A mold and method for manufacturing a composite grid cone for a fiber winding process

Abstract

The application discloses a mold and a method for manufacturing a composite material grid cone in a fiber winding process, and belongs to the field of composite material molds, and solves the manufacturing problem of the existing grid cone. The mold comprises a conical mold body, an upper steering nail ring, a lower steering nail ring, an upper flange, a lower flange, a rotating shaft and a silica gel soft film, the rotating shaft passes through the upper flange, the conical mold body and the lower flange in sequence, the conical mold body, the steering nail ring, the upper flange and the lower flange are coaxially matched, the upper steering nail ring is connected to the conical mold body through the upper flange, the lower steering nail ring is directly connected with the conical mold body, the lower flange is directly connected with the conical mold body, the silica gel mold is spliced from one or more plane soft films and is distributed on the outer surface of the conical mold body in the circumferential direction, the surface of the silica gel mold is provided with orthogonal grid grooves, and the grid grooves are composed of axial and circumferential grid strips. The mold is mainly used for manufacturing a conical structure by using fibers or prepreg tapes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of composite material molds, and in particular relates to a mold and method for manufacturing composite material grid cones using fiber winding process. Background Technology

[0002] Advanced composite materials, with their outstanding advantages such as high specific strength and specific modulus, low coefficient of thermal expansion, good designability, and corrosion resistance, have been widely used in aerospace, rail transportation, and marine applications. At the joints of cylindrical sections of different diameters in aircraft, rockets, and submarines, tapered structures are required for variable cross-section transitions. Fiber winding, as a commonly used composite material molding process, has unique advantages, particularly in molding rotating bodies and grid structures. The dry fiber winding process involves winding dry filaments onto various molds, then impregnating the filaments with resin, followed by curing and demolding to obtain the finished product. This process offers numerous advantages, including fully utilizing fiber strength, high reliability, high production efficiency, and low cost.

[0003] Compared to traditional wall panel structures, grid structures are lighter and more design-flexible while maintaining strength and rigidity. The fiber winding process ensures fiber continuity, fully utilizing the strength of the fiber filaments and improving product quality and stability. Traditional winding processes often only produce continuous cylindrical shells or cans, and the molds used are expensive, making them unsuitable for the highly designable grid cones. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a mold and method for manufacturing composite material grid cones using fiber winding process. The mold has high molding quality, low price, light weight, convenient installation, and easy operation.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A mold for manufacturing composite material grid cones using fiber winding process includes a conical mold body, an upper flange, a lower flange, a steering nail ring, and a silicone mold. The conical mold body, steering nail ring, upper flange, and lower flange are all coaxially fitted, with the upper flange and lower flange located at the top and bottom ends of the conical mold body, respectively. The steering nail ring is respectively fitted onto the outer surface of the upper flange and the lower end of the conical mold body. The silicone mold is composed of one or more planar soft films spliced ​​together and distributed circumferentially on the outer surface of the conical mold body. The surface of the silicone mold is provided with orthogonal grid grooves, which are composed of grid strips in both axial and circumferential directions.

[0007] The mold described above also includes an upper clamping block and a lower clamping block, located at the top of the upper flange and the bottom of the lower flange respectively, for clamping the upper flange and the lower flange;

[0008] The conical mold body includes an upper conical mold body conical cylinder section, a lower conical mold body cylindrical cylinder section, and a second positioning ring. The second positioning ring is located at the connection between the conical mold body conical cylinder section and the conical mold body cylindrical cylinder section. The upper surface of the second positioning ring is perpendicular to the outer surface of the conical mold body cylindrical cylinder section and is used for positioning the silicone soft film.

[0009] The upper flange includes an upper flange conical section and a first positioning ring. The first positioning ring is located at the bottom of the upper flange conical section and cooperates with the second positioning ring for positioning the silicone soft film.

[0010] The bottom of the upper flange conical cylinder section is provided with a first positioning boss to provide torque transmission and coaxial positioning, and the top of the conical mold body conical cylinder section is provided with a first positioning groove for transmitting torque and coaxial positioning. The first positioning boss and the first positioning groove cooperate with each other.

[0011] The bottom of the cylindrical section of the conical mold body is provided with a second positioning boss for transmitting torque and coaxial positioning, and the lower flange is provided with a second positioning groove to provide torque and coaxial positioning. The second positioning boss and the second positioning groove cooperate with each other.

[0012] The steering pin ring is provided with a steering pin ring nut hole and a steering pin ring bolt hole; the steering pin ring bolt hole is opened to pass through the steering pin ring nut hole. When installing the steering pin, first put the standard part nut into the steering pin ring nut hole, and then screw the standard part bolt into the steering pin ring bolt hole.

[0013] The inner and outer surfaces of the upper steering pin ring, which is fitted onto the outer surface of the upper flange, are coaxial conical surfaces with the outer surface of the conical mold body. The nut hole of the upper steering pin ring is located on the lower end face of the upper steering pin ring, and the opening direction is parallel to the generatrix direction of the outer surface. The bolt hole of the upper steering pin ring is located on the outer surface of the upper steering pin ring, and the opening direction is perpendicular to the tangent plane of the outer surface of the upper steering pin ring.

[0014] The outer surface of the lower steering pin ring, which is fitted onto the outer surface of the cylindrical section of the conical mold body, is a coaxial conical surface with the outer surface of the conical mold body; the inner surface of the lower steering pin ring is a coaxial cylinder with the cylindrical section of the conical mold; the nut hole of the lower steering pin ring is located on the lower end face of the lower steering pin ring, and the opening direction is parallel to the generatrix direction of the outer surface; the bolt hole of the lower steering pin ring is located on the outer surface of the lower steering pin ring, and the opening direction is perpendicular to the tangent plane of the outer surface of the lower steering pin ring.

[0015] The upper steering nail ring and the cylindrical section of the conical mold body need to have sufficient length for subsequent vacuum guiding operations;

[0016] The number, spacing, and distance from the edge of the steering nail bolt holes are all designed according to the required grating structure.

[0017] When using the above-mentioned mold, firstly, the rotating shaft passes through the upper clamping block, upper flange, conical mold body, lower flange, and lower clamping block, and the upper flange, conical mold body, and lower flange are clamped by fixing the upper clamping block and the lower clamping block; then, the silicone mold is fitted over the outside of the conical mold body; finally, the upper steering pin ring is fitted over the outside of the upper flange, and the lower steering pin ring is fitted over the outside of the cylindrical section of the conical mold body; the upper and lower steering pin rings are tightened by the tension of the dry wire; then the grid is prepared.

[0018] Beneficial effects: This invention provides a mold and method for manufacturing composite material grid cones using fiber winding technology, which has the following advantages compared with existing technologies:

[0019] 1. The manufacturing of a conical composite material grid structure was realized;

[0020] 2. The split mold design makes the mold lighter, easier to install, and easier to operate;

[0021] 3. The separate design of the upper steering nail ring and the upper flange facilitates demolding and ensures the integrity of the composite material grid cone and its mold. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a mold used in the fiber winding process to manufacture composite material grid cones in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a mold used in the fiber winding process to manufacture composite material grid cones in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the conical mold in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the upper steering nail ring structure in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the lower steering nail ring structure in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the upper flange structure in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the lower flange structure in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the silicone film structure in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] In the diagram: 1-Conical mold body, 2-Upper steering pin ring, 3-Lower steering pin ring, 4-Upper flange, 5-Lower flange, 6-Upper clamping block, 7-Lower clamping block, 8-Rotating shaft, 9-Silicone mold, 10-First positioning boss, 11-First positioning groove, 12-Second positioning boss, 13-Second positioning groove, 14-Upper steering pin ring nut hole, 15-Upper steering pin ring bolt hole, 16-Lower steering pin ring nut hole, 17-Lower steering pin ring bolt hole, 18-Conical mold body conical cylinder section, 19-Conical mold body cylindrical cylinder section, 20-Second positioning ring, 21-Upper flange conical cylinder section, 22-First positioning ring, 23-Grid groove. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments:

[0032] like Figure 1-2 As shown, a mold for manufacturing composite grid cones using fiber winding process includes: a conical mold body 1, an upper steering nail ring 2, a lower steering nail ring 3, an upper flange 4, a lower flange 5, an upper clamping block 6, a lower clamping block 7, a rotating shaft 8, and a silicone mold 9; the conical mold body 1, the upper flange 4, and the silicone mold 9 are all conical.

[0033] The conical mold body 1 includes an upper conical mold body conical cylinder section 18 and a lower conical mold body cylindrical cylinder section 19, and a second positioning ring 20. The upper surface of the second positioning ring 20 is perpendicular to the outer surface of the conical mold body cylindrical cylinder section 19, and its lower surface forms a 45° angle with the plumb line, which facilitates manufacturing using melt extrusion technology. The second positioning ring 20 is located at the connection between the conical mold body conical cylinder section 18 and the conical mold body cylindrical cylinder section 19. The silicone mold 9 is located on the outer surface of the conical mold body conical cylinder section 18.

[0034] The upper flange 4 includes an upper flange conical section 21 and a first positioning ring 22. The first positioning ring 22 is located at the bottom of the upper flange conical section 21. The lower side of the first positioning ring 22 is perpendicular to the outer surface of the conical mold body conical section 18. During installation, the first positioning ring 22 and the second positioning ring 20 hold and position the silicone mold 9.

[0035] The bottom of the first positioning ring 22 is provided with a first positioning boss 10 to provide torque and coaxial positioning. The top of the conical cylinder section 18 of the conical mold body is provided with a first positioning groove 11 for transmitting torque and coaxial positioning. The first positioning boss 10 and the first positioning groove 11 are fitted together. The bottom of the cylindrical cylinder section 19 of the conical mold body is provided with a second positioning boss 12 for transmitting torque and coaxial positioning. The lower flange 5 is provided with a second positioning groove 13 to provide torque and coaxial positioning. The second positioning boss 12 and the second positioning groove 13 are fitted together.

[0036] The upper steering pin ring 2 is fitted onto the outside of the upper flange 4. Both the inner and outer surfaces of the upper steering pin ring 2 are conical surfaces coaxial with the outer surface of the conical mold body 1. The bottom end of the upper steering pin ring 2 is uniformly provided with upper steering pin ring nut holes 14 along the circumferential direction. The opening direction of the upper steering pin ring nut holes 14 is parallel to the generatrix direction of the outer surface of the upper steering pin ring 2. The outer surface of the upper steering pin ring 2 is uniformly provided with upper steering pin ring bolt holes 15 along the circumferential direction. The opening direction of the upper steering pin ring bolt holes 15 is perpendicular to the tangent plane of the outer surface of the upper steering pin ring 2. The upper steering pin ring bolt holes 15 are opened to penetrate the upper steering pin ring nut holes 14. During installation, the steering pin nut is first placed into the steering pin ring nut hole, and then the steering pin nut is screwed into the steering pin ring bolt hole.

[0037] The lower steering pin ring 3 is fitted onto the outside of the cylindrical section 19 of the conical mold body. The outer surface of the lower steering pin ring 3 is a coaxial conical surface with the outer surface of the conical mold body 1, and the inner surface of the lower steering pin ring 3 is a coaxial cylindrical surface with the outer surface of the cylindrical section 19 of the conical mold. The bottom end of the lower steering pin ring 3 is uniformly provided with lower steering pin ring nut holes 16 along the circumferential direction. The opening direction of the lower steering pin ring nut holes 16 is parallel to the generatrix direction of the outer surface of the lower steering pin ring 3. The outer surface of the lower steering pin ring 3 is uniformly provided with lower steering pin ring bolt holes 17 along the circumferential direction. The opening direction of the lower steering pin ring bolt holes 17 is perpendicular to the tangent plane of the outer surface of the lower steering pin ring 3. The lower steering pin ring bolt holes 17 are opened to penetrate the lower steering pin ring nut holes 16. During installation, the steering pin nut is first placed into the steering pin ring nut hole, and then the steering pin nut is screwed into the steering pin ring bolt hole.

[0038] The upper clamping block 6 is located at the top of the upper flange 4, and the lower clamping block 7 is located at the bottom of the lower flange 5. The rotating shaft 8 passes through the upper clamping block 6, the upper flange 4, the conical mold body 1, the lower flange 5, and the lower clamping block 7 in sequence. The upper steering nail ring 2 and the cylindrical section 19 of the conical mold body have sufficient length for the vacuum guiding operation of the resin.

[0039] The upper clamping block 6 and the lower clamping block 7 are standard parts. The conical mold body 1, the upper steering nail ring 2, the lower steering nail ring 3, the upper flange 4, and the lower flange 5 are made of 3D printed thermoplastic plastic or metal processed by a multi-axis milling machine. The silicone soft film is made by molding. In this embodiment, there are four silicone molds 9. The grid groove 23 is an orthogonal grid, which is composed of grid strips in both axial and circumferential directions.

[0040] The upper flange 4 and the conical mold body 1 need to have a certain strength to withstand vacuum pressure; the upper flange 4, the conical mold body 1, the upper steering pin ring 2, and the lower steering pin ring 3 need to have a certain heat resistance to withstand the high temperature of resin curing. While meeting the strength requirements of the process, the conical mold body 1 can be printed using a dot-matrix filling method to reduce weight, enhance portability, and lower costs.

[0041] The above-mentioned mold is used in the following steps:

[0042] First, the rotating shaft is passed through the upper clamping block 6, the upper flange 4, the conical mold body 1, the lower flange 5, and the lower clamping block 7. The upper flange 4, the conical mold body 1, and the lower flange 5 are clamped by fixing the upper clamping block 6 and the lower clamping block 7. Then, the silicone mold 9 is placed on the outside of the conical mold body 1. The first positioning ring 22 and the second positioning ring 20 hold and position the silicone mold 9. Finally, the upper steering pin ring 2 is placed on the outside of the upper flange 4, and the lower steering pin ring 3 is placed on the outside of the cylindrical section 19 of the conical mold body. The upper steering pin ring 2 and the lower steering pin ring 3 are tightened by the tension of the dry wire to complete the assembly of the mold.

[0043] In use, the continuous fiber thread is first tied to a steering pin on the upper steering pin ring 2, passes through the grid groove 23 and reaches the lower steering pin ring 3, passes around the corresponding steering pin and passes through the second grid groove 23, and so on until it passes through all the axial grid grooves 23. Then, after passing the last steering pin, it is wound around the circumferential grid grooves 23 one by one. The above operation is repeated until the fiber fills the grid groove 23.

[0044] The upper steering pin ring 2 and the cylindrical section 19 of the conical mold body have sufficient length for the vacuum flow of resin. After the introduced resin has completed high-temperature curing under pressure, the upper clamping block 6 and the lower clamping block 7 are removed, and the steering pins of the upper steering pin ring 2 and the lower steering pin ring 3 are removed. Then, the lower steering pin ring 3 is removed from the lower part of the conical mold body 1, and the upper flange 4, the upper steering pin ring 2, the silicone mold 9, and the molding structure are removed from the upper part of the conical mold body 1.

[0045] The above embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can still be made to the technical solutions of the present invention, and these modifications or equivalent substitutions cannot cause the modified technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. A mold for manufacturing composite material grid cones using a fiber winding process, characterized in that, The device includes a conical mold body, an upper flange, a lower flange, a steering pin ring, a silicone mold, and a rotating shaft. The rotating shaft passes sequentially through the upper flange, the conical mold body, and the lower flange. The conical mold body, steering pin ring, upper flange, and lower flange are all coaxially fitted. The upper flange and lower flange are located at the top and bottom ends of the conical mold body, respectively. The steering pin ring is fitted onto the outer surface of the upper flange and the lower end of the conical mold body. The silicone mold is composed of one or more planar soft films spliced ​​together and distributed circumferentially on the outer surface of the conical mold body. The soft mold surface is provided with orthogonal grid grooves, which are composed of axial and circumferential grid strips. The conical mold body includes an upper conical cylinder section, a lower cylindrical section, and a second positioning ring. The second positioning ring is located between the conical cylinder section and the lower cylindrical section of the conical mold body. At the connection of the cylindrical sections, the upper surface of the second positioning ring is perpendicular to the outer surface of the cylindrical section of the conical mold body, and the lower surface forms a 45° angle with the direction of the plumb bob. The upper flange includes an upper flange conical section and a first positioning ring. The first positioning ring is located at the bottom of the upper flange conical section and cooperates with the second positioning ring for positioning the silicone soft film. The bottom of the upper flange conical section is provided with a first positioning boss to provide torque transmission and coaxial positioning. The top of the conical mold body conical section is provided with a first positioning groove to transmit torque and provide coaxial positioning. The first positioning boss cooperates with the first positioning groove. The bottom of the conical mold body cylindrical section is provided with a second positioning boss to transmit torque and provide coaxial positioning. The lower flange is provided with a second positioning groove to provide torque and provide coaxial positioning. The second positioning boss cooperates with the second positioning groove.

2. The mold for manufacturing composite material grid cones using fiber winding process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mold includes an upper clamping block and a lower clamping block, located at the top of the upper flange and the bottom of the lower flange, respectively, for clamping the upper flange and the lower flange.

3. The mold for manufacturing composite material grid cones using fiber winding process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner and outer surfaces of the upper steering pin ring, which is fitted onto the outer surface of the upper flange, are coaxial conical surfaces with the outer surface of the conical mold body. The lower end face of the upper steering pin ring has nut holes evenly distributed along the circumferential direction, with the opening direction parallel to the generatrix direction of the outer surface. The outer surface of the upper steering pin ring has bolt holes evenly distributed along the circumferential direction, with the opening direction perpendicular to the tangent plane of the outer surface of the upper steering pin ring. The bolt holes of the upper steering pin ring extend through the nut holes of the upper steering pin ring.

4. The mold for manufacturing composite material grid cones using fiber winding process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer surface of the lower steering pin ring, which is fitted onto the outer surface of the cylindrical section of the conical mold body, is a coaxial conical surface with the outer surface of the conical mold body; the inner surface of the lower steering pin ring is a coaxial cylinder with the cylindrical section of the conical mold body; the lower end face of the lower steering pin ring has lower steering pin ring nut holes evenly distributed along the circumferential direction, with the hole opening direction parallel to the generatrix direction of the outer surface; the outer surface of the lower steering pin ring has lower steering pin ring bolt holes evenly distributed along the circumferential direction, with the hole opening direction perpendicular to the tangent plane of the outer surface of the lower steering pin ring; the lower steering pin ring bolt holes are opened to penetrate the lower steering pin ring nut holes.

5. The mold for manufacturing composite material grid cones using fiber winding process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steering pin ring fitted on the outer surface of the upper flange and the cylindrical section of the conical mold body have sufficient length for subsequent vacuum diversion operations.

6. The mold for manufacturing composite material grid cones using fiber winding process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number, spacing, and distance from the edge of the steering pin ring of the bolt holes are designed according to the required grating structure.

7. A method for manufacturing composite material grid cones using the mold described in any one of claims 1-6 in a fiber winding process, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The rotating shaft passes through the upper clamping block, upper flange, conical mold body, lower flange, and lower clamping block. The upper flange, conical mold body, and lower flange are clamped by fixing the upper and lower clamping blocks. The soft mold is then placed on the outside of the conical mold body. The first positioning ring and the second positioning ring hold and position the soft mold. Finally, the upper steering pin ring is placed on the outside of the upper flange, and the lower steering pin ring is placed on the outside of the cylindrical section of the conical mold body. The upper and lower steering pin rings are tightened by the tension of the dry wire to complete the mold assembly. When in use, the continuous fiber thread is first tied to a steering pin on the upper steering pin ring, passes through the grid groove and reaches the lower steering pin ring, goes around the corresponding steering pin and passes through the second grid groove, and repeats this until it passes through all the axial grid grooves. Then, after passing through the last steering pin, it is wound around the circumferential grid grooves one by one. The above operation is repeated until the fiber fills the grid groove. The upper steering nail ring and the cylindrical section of the conical mold body have sufficient length for the vacuum flow of resin. After the introduced resin is cured under pressure at high temperature, the grid cone is prepared.

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