Automatic forming and curing equipment for carbon fiber prepreg and operation method

Abstract

The invention relates to automatic forming and curing equipment for carbon fiber prepreg and an operation method, and the automatic forming and curing equipment for the carbon fiber prepreg comprises a mold working table, a mold pressing table, a mold pressing table and a mold pressing table which are sequentially arranged side by side, and the mold working table is used for placing a mold; the upper end of the water tank is open, and hot water is contained in the water tank; the upper end of the water tank is covered with a rubber film; the part workbench is used for placing a carbon fiber composite material part to be formed in a plane state and a mold; the automatic forming and curing equipment for the carbon fiber prepreg further comprises a truss robot used for grabbing and transferring the mold. Automatic curing of the carbon fiber composite part is achieved, the stability of the curing quality can be improved, the curing process is more accurate and controllable, the problems caused by manual operation errors can be reduced, and the curing efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of low-altitude economic technology, in particular to a low-altitude aircraft carbon fiber parts molding process, specifically to a carbon fiber prepreg automatic molding and curing device and an operating method. Background Art

[0002] Spacecraft used in the low-altitude economic field are generally made of carbon fiber composite materials (composite materials composed of carbon fiber and resin matrix).

[0003] The carbon fiber materials that need to be bent are generally completed through a hot pressing molding process, so the press equipment needs to change the model according to the size of the part, which is costly. In addition, the press equipment has the defect of uneven heating, which makes the molding accuracy of the parts low. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the technical problems in the background technology, the present invention discloses a carbon fiber prepreg automatic forming and curing device and an operating method.

[0005] The present invention provides a carbon fiber prepreg automatic forming and curing device, comprising:

[0006] A mold workbench, used to place the mold;

[0007] A water tank with an open upper end and hot water inside; the upper end of the water tank is covered with a rubber membrane;

[0008] Parts workbench, used to place carbon fiber composite parts and molds to be formed in a flat state;

[0009] An automatic forming and curing device for carbon fiber prepreg also includes a truss robot for grabbing and transferring the mold;

[0010] The hot water in the water tank is used to heat the mold, and during heating, the mold and the hot water are isolated by a rubber membrane;

[0011] Mold heating is used to adhere carbon fiber composite parts;

[0012] When the truss robot moves the mold and the carbon fiber composite part to the water tank, a closed cavity is formed between the moving frame on the truss robot and the rubber membrane; a vacuum tube is provided on the truss robot and connected to the cavity; the cavity is evacuated through the vacuum tube, so that the rubber membrane fits to the mold and drives the carbon fiber composite part to take shape.

[0013] Furthermore, a projector is arranged above the part workbench to project the outline of the carbon fiber composite material part onto the part workbench.

[0014] The beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. The projector is used to improve the position accuracy of the carbon fiber composite material parts placed on the part workbench, improve the relative position accuracy between the mold and the carbon fiber composite material parts, thereby improving the accuracy of the carbon fiber composite material parts after molding; 2. The present invention realizes automatic curing of carbon fiber composite material parts, can improve the stability of curing quality, and the curing process is more accurate and controllable, which can reduce the problems caused by human operating errors and improve curing efficiency; 3. The mold is automatically transported by a truss robot, which reduces labor intensity and improves work efficiency; 4. Different products can be produced by replacing the stationary mold, which is relatively practical; 5. The hot water in the water pool is heated, and the hot water is evenly distributed on the side of the carbon fiber composite material parts, so the heating is uniform and the product curing and molding effect is better.

[0015] Since the rubber membrane is relatively soft and difficult to fix, a further improvement is made in that a metal frame is connected to the side of the rubber membrane.

[0016] The installation position of the metal frame directly affects the position stability of the rubber membrane. Based on this, a further improvement is that the metal frame is located outside the sink and hangs freely under the action of gravity.

[0017] If there is air between the rubber membrane and the water in the water tank, the air will occupy a certain space when the mold and carbon fiber composite parts are heated, resulting in the water being unable to completely cover the mold or carbon fiber composite parts, causing uneven heating. Based on this, a further improvement is that the liquid level in the water tank is flush with the upper end of the water tank.

[0018] The present invention also provides an operating method of a carbon fiber prepreg automatic forming and curing device, comprising the following steps:

[0019] S1. Start the projector to project the outline of the carbon fiber composite material part on the part workbench, and place the carbon fiber composite material part on the part workbench to fit the outline;

[0020] S2. Heat the water in the tank to 30-40°C;

[0021] S3. Use a forklift to transfer the mold to the mold workbench;

[0022] S4, start the truss robot to make the mobile frame grab the mold;

[0023] S5, moving the mold into a water tank, the rubber membrane is sunken downward, and the hot water in the water tank heats the bottom and sides of the mold;

[0024] S6, moving the heated mold to the part workbench, with the lower end surface of the mold against the carbon fiber composite material part, so that the carbon fiber composite material part is heated and adhered to the bottom of the mold;

[0025] S7, heat the water in the tank to 70°C;

[0026] S8, moving the mold into the water tank, and making the movable frame block the top of the water tank;

[0027] S9, start the vacuum pump, and the vacuum tube evacuates the cavity, so that the rubber film fits the mold and drives the carbon fiber composite material part to bend and form;

[0028] S10, continue heating to finally cross-link and solidify the carbon fiber composite material parts and transfer them to the mold workbench;

[0029] S11. Lower the temperature to room temperature so that the mold and the carbon fiber composite material part are separated.

[0030] The beneficial effects of this operation method are: realizing automatic curing of carbon fiber composite parts, being able to improve the stability of curing quality, making the curing process more precise and controllable, reducing problems caused by human operating errors, and improving curing efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The present invention is further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0032] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 and Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the process when the water tank heats the mold;

[0034] Figure 4-Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the process of carbon fiber composite parts being heated and formed in a water tank;

[0035] In the figure: 1. mold workbench; 2. mold; 3. water tank; 4. rubber membrane; 5. parts workbench; 6. carbon fiber composite parts; 7. truss robot; 8. cavity; 9. projector; 10. metal frame; 71. mobile frame; 72. vacuum tube. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings are simplified schematic diagrams, which only illustrate the basic structure of the present invention in a schematic manner, and therefore only show the components related to the present invention.

[0037] like Figure 1As shown, the present invention discloses an automatic forming and curing device for carbon fiber prepreg, comprising a mold workbench 1, a water tank 3 and a part workbench 5 arranged in parallel in sequence, and also comprising a truss robot 7, whose driving end is located on both sides of the mold workbench 1, the water tank 3 and the part workbench 5, and a moving frame 71 of the truss robot 7 is located above the mold workbench 1, the water tank 3 and the part workbench 5, and is used to grab and transfer the mold 2, so that the mold 2 moves to the mold workbench 1, the water tank 3 or the part workbench 5.

[0038] The mold workbench 1 is used for placing the mold 2 and also for placing a combination of the mold 2 and the carbon fiber composite material part 6 .

[0039] The upper end of the water tank 3 is open, and water is installed inside it, and an electric heater is installed for heating the water. The liquid level is flush with the upper end of the water tank 3. The water tank 3 is provided with a water inlet pipe and a liquid level controller. The water inlet pipe is connected to a water source through a water pump, and is used to replenish water in the water tank 3 and maintain the liquid level in the water tank 3. The upper end of the water tank 3 is covered with a rubber membrane 4. The rubber membrane 4 is rectangular and is fixed by a metal frame 10 on all sides. The metal frame 10 is located outside the water tank 3 and hangs freely, so that the rubber membrane 4 can be stably installed at the open end of the water tank 3 and fit with the liquid surface.

[0040] The part workbench 5 is used to place the carbon fiber composite material part 6 to be formed in a plane state and the mold 2. A projector 9 is installed above the part workbench 5. In this embodiment, a laser projector 9 is used to project the outline of the carbon fiber composite material part 6 on the part workbench 5, and the carbon fiber composite material part 6 is placed along the outline.

[0041] The liquid level in the water tank 3 is flush with the upper end of the water tank 3. The reason for this design is: if there is air between the rubber membrane 4 and the water in the water tank 3, then when the mold 2 and the carbon fiber composite material part 6 are heated, the air will occupy a certain space, resulting in the water being unable to completely cover the mold 2 or the carbon fiber composite material part 6, resulting in uneven heating.

[0042] The hot water in the water tank 3 is used to heat the mold 2. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, when the mold 2 is heated, the mold 2 and the hot water are isolated by the rubber film 4 to prevent the presence of a water film on the mold 2 and affect the adhesion between the carbon fiber composite material part 6 and the mold 2. When the heated mold 2 is against the carbon fiber composite material part 6, the heat is transferred to the carbon fiber composite material part 6, so that the carbon fiber composite material part 6 becomes soft and adheres to the mold 2.

[0043] like Figure 4-6As shown, when the truss robot 7 moves the mold 2 and the carbon fiber composite material part 6 to the water tank 3, a closed cavity 8 is formed between the moving frame 71 on the truss robot 7 and the rubber membrane 4; a vacuum tube 72 is provided on the truss robot 7 and connected to the cavity 8; the cavity 8 is evacuated through the vacuum tube 72, so that the rubber membrane 4 fits to the mold 2 and drives the carbon fiber composite material part 6 to be formed.

[0044] The beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. The projector 9 is used to improve the position accuracy of the carbon fiber composite material part 6 placed on the part workbench 5, improve the relative position accuracy between the mold 2 and the carbon fiber composite material part 6, and thus improve the accuracy of the carbon fiber composite material part 6 after molding; 2. The present invention realizes automatic curing of the carbon fiber composite material part 6, which can improve the stability of the curing quality, and the curing process is more accurate and controllable, which can reduce the problems caused by human operating errors and improve the curing efficiency; 3. The mold 2 is automatically transported by the truss robot 7, which reduces labor intensity and improves work efficiency; 4. Different products can be produced by replacing the stationary mold 2, which is relatively practical; 5. The hot water in the water pool is heated, and the hot water is evenly distributed on the side of the carbon fiber composite material part 6, so the heating is uniform and the product curing and molding effect is better.

[0045] Embodiment 2:

[0046] The present invention also discloses an operating method of a carbon fiber prepreg automatic forming and curing device, comprising the following steps:

[0047] S1, start the projector 9, project the outline of the carbon fiber composite material part 6 on the part workbench 5, and place the carbon fiber composite material part 6 on the part workbench to fit the outline;

[0048] S2, heating the water in the water tank 3 to 30-40°C;

[0049] S3, using a forklift to transfer the mold 2 to the mold workbench 1;

[0050] S4, start the truss robot 7 so that the moving frame 71 grabs the mold 2;

[0051] S5, moving the mold 2 into the water tank 3, the rubber membrane 4 is sunken downward, and the hot water in the water tank 3 heats the bottom and sides of the mold 2; when the mold 2 is placed in the water tank 3, water overflows from between the rubber membrane 4 and the water tank 3;

[0052] S6, moving the heated mold 2 to the part workbench 5, with its lower end surface against the carbon fiber composite material part 6, so that the carbon fiber composite material part 6 is heated and adhered to the bottom of the mold 2;

[0053] S7, add water to the water tank 3 so that the liquid level returns to the state flush with the upper end of the water tank 3; heat the water in the water tank 3 to 70°C;

[0054] S8, moving the mold 2 into the water tank 3, and making the movable frame 71 block the top of the water tank 3; during the placement process, water overflows from between the rubber film 4 and the water tank 3;

[0055] S9, start the vacuum pump, and the vacuum tube 72 evacuates the cavity 8, so that the rubber film 4 fits the mold 2, and drives the carbon fiber composite material part 6 to bend and form;

[0056] S10, continue heating to finally cross-link and solidify the carbon fiber composite material part 6 and transfer it to the mold workbench 1;

[0057] S11, lowering to room temperature, so that the mold 2 and the carbon fiber composite material part 6 are separated.

[0058] The beneficial effects of this operation method are: achieving automatic curing of the carbon fiber composite material part 6, being able to improve the stability of the curing quality, making the curing process more precise and controllable, being able to reduce the problems caused by human operation errors, and improving the curing efficiency.

[0059] Based on the above ideal embodiments of the present invention, the relevant staff can make various changes and modifications without departing from the technical concept of the present invention through the above description. The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the contents of the specification, and its technical scope must be determined according to the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A carbon fiber prepreg automatic molding and curing device, characterized in that: Included are set in parallel: A mold workbench (1) for placing a mold (2); A water tank (3) with an open upper end and hot water inside; the upper end of the water tank (3) is covered with a rubber film (4); A part workbench (5) for placing a carbon fiber composite material part (6) to be formed in a planar state and the mold (2); The carbon fiber prepreg automatic molding and curing equipment further comprises a truss robot (7) for grabbing and transferring the mold (2); The hot water in the water tank (3) is used to heat the mold (2), and during heating, the mold (2) and the hot water are isolated by a rubber membrane (4); The mold (2) is heated to adhere the carbon fiber composite material part (6); When the truss robot (7) moves the mold (2) and the carbon fiber composite material part (6) to the water tank (3), a closed cavity (8) is formed between the moving frame (71) on the truss robot (7) and the rubber membrane (4); a vacuum tube (72) is provided on the truss robot (7) and is connected to the cavity (8); the cavity (8) is evacuated through the vacuum tube (72), so that the rubber membrane (4) is attached to the mold (2), and the carbon fiber composite material part (6) is driven to be formed.

2. The carbon fiber prepreg automatic forming and curing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: A projector (9) is arranged above the part workbench (5) and is used to project the outline of the carbon fiber composite material part (6) onto the part workbench (5).

3. The carbon fiber prepreg automatic forming and curing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The side of the rubber membrane (4) is connected to a metal frame (10).

4. The carbon fiber prepreg automatic forming and curing equipment according to claim 3 is characterized in that: The metal frame (10) is located outside the water tank (3) and hangs freely under the action of gravity.

5. The carbon fiber prepreg automatic forming and curing equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that: The liquid surface in the water tank (3) is flush with the upper end of the water tank (3).

6. An operating method for an automatic forming and curing device for carbon fiber prepreg, characterized in that: The carbon fiber prepreg automatic forming and curing device according to claim 5 comprises the following steps: S1, starting the projector (9), projecting the outer contour of the carbon fiber composite material part (6) on the part workbench (5), and placing the carbon fiber composite material part (6) on the part workbench (5) to fit the contour; S2, heating the water in the water tank (3) to 30-40°C; S3, using a forklift to transfer the mold (2) to the mold workbench (1); S4, starting the truss robot (7) so that the mobile frame (71) grabs the mold (2); S5, moving the mold (2) into a water tank (3), the rubber film (4) is sunken downward, and the hot water in the water tank (3) heats the bottom and sides of the mold (2); S6, moving the heated mold (2) to the part workbench (5), with its lower end surface abutting against the carbon fiber composite material part (6), so that the carbon fiber composite material part (6) is heated and adhered to the bottom of the mold (2); S7, heating the water in the water tank (3) to 70° C.; S8, moving the mold (2) into the water tank (3), and allowing the movable frame (71) to block the top of the water tank (3); S9, starting the vacuum pump, the vacuum tube (72) evacuates the cavity (8), so that the rubber film (4) fits the mold (2), and drives the carbon fiber composite material part (6) to be bent and formed; S10, continuing heating so that the carbon fiber composite material part (6) is finally cross-linked and solidified into a shape, and then transferred to the mold workbench (1); S11, lowering the temperature to room temperature, so that the mold (2) and the carbon fiber composite material part (6) are separated.

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