Bladder Molding
Bladder moulding is the ideal manufacturing process for producing extremely complex hollow shapes, namely anything other than a round or oval tube, such as carbon fibre bicycle frames.
How it works
The layers of composite material are laminated around an inflatable bladder. The resulting assembly is then placed in a concave mould. Once the mould is closed, compressed air is pumped into the bladder, causing it to expand. The bladder pushes the layup against the inside wall of the mould cavity. The mould is then heated to cure the composite, which thus conforms to the shape of the mould.
