Autoclaves for aerospace applications: Issues and challenges

Abstract

The Council of Scientific and Industerial Research National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL), Bangalore, India has been engaged in the research of autoclaves for the past three decades and has pioneered their development and usage in India for aerospace/aircraft structural applications. The autoclaves at CSIR-NAL have played a significant role in all the major national aircraft/aerospace programs. The largest aerospace autoclave in India (working size of 4.4m diameter and 9.0m length) has been successfully commissioned at CSIR-NAL. This paper gives the technological challenges faced and the innovative concepts that were introduced in these autoclaves. © 2011 A. R. Upadhya et al.