A quality control method for a carbon fiber vacuum flow guiding process sample

Abstract

This invention discloses a sample quality control method for a carbon fiber vacuum flow process, comprising: coating a carbon fiber sample onto a mold; fixing a reinforcing inner skeleton onto the carbon fiber sample; installing a positioning insert on the mold, positioning and connecting a mounting plate on the positioning surface of the positioning insert, fixing the mounting plate to the carbon fiber sample or the reinforcing inner skeleton; and drying the carbon fiber sample mounted on the mold. The advantages of this invention are: by adding a reinforcing inner skeleton to the back of the carbon fiber sample, the rigidity of the carbon fiber sample itself can be improved, enhancing its resistance to deformation, while also providing an installation position for the mounting plate; by adding a metal support base to the bottom of the mold to increase the rigidity of a conventional resin mold, deformation of the resin mold body during drying, movement, etc., can be prevented, avoiding deformation of the carbon fiber sample caused by mold deformation, thus ensuring stable mold support for the carbon fiber sample.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of carbon fiber sample technology, and more specifically, to a sample quality control method for carbon fiber vacuum flow process. Background Technology

[0002] Carbon fiber technology is being increasingly widely applied across various industries due to its technological advantages, especially in the aerospace and automotive sectors where its development is rapidly accelerating. In automotive prototyping, the vacuum flow process for carbon fiber is widely used due to its low equipment requirements, simple manufacturing process, low cost, and short cycle time. However, the quality of carbon fiber vacuum flow process prototypes has consistently plagued users, mainly manifesting as warping, deformation, and low precision. Currently, most solutions aim to improve the high-temperature resistance and deformation resistance of carbon fiber molds made of metal or fiberglass, thereby improving prototype quality. However, changing the mold material significantly increases material costs and processing time, while the accuracy of critical dimensions still cannot fully meet requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address at least one of the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a sample quality control method for carbon fiber vacuum flow process, which involves setting a reinforcing internal skeleton on the carbon fiber sample to improve the stiffness of the carbon fiber sample.

[0004] The present invention solves the technical problem by adopting the following technical solution:

[0005] A method for quality control of samples produced by carbon fiber vacuum flow technology includes the following steps:

[0006] Step 100: Coat the carbon fiber sample onto the mold;

[0007] Step 200: Fix a reinforcing internal skeleton onto the carbon fiber sample;

[0008] Step 300: Install the positioning insert on the mold, position the mounting plate on the positioning surface of the positioning insert, and fix the mounting plate to the carbon fiber sample or the reinforcing internal skeleton.

[0009] Step 400: Install the carbon fiber sample onto the mold and dry it.

[0010] Furthermore, the mold includes a mold body and a support base disposed at the bottom of the mold body, thereby improving the overall rigidity of the mold body.

[0011] Furthermore, the support base is bonded to the mold body with an adhesive, making the connection between the mold body and the support base reliable and firm.

[0012] Furthermore, the reinforced endoskeleton is configured as a circular steel tube structure, which provides stable support for the carbon fiber sample.

[0013] Furthermore, the reinforced endoskeleton is bonded to the surface of the carbon fiber sample using an adhesive, ensuring a reliable and secure connection between the reinforced endoskeleton and the carbon fiber sample.

[0014] Furthermore, the positioning insert is detachably mounted on the mold body, and the positioning surface of the positioning insert can be flexibly set.

[0015] Furthermore, the method for positioning the connecting mounting plate on the positioning surface of the positioning insert includes:

[0016] Two first positioning holes are provided on the mounting plate, and two second positioning holes are provided on the positioning surface of the positioning insert, which are respectively adapted to the two first positioning holes. The relative positions of the two second positioning holes and the mold body are adapted to the relative positions of the corresponding two first positioning holes and the carbon fiber sample. The two first positioning holes are set as mounting holes of the mounting plate.

[0017] Furthermore, the mounting plate is bonded to the carbon fiber sample with adhesive or fixed to the reinforcing endoskeleton by welding.

[0018] Furthermore, the quality control method also includes: after the carbon fiber sample is dried and cured, it is held on a mold, and the finishing positions of the carbon fiber sample are CNC machined, wherein the finishing positions include at least one of the boundary of the carbon fiber sample, the door lock mounting hole, and the door lock mounting surface.

[0019] Furthermore, the adhesive is prepared by mixing cotton powder and polymeric resin; preferably, the ratio of cotton powder to polymeric resin is set to 1:1.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0021] (1) This method can improve the stiffness of the carbon fiber sample itself and its resistance to deformation by adding a reinforcing internal skeleton to the back of the carbon fiber sample, while providing an installation position for the mounting plate.

[0022] (2) This method increases the rigidity of the mold by adding a metal support base to the bottom of the mold on the basis of ordinary resin mold. It can meet the rigidity requirements of metal mold or fiberglass mold, prevent the resin mold body from deforming during drying, moving and other processes, avoid the deformation of carbon fiber sample caused by mold deformation, and make the mold support the carbon fiber sample stable. Moreover, it saves materials and mold processing costs, has low cost and short mold production cycle.

[0023] (3) This method improves the installation accuracy of the carbon fiber sample assembly by setting a detachable positioning insert on the mold body and positioning the mounting plate by positioning the positioning insert; the key dimensions of the key positions of the carbon fiber sample are ensured by CNC milling the carbon fiber sample with the mold, and the key position accuracy is high. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To better understand the above and other objects, features, advantages, and functions of the present invention, reference can be made to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings refer to the same parts. Those skilled in the art should understand that the drawings are intended to schematically illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention in any way; the parts in the drawings are not drawn to scale.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the sample quality control method for the carbon fiber vacuum flow process of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the mold of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning insert of the present invention.

[0028] In the diagram: 100 - Carbon fiber sample; 11 - Door lock mounting hole; 12 - Door lock mounting surface; 200 - Mold; 21 - Mold body; 211 - Slot; 212 - Threaded hole; 22 - Support base; 23 - Positioning insert; 231 - Positioning surface; 232 - Second positioning hole; 233 - Step hole; 300 - Reinforcing inner skeleton; 400 - Mounting plate; 41 - First positioning hole. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, including various details of the embodiments to aid understanding. These should be considered merely exemplary. Therefore, those skilled in the art should recognize that various changes and modifications can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Similarly, for clarity and brevity, descriptions of well-known functions and structures are omitted in the following description.

[0030] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the term "comprising" and its variations indicate an open-ended inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. Furthermore, in the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified. Additionally, it should be noted that the directions "X", "Y", and "Z" are the directions indicated by the coordinate system in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this invention, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

[0031] This invention provides a method for sample quality control in carbon fiber vacuum flow technology, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it includes the following steps:

[0032] Step 100: Coat the carbon fiber sample 100 onto the mold 200;

[0033] Step 200: Fix the reinforcing endoskeleton 300 onto the carbon fiber sample 100;

[0034] Step 300: Install positioning insert 23 on mold 200, position and connect mounting plate 400 on positioning surface 231 of positioning insert 23, and fix mounting plate 400 to carbon fiber sample 100 or reinforced internal skeleton 300.

[0035] Step 400: Install the carbon fiber sample 100 onto the mold 200 and dry it.

[0036] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, when fabricating the carbon fiber sample 100 using a vacuum flow process, after coating the carbon fiber sample 100 onto the resin mold 200, a reinforcing inner skeleton 300 is fixedly installed on the carbon fiber sample 100. Then, an mounting plate 400 is fixedly installed on the carbon fiber sample 100 or the reinforcing inner skeleton 300. The mounting plate 400 is positioned at the installation position of the carbon fiber sample 100 by a positioning insert 23 to ensure the positional accuracy of the mounting plate 400. The carbon fiber sample 100, the reinforcing inner skeleton 300, and the mounting plate 400 constitute the carbon fiber sample assembly. Then, the carbon fiber sample assembly, along with the mold 200, is placed in a drying oven for drying, thereby improving the rigidity of the carbon fiber sample 100, preventing deformation of the carbon fiber sample 100, and shortening the curing time of the carbon fiber sample 100.

[0037] In one embodiment, the mold 200 includes a mold body 21 and a support base 22 disposed at the bottom of the mold body 21. The mold body 21 is generally manufactured by CNC milling of polymer resin material, and the support base 22 is a metal base, which can be manufactured by welding square steel tubes. The mold body 21 is made of non-metallic material, and the support base 22 is made of metallic material. The support base 22 can be bonded and fixed to the bottom of the resin mold body 21 with adhesive, so that the mold body 21 and the support base 22 are reliably and firmly connected. In this way, the metal base can increase the overall rigidity of the resin mold body 21, prevent the resin mold body 21 from deforming during drying, moving, etc., avoid deformation of the mold 200 causing deformation of the carbon fiber sample 100, and make the mold 200 stably support the carbon fiber sample 100.

[0038] In one embodiment, the reinforcing inner skeleton 300 is a circular steel tube structure. The reinforcing inner skeleton 300 can be manufactured in sections using a bending process, with each section connected by welding. After the carbon fiber sample 100 is coated, the reinforcing inner skeleton 300 can be bonded to the surface of the carbon fiber sample 100 using an adhesive, ensuring a reliable and secure connection between the reinforcing inner skeleton 300 and the carbon fiber sample 100, even though the materials are different. The reinforced inner skeleton 300, composed of welded circular steel tubes, is arranged on the back of the carbon fiber sample 100 to provide stable support, improve the overall rigidity of the carbon fiber sample 100, and prevent deformation during drying and molding. Simultaneously, the rounded contact between the circular tubular reinforcing inner skeleton 300 and the surface of the carbon fiber sample 100 prevents damage to the carbon fiber sample 100. The placement of the reinforcing inner skeleton 300 can be determined through simulation analysis to ensure stable overall support for the carbon fiber sample 100.

[0039] The positioning insert 23 is made of high-density wood and its position corresponds to the mounting plate 400 of the carbon fiber sample 100. (Reference) Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the positioning insert 23 is detachably mounted on the mold body 21. The positioning insert 23 and the mold body 21 can be positioned by the mold surface and are connected by bolts. For example, as... Figure 3As shown, the positioning insert 23 can be L-shaped. A slot 211 is provided on the mold body 21, and a threaded hole 212 is provided in the slot 211. A stepped hole 233 is provided on one side of the positioning insert 23. A bolt is passed through the stepped hole 233 and screwed into the threaded hole 212 to fix the positioning insert 23 to the surface of the mold body 21, making the surface of the positioning insert 23 flat. The end of the other side of the positioning insert 23 is set as the positioning surface 231. The mounting plate 400 is positioned by the profile feature or positioning pin, which can ensure the positional accuracy of the mounting plate 400, that is, ensure the positional accuracy of the key connection points of the carbon fiber sample 100, so that the carbon fiber sample assembly is accurately installed in the vehicle. The positioning insert 23 is detachably mounted on the mold body 21. The positioning insert 23 can be installed after the carbon fiber sample 100 is coated, so as to avoid interference with the coating of the carbon fiber sample 100. Moreover, the positioning surface 231 of the positioning insert 23 can be flexibly set to adapt to various settings of the mounting plate 400 in the carbon fiber sample 100.

[0040] The method of positioning the connecting mounting plate 400 on the positioning surface 231 of the positioning insert 23 includes:

[0041] Two first positioning holes 41 are provided on the mounting plate 400, and two second positioning holes 232 are provided on the positioning surface 231 of the positioning insert 23, which are respectively adapted to the two first positioning holes 41. The relative positions of the two second positioning holes 232 and the mold body 21 are adapted to the relative positions of the corresponding two first positioning holes 41 and the carbon fiber sample 100. The two first positioning holes 41 are set as mounting holes of the mounting plate 400.

[0042] The carbon fiber prototype assembly is fixed to the vehicle body via mounting plate 400. For example, the vehicle roof has a mounting plate, and the vehicle side panels are fixed to the vehicle roof mounting plate via mounting plate 400. The position of the mounting plate 400 on the carbon fiber prototype assembly can be determined by positioning insert 23. Figure 3 As shown, the mounting plate 400 is disposed on the positioning surface 231 of the positioning insert 23. Its relative position to the positioning insert 23 can be determined by two second positioning holes 232, which respectively mate with the two first positioning holes 41 of the mounting plate 400. By aligning the two first positioning holes 41 of the mounting plate 400 with the two second positioning holes 232 of the positioning surface 231 of the positioning insert 23, and then positioning it with a pin, the X and Z directions of the mounting plate 400 can be determined, and the mounting plate 400 can be prevented from rotating along the positioning surface 231. By ensuring the mounting plate 400 is tightly against the positioning surface 231 of the positioning insert 23, the Y direction position of the mounting plate 400 can be determined. The first positioning holes 41 of the mounting plate 400 can utilize the mounting holes of the mounting plate 400, eliminating the need for additional positioning holes on the mounting plate 400.

[0043] Multiple mounting plates 400 are provided and can be manufactured using steel machining. The mounting plates 400 are positioned at key locations in the carbon fiber sample assembly. Depending on their specific location, the mounting plates 400 are either adhesively bonded to the carbon fiber sample 100 or welded to the reinforcing inner skeleton 300, ensuring a stable and reliable connection between the mounting plates 400 and either the carbon fiber sample 100 or the reinforcing inner skeleton 300. When the mounting plate 400 is located at the carbon fiber sample 100, it can be directly adhesively bonded to the back of the carbon fiber sample 100. When the mounting plate 400 is located at the reinforcing inner skeleton 300, it can be welded to the reinforcing inner skeleton 300 for a more secure connection.

[0044] Positioning surfaces 231 or holes at some key locations of the carbon fiber sample 100 can be directly milled onto the carbon fiber sample 100 using CNC precision machining. This process is simple and can improve the machining accuracy of the key locations of the carbon fiber sample 100. The quality control method further includes: after the carbon fiber sample 100 is dried and cured, it is held on the mold 200, and the precision machining locations of the carbon fiber sample 100 are CNC machined. The precision machining locations include at least one of the boundaries of the carbon fiber sample 100, the door lock mounting hole 11, and the door lock mounting surface 12.

[0045] After the carbon fiber sample 100 is dried and cured, it is held on the mold 200. A position of the mold body 21 can be selected as the CNC programming origin. The CNC machining program is programmed according to the relative coordinates between the position to be finished and the mold body 21. In this way, during the CNC machining process, the mold 200 can support the carbon fiber sample 100 and can also locate the finishing position through the mold body 21.

[0046] To improve the reliability and stability of connections between components made of two different materials, such as the resin mold body 21 and the metal support base 22, the carbon fiber sample 100 and the metal reinforced inner skeleton 300, and the carbon fiber sample 100 and the metal mounting plate 400, the components can be bonded together using an adhesive. The adhesive can be made by mixing cotton powder and polymeric resin. Preferably, the ratio of cotton powder to polymeric resin is set to 1:1, but this ratio can be adjusted according to the requirements for curing speed and adhesive strength.

[0047] This method increases the rigidity of the carbon fiber sample 100 by adding a reinforcing internal skeleton 300 to the back of the carbon fiber sample 100, thereby improving the carbon fiber sample 100's resistance to deformation and providing a mounting position for the mounting plate 400.

[0048] This method increases the rigidity of a standard resin mold 200 by adding a metal support base 22 to its bottom. This achieves the rigidity requirements of metal or fiberglass molds, preventing deformation of the resin mold body 21 during drying and movement. This avoids deformation of the carbon fiber sample 100 caused by mold 200 deformation, ensuring stable support of the carbon fiber sample 100 by the mold 200. Furthermore, it saves on material and mold 200 processing costs, resulting in lower costs and a shorter mold 200 manufacturing cycle. Taking a car side panel as an example, this method can save 200,000-300,000 yuan. Compared to metal or fiberglass molds, using a standard resin mold body 21 can shorten the processing and post-processing cycle of the mold 200 by 25%-50%.

[0049] This method improves the installation accuracy of the carbon fiber sample assembly by setting a detachable positioning insert 23 on the mold body 21 and positioning the mounting plate 400 by positioning the mounting plate 400 with the positioning insert 23. The critical dimensions of the key positions of the carbon fiber sample 100 are ensured by CNC milling the carbon fiber sample 100 with the mold 200, which can make the accuracy of the key positions of the carbon fiber sample 100 less than 0.5mm, which is higher than the industry standard of 1-1.5mm, and the accuracy of the key positions is high.

[0050] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for sample quality control in a carbon fiber vacuum flow process, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 100: Coat the carbon fiber sample onto the mold, the mold including a mold body and a support base disposed at the bottom of the mold body; Step 200: Fix a reinforcing internal skeleton onto the carbon fiber sample; Step 300: Install a positioning insert on the mold, wherein the positioning insert is detachably mounted on the mold body; A mounting plate is positioned on the positioning surface of the positioning insert. Two first positioning holes are provided on the mounting plate. Two second positioning holes are provided on the positioning surface of the positioning insert, which are respectively adapted to the two first positioning holes. The relative positions of the two second positioning holes and the mold body are adapted to the relative positions of the corresponding two first positioning holes and the carbon fiber sample. Align the two first positioning holes of the mounting plate with the two second positioning holes of the positioning surface of the positioning insert, and then position them with pins to determine the X and Z positions of the mounting plate; make the mounting plate fit tightly against the positioning surface of the positioning insert to determine the Y position of the mounting plate. The mounting plate is fixed to the carbon fiber sample or the reinforced internal skeleton; Step 400: Install the carbon fiber sample onto the mold and dry it.

2. The sample quality control method for the carbon fiber vacuum flow process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support base is bonded to the mold body with adhesive.

3. The sample quality control method for the carbon fiber vacuum flow process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reinforced endoskeleton is constructed using a circular steel tube structure.

4. The sample quality control method for the carbon fiber vacuum flow process according to claim 3, characterized in that, The reinforced endoskeleton is bonded to the surface of the carbon fiber sample using an adhesive.

5. The sample quality control method for the carbon fiber vacuum flow process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The two first positioning holes are set as mounting holes for the mounting plate.

6. The sample quality control method for the carbon fiber vacuum flow process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting plate is bonded to the carbon fiber sample with adhesive or welded to the reinforcing endoskeleton.

7. The sample quality control method for the carbon fiber vacuum flow process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The quality control method further includes: after the carbon fiber sample is dried and cured, it is kept on the mold, and the finishing position of the carbon fiber sample is CNC machined. The finishing position includes at least one of the boundary of the carbon fiber sample, the door lock mounting hole and the door lock mounting surface.

8. The sample quality control method for the carbon fiber vacuum flow process according to claim 2, 4, or 6, characterized in that, The adhesive is made by mixing cotton powder and polymer resin.

9. The sample quality control method for the carbon fiber vacuum flow process according to claim 8, characterized in that, The ratio of cotton powder to polymer resin is set to 1:1.

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