but less expensive overall when materials and mold cost are considered. Hammerhead Aviation produces the highest quality “light weight” wet layup parts in the industry; in fact, customers often mistake our wet layup parts for more expensive processes. Wet layup is a versatile process, producing a wide range of part sizes and shapes.

Also known as “VARTM”. Dry cloth is placed in a mold according to the layup schedule then a vacuum bag is placed over the fibers. Resin is introduced from outside of the bag using strategically placed resin suction tubes and other methods to wet out the dry pack. When the entire laminate is wet out the resin tubes are clamped off and the laminate is allowed to cure. This process produces high quality parts with good consolidation and very few voids.

Urethane resin is dispensed through a computer controlled pumping system into matched tooling or hollow cavity roto-molds. Urethane injection produces tough economical parts at a very high rate.

Wet layup vacuum bagging is a variation on the wet layup manufacturing method. A vacuum bag is placed over a freshly laminated part and acts like a clamp that uses atmospheric pressure to consolidate fibers and control the resin content. Vacuum Bagging is typically used in complex shapes and where the elimination of air voids and maximum weight savings are important.