Patent ID: 7433755
Filing Date: 2008-10-07
Classification: B29C,B29K,G01N

Abstract:
1. A process for curing a plurality of curable parts composed of a compound that is curable using heat, comprising: a) curing, at each of a plurality of predetermined specifications for a corresponding curing environment, a corresponding sample of the compound for obtaining a corresponding curing time indicative of the cured sample having one or more predetermined desired or specified mechanical properties; b) for each specification (S) of the plurality of predetermined curing environment specifications, curing a corresponding amount of the compound while obtaining measurements of curing conditions indicative of dielectric or impedance signals transmitted through the corresponding amount, wherein the corresponding amount is cured for obtaining a corresponding part, or cured in a witness cavity for a corresponding curing part, wherein the measurements are used to produce a corresponding process curve for the compound and the specification S of the corresponding curing environment; c) obtaining data for predicting a curing end time, the data for predicting dependent upon a result of a correlation performed between; (i) the curing times of the cured samples, and (ii) a collection of evaluations, each evaluation for representing at least one characteristic of one of the process curves, the at least one characteristic being different from a curing time; and d) for a plurality of additional amounts of the compound, curing each additional amount corresponding to an additional part while obtaining curing condition measurements by dielectric or impedance signals transmitted through the additional amount being cured, wherein the data for predicting is combined with the curing condition measurements of the addition amount for thereby determining when to terminate the curing of the additional amount so that the additional part has the one or more predetermined desired or specified mechanical properties.