Composite Autoclave

A composite autoclave is a large pressure vessel used in manufacturing to cure fiber-reinforced composite materials, applying heat and pressure evenly so multiple layers of composite bond together without the voids that would otherwise weaken the finished part. The same technology is also used to cure laminated glass and to vulcanize rubber. Composite autoclaves are built at very large scale for demanding industries: manufacturers of sailboat masts use autoclaves more than fifteen meters long and three meters wide, and some aerospace autoclaves are large enough to hold an entire airplane fuselage made of layered composite material. A composite autoclave differs from a medical or laboratory sterilization autoclave in its purpose and design: rather than meeting strict regulatory requirements for direct human contact, an industrial composite-curing autoclave is built to prioritize manufacturing efficiency, programming flexibility, ease of use and sustainability.