Hands-on training?

[chemist2engineer]

Hi all,
I am new to the forum, found it after googling composite learning. I recently started working in aerospace industry. I am learning how to make phenolic resin and pre-preg for making honeycomb sandwich panel.
I was a very bio-related chemist before I started this work.
Just wondering, if anyone has suggestion in where to learn basic knowledge of composite material, especially in pre-pregs.
I have planned to take classes in Cerritos College in Composite. Has anyone taken classes there before?
It was a sudden path change in my early career. I am in my 20s.

Thank you for all the suggestions.

 

[Compositepro]

The Cerritos program is geared toward producing composite lay-up technicians for the aerospace companies. It would be helpful to know how parts are fabricated when you are developing materials to make parts. But you will not learn much about how to formulate prepregs or resin chemistry.

I suggest you find books on phenolic chemistry and part fabrication. Some of the best ones may be over 50 years old as phenolics are some of the oldest plastics there are and not a lot of new developments have occurred. Then network with people at SAMPE meetings. In your area there are the Orange County, Los Angeles, and Foothill chapters, and it would be worthwhile to go to all three for a while. Sadly, many of the old-timers who are particularly knowledgeable and willing to help are gone now. Go through all the old SAMPE conference books for relevant articles. You will not find many secrets revealed but you will see what kinds of problems that people have worked at solving and pick-up some good background information.

One young chemist I worked with once had been working for a couple weeks on solving some processing issues that a customer was having with some phenolic prepreg. Over lunch we were talking about his project and it soon be came evident that he was not aware that phenolics are condensation cure resins that release water during cure. Knowing that was very helpful to him in solving the problem. He eventually went on to get an MBA and moved into Marketing.

 

[berkshire]

(Jack) John A. Wills was one of my heros in Phenolic resin processing, and wrote several books on the subject.
Sadly he has passed on now, however his wife may do some desktop publishing of some of his books.
They lived in Valley Center California. He ran a company, John A. Wills and company Plastics consultants.
at Valley Center California, Google him and see what turns up.
B.E.

The good engineer does not need to memorize every formula; he just needs to know where he can find them when he needs them. Old professor