Composite material differential pressure coating machine

Abstract

The invention discloses a composite material differential pressure coating machine, which belongs to the technical field of coating machines, and comprises a rack, a sliding table mounted on the rack, a lower vacuum cover fixed on the sliding table, a mold assembly mounted at the bottom of the inner side of the lower vacuum cover, a lifting device connected to the mold assembly, and an upper vacuum cover mounted on the upper side of the lower vacuum cover, a heating system is mounted in the upper vacuum cover, the upper vacuum cover and the lower vacuum cover are matched to form a forming cavity, the forming cavity is connected with a pressure difference generating system, and a workpiece positioning mechanism for fixing a workpiece to be coated is mounted at an opening in the lower side of the upper vacuum cover; the mold assembly comprises a supporting plate, a supporting frame is formed in the middle of the supporting plate, a plurality of mold units are installed in the supporting frame in an array mode, the upper surfaces of the multiple mold units are matched to form a coating working face for a workpiece, and the bottoms of the mold units are connected to the supporting frame through vibration cylinders. And the coating quality of the workpiece surface is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of coating machines, and in particular relates to a composite material pressure difference coating machine. Background Art

[0002] The pressure differential coating machine is a special equipment for composite material molding. Its core principle is to use the air pressure difference to make the flexible coating film fit tightly to the mold surface, so as to achieve uniform compaction and molding of the composite material blank. This technology is widely used in aerospace, automobile manufacturing, wind turbine blades and other fields, and is especially suitable for the manufacture of components with complex curved surfaces or large-size structures. At present, the mainstream pressure differential coating machines mainly use vacuum negative pressure or positive pressure to drive the deformation of the coating film through the pressure change in the sealed chamber, so that the prepreg or dry fiber blank can fully remove bubbles and be compacted before curing, so as to improve the mechanical properties and surface quality of the workpiece. However, in the prior art, due to the differences between the equipment, the composite material often has the problem of insufficient bonding strength before being combined with the workpiece, which affects the coating quality of the workpiece surface. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of this, an object of the present invention is to provide a composite material pressure difference coating machine, which can solve the above technical problems.

[0004] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions: The present invention discloses a composite material pressure difference coating machine, comprising a frame, a slide mounted on the frame, and a lower vacuum cover fixed to the slide, wherein a mold assembly is installed on the inner bottom of the lower vacuum cover, the mold assembly is connected to a lifting device, an upper vacuum cover is installed on the upper side of the lower vacuum cover, a heating system is installed in the upper vacuum cover, the upper vacuum cover cooperates with the lower vacuum cover to form a molding cavity, the molding cavity is connected to a pressure difference generating system, and a workpiece positioning mechanism for fixing the workpiece to be coated is installed at the lower opening of the upper vacuum cover; the mold assembly comprises a support plate, a support frame is formed in the middle of the support plate, a plurality of mold units are arrayed in the support frame, the upper surfaces of the plurality of mold units cooperate to form a coating working surface for the workpiece, the bottom of the mold unit is connected to the support frame through a vibration cylinder, and two adjacent mold units cooperate in vertical sliding.

[0005] Furthermore, the mold unit includes a plurality of central units located in the center and a plurality of edge units annularly installed outside the central unit. The plurality of edge units are circumferentially connected in series to form a ring shape. The plurality of central units and edge units are combined to form a mold.

[0006] Furthermore, a through hole is provided on the central unit, a special-shaped hole is formed at the lower part of the through hole, a plurality of vertical grooves are opened circumferentially on the inner side of the special-shaped hole, a scraper ring is slidably installed in the special-shaped hole, the scraper ring is connected to the limiting block through an elastic stretching device, and when the elastic stretching device is extended, the scraper ring can slide and cooperate with the inner wall of the through hole.

[0007] Furthermore, a central blind hole is provided at the center of the central unit, a piston is slidably installed in the central blind hole, the piston is connected to the output end of the vibration cylinder installed in the central blind hole, an air inlet is provided at the bottom of the central blind hole, an air outlet is provided on the side wall of the central blind hole, and the other end of the air outlet is connected to the through hole.

[0008] Furthermore, a sleeve is installed in the air outlet, a conical hole is provided in the sleeve, a ball is fitted in the conical hole, the ball is connected to a filter plate through an elastic support device, and the filter plate is fixed at the opening of the sleeve away from the central blind hole.

[0009] Furthermore, a mounting hole is provided on the edge unit, an elastic tube is fixedly installed in the mounting hole, an expansion tube is coaxially installed in the elastic tube, a micro hole is formed in the center of the expansion tube running through from top to bottom, and when the expansion tube is heated, the diameter of the micro hole can expand.

[0010] Furthermore, columns are fixed on the slide, and the columns are distributed at the four corners of the lower vacuum cover. An upper plate is fixed on the upper end of the column, a middle plate is slidably installed in the middle of the column, an upper vacuum cover is installed on the lower side of the middle plate, and a displacement driving device for driving the displacement of the middle plate is installed on the upper plate.

[0011] Furthermore, an ejection assembly is installed on the side of the upper vacuum cover, and the ejection assembly includes a cylinder, a support plate, a guide rod, and a guide sleeve. The cylinder is installed on the middle plate, and the output end of the cylinder is connected to the guide rod through the support plate. The guide rod is slidably arranged in the guide sleeve, and the guide sleeve is installed on the support of the side wall of the upper vacuum cover.

[0012] The beneficial effects of the present invention are: The mold unit disclosed in the present invention is independently controlled by a vibration cylinder, which can apply local micro-vibration to the workpiece surface during the coating process, promote the close fit between the coating material (such as a film or prepreg) and the workpiece surface, eliminate bubbles or wrinkles, and improve the coating uniformity. At the same time, the array mold unit design of the present invention is adapted to workpieces of different shapes, and a customized coating working surface is formed by adjusting the unit height, expanding the applicability of the equipment such as concave and convex surfaces and special-shaped structures.

[0013] After the positioning mechanism of the present invention fixes the position of the workpiece, the mold unit adjusts the local contact pressure through vibration, which is particularly suitable for composite material lamination scenarios to ensure the interface bonding strength between the fiber-reinforced material and the matrix. The frequency amplitude of the vibration cylinder is adjustable, which is suitable for the differentiated coating process of thermosetting prepreg or thermoplastic film to avoid fiber damage or uneven resin distribution. The device improves the qualified rate of the traditional coating process through the synergistic effect of pressure difference and vibration.

[0014] Other advantages, objectives and features of the present invention will be described in the following description and will be apparent to those skilled in the art to some extent, or those skilled in the art may be taught from the practice of the present invention. The objectives and other advantages of the present invention may be realized and obtained through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and beneficial effects of the present invention clearer, the present invention provides the following drawings for illustration: Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the pressure difference coating machine of the present invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a mold assembly of the present invention; Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the central unit; Figure 4 for Figure 3 The enlarged view of point A in the middle; Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the edge unit; Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the mold assembly; Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the structure of special-shaped holes.

[0016] The markings in the accompanying drawings are as follows: frame 1, slide 2, lower vacuum cover 3, mold assembly 4, lifting device 5, upper vacuum cover 6, support plate 7, support frame 8, vibration cylinder 9, center unit 10, edge unit 11, through hole 12, special-shaped hole 13, vertical groove 14, scraper ring 15, elastic stretching device 16, limit block 17, center blind hole 18, piston 19, air inlet 20, air outlet 21, sleeve 22, tapered hole 23, ball 24, elastic support device 25, filter plate 26, mounting hole 27, elastic tube 28, expansion tube 29, micropore 30, column 31, upper plate 32, middle plate 33, displacement drive device 34, cylinder 35, support plate 36, guide rod 37, guide sleeve 38. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] like Figures 1 to 7As shown, a composite material pressure differential coating machine disclosed in the present invention includes a frame 1, a slide 2 installed on the frame 1, and a lower vacuum cover 3 fixed to the slide 2. The lower vacuum cover 3 has an upper opening, and a mold assembly 4 is installed on the inner bottom of the lower vacuum cover 3. The mold assembly 4 is connected to a lifting device 5. The present invention arranges a slide 2, and the slide 2 can drive the lower vacuum cover 3 to move horizontally. Combined with the lifting device 5 of the mold assembly 4, rapid positioning of the workpiece and automatic closing of the cavity are achieved, thereby reducing manual intervention and reducing the difficulty of operation.

[0018] Among them, an upper vacuum cover 6 is installed on the upper side of the lower vacuum cover 3 disclosed in the present invention. The structure of the upper vacuum cover 6 is basically the same as that of the lower vacuum cover 3. The upper vacuum cover 6 has a lower opening. The size and shape of the upper opening and the lower opening are completely consistent and can overlap. A heating system is installed in the upper vacuum cover 6. The heating system is used to heat the coating film to soften it, facilitate the coating of the material, and ensure the uniformity of the coating layer. The heating system of the embodiment of the present invention adopts an infrared heating tube, which belongs to the prior art and can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0019] Furthermore, the upper vacuum cover 6 and the lower vacuum cover 3 of the present invention cooperate to form a molding cavity, and the middle of the molding cavity, that is, the upper vacuum cover 6 and the lower vacuum cover 3 are separated at the opening by a covering film, and the molding cavity is connected to a pressure difference generating system. The pressure difference in the molding cavity makes the composite material fit the workpiece tightly, reducing bubbles and wrinkles. The pressure difference generating system also adopts existing technology, which can provide positive pressure for the upper vacuum cover 6 and negative pressure for the lower vacuum cover 3 to optimize the molding quality.

[0020] A workpiece positioning mechanism for fixing the workpiece to be coated is installed at the lower opening of the upper vacuum cover 6; the mold assembly 4 includes a support plate 7, a support frame 8 is formed in the middle of the support plate 7, and a plurality of mold units are arrayed in the support frame 8. The upper surfaces of the plurality of mold units cooperate to form a coating working surface for the workpiece, and the bottom of the mold unit is connected to the support frame 8 through a vibration cylinder 9, and two adjacent mold units are vertically slidably matched. The present invention uses mold units that can vibrate individually, and the mold units are independently controlled by the vibration cylinder 9. Local micro-vibration can be applied to the surface of the workpiece during the coating process, so as to promote close fitting between the coating material such as a film or prepreg and the surface of the workpiece, eliminate bubbles or wrinkles, and improve coating uniformity.

[0021] In this embodiment, the mold unit includes a plurality of center units 10 located in the center and a plurality of edge units 11 annularly installed on the outside of the center unit 10. The plurality of edge units 11 are connected in series in a circumferential direction to form a ring. The plurality of center units 10 and edge units 11 are combined to form a mold. By adopting a regional control method, the independent vibration of the center unit 10 and the edge unit 11 can eliminate material stress concentration in a targeted manner and reduce edge warping. At the same time, the edge unit 11 can be provided with finer micropores 30, so that a laminar flow can be formed on the outer edge of the workpiece, which is convenient for material coating. The center unit 10 adopts a rougher through hole 12, which also saves costs.

[0022] In this embodiment, a through hole 12 is provided on the central unit 10, and a special-shaped hole 13 is formed at the lower part of the through hole 12. A plurality of vertical grooves 14 are opened on the inner side of the special-shaped hole 13 along the circumferential direction. A scraper ring 15 is slidably installed in the special-shaped hole 13. The scraper ring 15 is connected to the limit block 17 through the elastic stretching device 16. When the elastic stretching device 16 is extended, the scraper ring 15 can slide and cooperate with the inner wall of the through hole 12. When backwashing is performed, positive pressure gas can be introduced into the special-shaped hole 13 toward the side of the through hole 12. When the scraper ring 15 breaks through the restraint of the elastic stretching device 16, the scraper ring 15 can scrape off the residual material in the through hole 12, reducing the frequency of shutdown for cleaning. By providing the special-shaped hole 13, it can be avoided that the scraper ring 15 blocks the special-shaped hole 13, and negative pressure gas can pass through.

[0023] In this embodiment, a central blind hole 18 is provided at the center of the central unit 10, a piston 19 is slidably installed in the central blind hole 18, the piston 19 is connected to the output end of the vibration cylinder 9 installed in the central blind hole 18, an air inlet 20 is provided at the bottom of the central blind hole 18, an air outlet 21 is provided on the side wall of the central blind hole 18, and the other end of the air outlet 21 is connected to the through hole 12. By providing the piston 19, gas can be continuously introduced into the air inlet 20 when the vibration cylinder 9 is in action, which can force the impurities in the through hole 12 to be discharged, reduce the blockage of the through hole 12, and facilitate the smooth flow of air.

[0024] In this embodiment, a sleeve 22 is installed in the air outlet 21, a tapered hole 23 is provided in the sleeve, a ball 24 is matched in the tapered hole 23, and the ball 24 is connected to a filter plate 26 through an elastic support device 25. The filter plate 26 is fixed at the opening of the sleeve 22 away from the central blind hole 18. The tapered hole 23 and the ball 24 are automatically closed when the airflow is reversed to prevent material backflow and blockage. In this embodiment, a mounting hole 27 is provided on the edge unit 11, and an elastic tube 28 is fixedly installed in the mounting hole 27. An expansion tube 29 is coaxially installed in the elastic tube 28. The expansion tube 29 can be made of shape memory alloy, which is convenient for returning to the original position after the temperature is restored. A micropore 30 is formed in the center of the expansion tube 29, which runs through the top and bottom. When the expansion tube 29 is heated, the diameter of the micropore 30 can expand. When heated, the material in the micropore 30 can be easily discharged, which is convenient for cleaning. By providing the elastic tube 28, the expansion change of the expansion tube 29 can be adapted, the discharge of residual materials is convenient, and the expansion tube 29 can be easily replaced later.

[0025] In this embodiment, a column 31 is fixed on the slide 2, and the column 31 is distributed at the four corners of the lower vacuum cover 3. An upper plate 32 is fixed to the upper end of the column 31, and a middle plate 33 is slidably installed in the middle of the column 31. The lower side of the middle plate 33 is installed with the upper vacuum cover 6, and a displacement driving device 34 for driving the middle plate 33 to move is installed on the upper plate 32. The displacement driving device 34 adopts a cylinder 35, which can facilitate the upper vacuum cover 6 to move and cooperate with the lower vacuum cover 3.

[0026] In this embodiment, an ejection assembly is installed on the side of the upper vacuum cover 6, and the ejection assembly includes a cylinder 35, a support plate 36, a guide rod 37, and a guide sleeve 38. The cylinder 35 is installed on the middle plate 33, and the output end of the cylinder 35 is connected to the guide rod 37 through the support plate 36. The guide rod 37 is slidably arranged in the guide sleeve 38, and the guide sleeve 38 is installed on the support of the side wall of the upper vacuum cover 6. By setting the ejection assembly, the workpiece can be ejected in time after being coated, and the device operation is more automated.

[0027] Finally, it should be noted that the above preferred embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail through the above preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that various changes can be made in form and details without departing from the scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A composite material differential pressure coating machine, characterized in that: It includes a frame, a slide mounted on the frame, and a lower vacuum cover fixed to the slide, a mold assembly is installed on the inner bottom of the lower vacuum cover, the mold assembly is connected to a lifting device, an upper vacuum cover is installed on the upper side of the lower vacuum cover, a heating system is installed in the upper vacuum cover, the upper vacuum cover cooperates with the lower vacuum cover to form a molding cavity, the molding cavity is connected to a pressure difference generating system, and a workpiece positioning mechanism for fixing the workpiece to be coated is installed at the lower opening of the upper vacuum cover; the mold assembly includes a support plate, a support frame is formed in the middle of the support plate, a plurality of mold units are installed in an array in the support frame, the upper surfaces of the plurality of mold units cooperate to form a coating working surface for the workpiece, the bottom of the mold unit is connected to the support frame through a vibration cylinder, and two adjacent mold units cooperate in vertical sliding.

2. A composite material differential pressure coating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mold unit includes a plurality of central units located in the center and a plurality of edge units annularly installed outside the central unit. The plurality of edge units are circumferentially connected in series to form a ring shape. The plurality of central units and edge units are combined to form a mold.

3. A composite material differential pressure coating machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: A through hole is provided on the central unit, a special-shaped hole is formed at the lower part of the through hole, a plurality of vertical grooves are opened circumferentially on the inner side of the special-shaped hole, a scraper ring is slidably installed in the special-shaped hole, the scraper ring is connected to the limit block through an elastic stretching device, and when the elastic stretching device is extended, the scraper ring can slide and cooperate with the inner wall of the through hole.

4. A composite material differential pressure coating machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: A central blind hole is provided at the center of the central unit, a piston is slidably installed in the central blind hole, the piston is connected to the output end of the vibration cylinder installed in the central blind hole, an air inlet is provided at the bottom of the central blind hole, an air outlet is provided on the side wall of the central blind hole, and the other end of the air outlet is connected to the through hole.

5. A composite material differential pressure coating machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: A sleeve is installed in the air outlet, a conical hole is arranged in the sleeve, a ball is matched in the conical hole, the ball is connected to a filter plate through an elastic support device, and the filter plate is fixed at the opening of the sleeve away from the central blind hole.

6. A composite material differential pressure coating machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The edge unit is provided with a mounting hole, an elastic tube is fixedly installed in the mounting hole, an expansion tube is coaxially installed in the elastic tube, a micro hole is formed in the center of the expansion tube running through from top to bottom, and when the expansion tube is heated, the diameter of the micro hole can expand.

7. A composite material differential pressure coating machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The slide is fixed with columns, which are distributed at the four corners of the lower vacuum cover. An upper plate is fixed to the upper end of the column, a middle plate is slidably installed in the middle of the column, an upper vacuum cover is installed on the lower side of the middle plate, and a displacement driving device for driving the displacement of the middle plate is installed on the upper plate.

8. A composite material differential pressure coating machine according to claim 7, characterized in that: An ejection assembly is installed on the side of the upper vacuum cover, and the ejection assembly includes a cylinder, a support plate, a guide rod, and a guide sleeve. The cylinder is installed on the middle plate, and the output end of the cylinder is connected to the guide rod through the support plate. The guide rod is slidably arranged in the guide sleeve, and the guide sleeve is installed on the support of the side wall of the upper vacuum cover.

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