An irregularly shaped radar dome for an airborne antenna and its integrated molding device

Abstract

This invention proposes an airborne antenna irregularly shaped radome and its integrated molding device. The antenna irregularly shaped radome includes: a radome base, a radome body, and antenna electromagnetic functional components. The radome body is disposed on the radome base and is streamlined. The radome body is made of alkali-free short glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin composite material, comprising: a high-temperature resistant single-component epoxy adhesive SRKF-230 with a component ratio of 6:1 and 10mm-15mm alkali-free short chopped glass fibers, and is formed by pressure curing. The antenna electromagnetic functional components are built into the radome body. This invention uses self-made short fiber reinforced composite material and mechanically extrudes it using molds and tooling to form a single-wall radome with high dimensional accuracy, high molding efficiency, and good product performance consistency.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of radio navigation and microwave detection, in particular to an airborne antenna special-shaped wave-transparent cover and an integrated forming device thereof. BACKGROUND

[0002] Since the composite material has small density and high modulus, structural and functional integration design and manufacturing can be realized, and in the lightening and corrosion resistance requirements of modern microwave equipment, it is more and more popular; at present, the wave-transparent cover is made in parts and then bonded to the antenna base by adhesive, so that the bonding part is subjected to thermal expansion and contraction in the process of use, and cracks are prone to occur, and the positioning accuracy of bonding is also not high, which can only be guaranteed to 0.4mm; now, with the continuous expansion of the application of glass fiber composite material in the airborne antenna wave-transparent cover, the volume of the wave-transparent cover is getting smaller and smaller, the shape design is getting more and more complex, and the performance requirements are getting higher and higher (to adapt to the use requirements of high wind pressure, high airflow, ultra-high temperature, ultra-low temperature, low air pressure, lightning and snow), the mechanical and electrical performance stability requirements of the wave-transparent cover are also getting higher and higher, so the wave-transparent cover needs new materials and new forming methods to meet the new requirements of the wave-transparent cover and solve the new technical problems generated in the new requirements. SUMMARY

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present application is how to improve the shape size accuracy and forming efficiency of the antenna wave-transparent cover. In view of this, the present application provides an airborne antenna special-shaped wave-transparent cover and an integrated forming device thereof.

[0004] The technical scheme adopted by the present application is that the airborne antenna special-shaped wave-transparent cover comprises:

[0005] a wave-transparent cover base;

[0006] a cover body arranged on the wave-transparent cover base, the cover body being a streamlined cover body, wherein the material of the cover body is an alkali-free short glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin composite material, which comprises: a high-temperature resistant single-component epoxy adhesive SRKF-230 adhesive with a component ratio of 6:1 and 10mm-15mm alkali-free short glass fiber, and is formed by pressure curing;

[0007] an antenna electromagnetic functional component built in the cover body.

[0008] In one embodiment, the alkali-free short glass fiber is a glass fiber with an alkali metal oxide content of ≤0.5%;

[0009] The epoxy adhesive SRKF-230 adhesive has a shear strength of 26.0MPa (24℃), 17.0MPa (100℃), a peeling strength of 5.6kN / m (24℃), and a curing condition of 170℃ 20min.

[0010] Another aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus for integrally molding an irregularly shaped radar dome for an airborne antenna, wherein the irregularly shaped radar dome is as described in any of the preceding claims, and the apparatus includes:

[0011] The cavity is designed to match the shape of the irregularly shaped radar dome of the airborne antenna.

[0012] The upper mold is positioned above the cavity and is used to position the wave-transparent cover base;

[0013] The lower mold is located below the cavity and is used to position the cavity.

[0014] A large nut, directly connected to the upper mold and the lower mold, is used to pressurize the upper mold and the lower mold through the cavity during the forming of the irregularly shaped radar dome of the airborne antenna by tightening the large nut;

[0015] A clamping rod is disposed inside the upper mold and the lower mold, and is radially connected to the large nut, so that the upper mold and the lower mold are aligned and connected as a whole through the clamping rod, and can be locked.

[0016] Positioning pins are used to position the corresponding positions of the wave-transmitting cover base and the cavity.

[0017] A pin is disposed inside the lower mold to position the clamping rod and the lower mold.

[0018] In one embodiment, the upper mold is formed by CNC machining of steel plate 10-GB710-9130-GB709-88, and is used to position the wave shield base and apply pressure to the wave shield body through mechanical mold closing;

[0019] The lower mold is formed by CNC machining of steel plate 10-GB710-9130-GB709-88, and is mainly used to position the cavity tooling and assist the upper mold in forming and pressurizing.

[0020] The cavity is made of steel plate 10-GB710-9135-GB709-88, and the outer shape is formed by CNC machining. The cavity is formed by electrical discharge machining and is used to form a wave-transparent cover.

[0021] In one embodiment, the large nut is formed by CNC machining of 45 GB699-88 round steel; the clamping rod is formed by CNC machining of 45 GB699-88 round steel; the locating pin is formed by CNC machining of 45 GB699-88 round steel; and the pin is made of standard part GB / T 1192-2000 4X15.

[0022] By adopting the above technical solution, the present invention has at least the following advantages:

[0023] This invention uses self-made short fiber reinforced composite material to mechanically extrude a single-walled wave shield through mold tooling. It has high dimensional accuracy, high molding efficiency, and good product performance consistency. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an irregularly shaped radar dome for an airborne antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a device for integral molding of an irregularly shaped radar dome for an airborne antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the upper mold structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the lower mold structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the cavity structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the large nut structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping rod structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning pin structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure Labels

[0033] 100 - Wave-transparent radome base, 200 - radome body, 300 - Antenna electromagnetic functional components;

[0034] 1-Lower mold, 2-Cavity, 3-Upper mold, 4-Pressure rod, 5-Large nut, 6-Positioning pin, 7-Pin. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0036] It should be understood that the terms "comprising," "including," "having," "containing," and / or "comprising," when used in this specification, indicate the presence of the stated features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. Furthermore, when a statement such as "at least one of..." appears after a list of listed features, it modifies the entire listed feature, not individual elements in the list. Additionally, when describing embodiments of this application, the word "may" is used to indicate "one or more embodiments of this application." And, the term "exemplary" is intended to refer to an example or illustration. The term "first data sample set" may also be referred to as "second data sample set," and vice versa.

[0037] As used herein, the terms “basically,” “approximately,” and similar terms are used as terms of approximation rather than terms of degree, and are intended to describe inherent biases in measured or calculated values ​​that will be recognized by those skilled in the art.

[0038] Unless otherwise specified, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. It should also be understood that terms (e.g., those defined in common dictionaries) shall be interpreted as having the meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so specified herein.

[0039] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. The steps in the method flow description and flowcharts in the accompanying drawings are not necessarily strictly executed according to the step numbers; the execution order of the method steps can be changed. Furthermore, certain steps can be omitted, multiple steps can be combined into one step, and / or one step can be broken down into multiple steps.

[0040] In the first embodiment of the present invention, an irregularly shaped radome for an airborne antenna, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it includes:

[0041] Wave-transmitting cover base 100;

[0042] The cover 200 has a streamlined shape composed of complex curved surfaces and has excellent aerodynamic performance. It is set on the wave-transparent cover base 100. The cover 200 is a streamlined cover 200. The material of the cover 200 is an alkali-free short glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin composite material, which includes: a high-temperature resistant single-component epoxy adhesive SRKF-230 with a component ratio of 6:1 and 10mm to 15mm of alkali-free short glass fiber, and is formed by pressure curing.

[0043] The antenna electromagnetic functional component 300 integrates electromagnetic and mechanical functions and is built into the housing 200.

[0044] Short-cut alkali-free glass fibers are glass fibers with an alkali metal oxide content of ≤0.5%.

[0045] The epoxy adhesive SRKF-230 has the following properties: shear strength 26.0 MPa (24℃), 17.0 MPa (100℃); peel strength 5.6 kN / m (24℃); curing conditions 170℃, 20 min.

[0046] The second embodiment of the present invention, corresponding to the first embodiment, describes a device for integrally molding irregularly shaped radar domes for airborne antennas, such as... Figures 2 to 8 As shown, it includes the following components:

[0047] Cavity 2 matches the shape of the radome of the airborne antenna.

[0048] The upper mold 3 is positioned above the cavity 2 and is used to position the wave shield base;

[0049] The lower mold 1 is disposed below the cavity 2 and is used to position the cavity 2;

[0050] The large nut 5 is directly connected to the upper mold 3 and the lower mold 1. It is used to tighten the large nut 5 so that the upper mold 3 and the lower mold 1 are pressurized through the cavity 2 when the airborne antenna irregular wave shield is formed.

[0051] The clamping rod 4 is disposed inside the upper mold 3 and the lower mold 1, and is radially connected to the large nut 5, so that the upper mold 3 and the lower mold 1 are aligned and connected as a whole by the clamping rod 4;

[0052] Positioning pin 6 is used to position the corresponding position of the wave-transmitting cover base and the cavity 2;

[0053] Pin 7 is disposed inside the lower mold 1 and is used to position the clamping rod 4 and the lower mold 1.

[0054] In this embodiment, the upper mold 3 is formed by CNC machining of steel plate 10-GB710-9130-GB709-88, and is mainly used to position the wave shield base 100 and to pressurize the wave shield body 200 through mechanical mold closing.

[0055] In this embodiment, the lower mold 1 is formed by CNC machining of steel plate 10-GB710-9130-GB709-88, mainly used to position the cavity 2 tooling and assist the upper mold 3 in forming and pressurizing;

[0056] In this embodiment, cavity 2 is made of steel plate 10-GB710-9135-GB709-88, and its shape is formed by CNC machining. Cavity 2 is formed by electrical discharge machining and used to form a wave shield.

[0057] In this embodiment, the large nut 5 is formed by CNC machining of 45 round steel GB699-88, and its purpose is to pressurize the forming process (by tightening the threads, the upper and lower molds are closed to pressurize the filling material (raw material of the wave shield) in the cavity).

[0058] In this embodiment, the clamping rod 4 is CNC machined from 45mm round steel (GB699-88 standard) and is used to position the corresponding positions of the upper and lower dies and to apply pressure during forming.

[0059] In this embodiment, the positioning pin 6 is formed by CNC machining of 45 GB699-88 round steel and is used to position the corresponding position of the wave shield base and the cavity.

[0060] In this embodiment, the pin 7 adopts the standard part GB / T 1192-2000 4X15, which is used to position the clamping rod and the lower mold.

[0061] The third embodiment of the present invention is an application example of the present invention, based on the above embodiments.

[0062] This embodiment describes a method for manually pressurizing a tooling mold, using self-made material formulas, and employing a one-piece molding process to control the shape of a high-performance airborne antenna radome. The specific process is as follows:

[0063] (1) Materials: SRKF-230 adhesive, 10-15 mm long alkali-free glass short fiber, cotton yarn, acetone, paper, and 19W release agent.

[0064] (2) Clean the mold and apply 19w release agent 2-3 times. Apply each time after it has dried. After applying and drying, assemble the mold.

[0065] (3) Cut alkali-free glass fiber into short fibers of 10-15 mm in length. Bake at 120°C for 2 hours before each use. Use about 2 grams per piece. Use one-component SRKF-230 adhesive. Use about 12 grams per piece. Protect the non-adhesive surface of the antenna base with polytetrafluoroethylene release cloth. Expose the mounting holes. Pay attention to the firm adhesion and ensure that there is no delamination at the edges.

[0066] (4) After roughening the bonding surface with sandpaper, wipe it clean with cotton yarn dipped in acetone.

[0067] (5) Casting: First, add short glass fibers to the adhesive SRKF-230 (in a ratio of 6:1) and mix them evenly. Fill the cavity 2 with tweezers and a glass rod.

[0068] (6) Install the upper mold 3 and tighten the screws evenly so that the contact surfaces of the upper mold 3 and the lower mold 1 fit together.

[0069] (7) First place it at room temperature for 15 minutes, then put it in a 170℃ oven and keep it warm for 40 minutes to cure. Then let it cool naturally to room temperature.

[0070] (8) Demolding: Use pliers to remove excess flash from the base. Be careful not to pry it too hard to avoid damaging the neat edges. Be careful not to scratch the conductive oxide layer on the surface.

[0071] (9) Repair defects. Use SRKF-230 glue to repair the surface and edge pits. After curing, grind according to step (7).

[0072] (10) Use cotton yarn dipped in acetone to repeatedly wipe the casting surface to clean the residual release agent on the surface. Check the surface; there should be no cracks and the edges should be neat and without delamination.

[0073] In summary, compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following advantages:

[0074] 1) This invention achieves high-precision integrated molding of a high-temperature resistant microwave-resistant irregularly shaped radome and an antenna base, solving the design requirements of high installation and positioning accuracy, high mechanical strength, and complex irregular aerodynamic shape forming for airborne radomes. The positioning accuracy of the radome reaches 0.03mm, meeting the requirements for use with 5G frequency band airborne antennas.

[0075] 2) This invention uses a manual mechanical pressure method, which has low manufacturing cost, high tooling and mold positioning accuracy, and is practical and feasible.

[0076] Through the description of specific embodiments, a more in-depth and specific understanding should be gained of the technical means and effects adopted by the present invention to achieve the intended purpose. However, the accompanying drawings are only provided for reference and illustration and are not intended to limit the present invention.

Claims

1. An airborne antenna irregularly shaped radome, characterized in that, The device comprises: a wave-transparent cover base; a cover body arranged on the wave-transparent cover base, the cover body being a streamlined cover body, wherein the material of the cover body is an alkali-free short glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin composite material, which comprises: a high-temperature resistant single-component epoxy adhesive with a component ratio of 6:1 and 10mm-15mm alkali-free short glass fiber, and is formed by pressure curing; an antenna electromagnetic functional component built in the cover body.

2. The airborne antenna special-shaped wave-transparent cover according to claim 1, wherein: the alkali-free short glass fiber is a glass fiber with an alkali metal oxide content of less than or equal to 0.5%; the epoxy adhesive has a shear strength of 26.0MPa (24℃) and 17.0MPa (100℃), and a peeling strength of 5.6kN / m (24℃); and the curing condition is 170℃ for 20min.

3. An apparatus for integrally forming a profiled radome for an airborne antenna, characterized in that, The device comprises: a cavity matched with the shape of the cover body of the airborne antenna special-shaped wave-transparent cover; an upper die arranged above the cavity for positioning the wave-transparent cover base; a lower die arranged below the cavity for positioning the cavity; a large nut directly connected with the upper die and the lower die, for pressing the upper die and the lower die through the cavity when the airborne antenna special-shaped wave-transparent cover is formed by rotating the large nut; a pressing rod arranged in the upper die and the lower die, radially connected with the large nut, so that the upper die and the lower die are connected as a whole through the pressing rod and can be locked; a positioning pin for positioning the corresponding positions of the wave-transparent cover base and the cavity; a pin arranged in the lower die for positioning the pressing rod and the lower die.

4. The device for integrally forming the airborne antenna special-shaped wave-transparent cover according to claim 3, wherein: the upper die is formed by numerical control machining of steel plate 10-GB710-9130-GB709-88, for positioning the wave-transparent cover base and pressing the wave-transparent cover body through mechanical mold closing; the lower die is formed by numerical control machining of steel plate 10-GB710-9130-GB709-88, for positioning the cavity and assisting the upper die in forming and pressing; the cavity is formed by numerical control machining of steel plate 10-GB710-9135-GB709-88, and is formed by electric spark machining, for forming the wave-transparent cover.

5. The device for integrally forming the airborne antenna special-shaped wave-transparent cover according to claim 3, wherein: the large nut is formed by numerical control machining of round steel 45 GB699-88; the pressing rod is formed by numerical control machining of round steel 45 GB699-88; the positioning pin is formed by numerical control machining of round steel 45 GB699-88; the pin is a standard part GB / T 1192-2000 4X15.

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