Aerospace & Defense

Challenge

An advanced composites manufacturer, supplying next-generation turbine components, faced mounting pressure on its Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) process. Production was slowed by scrap waste, inconsistent cure quality, and unexpected downtime, all of which jeopardized throughput and structural reliability.

The complexity of oversized composite molds compounded the challenge. Conventional cartridge heaters struggled to provide uniform heat, causing cure variability, part defects, and tooling stress. Meeting aggressive aerospace production schedules demanded a heating solution that could deliver precision, durability, and reliability under pressure.

Solution

Dalton Electric partnered closely with the manufacturer's engineering team to design a custom Watt-Flex® split-sheath cartridge heating system engineered specifically for aerospace-grade RTM applications.

The solution provided:

• Full contact, uniform heating across oversized composite molds.
• Fast cycle recovery times to keep production schedules on track and reduce scrap.
• Exceptional durability, withstanding repeated cycles without failure.
• Consistent thermal profiles, minimizing cure variability and improving part quality.
• Faster ramp-up and cycle times, enabling throughput goals to be met with confidence.

Results

With Dalton's engineered heating solution in place, the manufacturer achieved measurable improvements across production:

• Reduced scrap lowered material waste and rework costs.
• Tighter thermal control improved cure consistency, boosting blade durability and structural reliability.
• Consistent on-time delivery kept aerospace supply chain schedule on track.
• Reduced tooling stress extended mold life and lowered replacement costs. 

Dalton's precision heating solution transformed a production bottleneck into a competitive advantage, supporting the aerospace industry's demand for reliability, efficiency, and mission-critical performance.