16. Fuzzy Logic Control of Resin Curing

Mark K. McCullough
University of New Mexico

Plastics of various types are found in almost all major products of the 20th Century. From ball point pens to jet aircraft engines, plastic is replacing metal parts for cost reductions and weight reductions. However, complex parts such as those found in the aircraft industry do not necessarily have a manufacturing cost reduction with the implementation of some plastic resin systems. On the contrary, a need for an exotic resin system’s material characteristics can require a parts designer to pay a premium for a plastic part. This paper addresses the problem of cost effective manufacturing of plastic resin parts by utilizing a fuzzy logic controller. Experimentation is done with off-line control simulations.