Composite Ring Manufacturing: Cost-Effective High-Precision Process
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Summary
Problems
Existing processes for manufacturing composite parts with fibres and curable resin require costly high-pressure moulding and involve labor-intensive sectioning and reassembly, which hinder high production rates and increase industrial costs.
Innovation solutions
A process involving continuous winding and superposition of reinforcement fibre tapes embedded in a crosslinkable resin to form a continuous ring, eliminating the need for sectioning and high-pressure moulding, using a device with vacuum degassing, impregnation, and unidirectional winding around a support for stabilization before partial polymerization.
TRIZ Analysis
Specific contradictions:
General conflict description:
Principle concept:
If sectioning and reassembly of solid precomposite sections are used, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to labor-intensive operations
Why choose this principle:
The process divides the manufacturing into two stages: first creating a solid precomposite with stabilized resin, then sectioning it into individual sections for final assembly. This segmentation allows the precomposite to be manufactured with high precision while enabling automated sectioning and assembly operations that maintain productivity.
Principle concept:
If high-pressure moulding is used for final curing, then strength is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Why choose this principle:
The resin is partially stabilized in advance during precomposite formation, creating a solid matrix that maintains fibre alignment and structural integrity. This preliminary stabilization eliminates the need for complex high-pressure moulding equipment during final curing, as the precomposite sections can be assembled and cured with simpler equipment while still achieving high strength properties.
Application Domain
Data Source
AI summary:
A process involving continuous winding and superposition of reinforcement fibre tapes embedded in a crosslinkable resin to form a continuous ring, eliminating the need for sectioning and high-pressure moulding, using a device with vacuum degassing, impregnation, and unidirectional winding around a support for stabilization before partial polymerization.
Abstract
A process for manufacturing a composite block of closed geometry, in the form of a continuous ring, based on fibers and on a crosslinkable resin, by continuous winding and superposition of several layers of a tape of reinforcement fibers embedded in a matrix based on a composition comprising a crosslinkable resin. The process comprises from upstream to downstream, the following steps: producing a rectilinear arrangement ( 12 ) of reinforcement fibers ( 11 ) and conveying this arrangement in a feed direction (F); degassing the arrangement ( 12 ) of fibers by the action of a vacuum ( 13 ); after degassing, impregnating said arrangement ( 12 ) of fibers under vacuum with said resin composition in the liquid state ( 17 ); passing the pre-preg thus obtained through a die ( 20 ) to make said pre-preg into the form of a tape ( 21 ) composed of reinforcement fibers ( 11 ) in their liquid resin ( 17 ) matrix, the thickness of said tape being less than 0.5 mm; depositing the tape ( 21 ) onto a support ( 23 ) dictating the final shape of the composite block and winding said tape ( 21 ) around said support ( 23 ), unidirectionally, by superposition of a predetermined number Nc of layers of said tape ( 21 ) in order to directly form said continuous ring on said support, Nc being less than 15; and once the continuous ring has thus been formed, subjecting the liquid resin to an at least partial polymerization ( 25 ) in order to stabilize said ring before removing it from its support ( 23 ).