Airpad

Airpad is an uncured, non-silicone rubber for manufacture of pressure caul sheets, flexible mandrels, and rubber tooling. Airpad caul sheets improve part quality on the vacuum bag side of the part.

The Airpad pressure intensifier provides uniform pressure distribution during autoclave processing. Airpad will take high temperature similar to silicone rubbers but will not cause silicone contamination. Airpad is dimensionally stable when reinforced with Airtech Toolmaster Prepregs, which bond well and do not generate volatiles that could also cause delamination.

• Reduce scrap with improved part quality due to better thickness control and corner consolidation.
• Reduce rework by eliminating surface wrinkles, voids, and porosity.
• Avoid part distortion due to uneven laminate consolidation during cure.

Molding Guidelines:
• Mold Airpad off a part, dummy part, or mold which is stable at high temperature and capable of high pressure.
• Tack is temperature dependent and can be controlled with additional heat to assure adhesion to vertical
   surfaces, sharp corners, and complex shapes.
• Airpad is not self releasing and much be covered with a release material, such as Airtech A4000BOS bondable one side release film during the layup process.
• Teflease, Tooltec®, Wrightlease, and Toolwright can also be applied to cured Airpad, consult Airpad User
   Manual for detailed instructions.

Recommended Cure:
• Apply full vacuum throughout cure cycle and pressurize autoclave to 100 psi (7 bar), minimum recommended pressure is 45 psi (3 bar).
• Heat to 350°F (176°C) and hold for 2 hours, then cool to room temperature before removing vacuum and
   demolding from master mold.

• The maximum use temperature is dependent upon the duration at maximum temperature and is process specific, Airtech recommends testing prior to use.
• Watch a demo video of Airpad in the "Media Center" on our website.