Prepreg yarn pultrusion device and method

Abstract

The invention provides a prepreg yarn pultrusion device and method, and belongs to the technical field of composite material forming. Comprising a yarn storage device, a forming main body, an extrusion head, an intelligent temperature control box and a yarn storage pipe, the yarn storage device is located above the forming main body and comprises the yarn storage pipe, a yarn passing roller and a yarn penetrating hole, fiber yarn is wound on the yarn storage pipe, and after going out of the yarn storage pipe, the fiber yarn passes through the yarn passing roller and the yarn penetrating hole and descends to the forming main body; a channel is formed in the forming body, and a plurality of yarn passing rollers which are installed in a staggered mode are arranged in the channel. The extrusion head is installed below the forming body, a yarn penetrating hole is formed in the extrusion head, and the yarn penetrating hole is matched with an outlet of the channel to achieve control over the yarn size. The intelligent temperature control box comprises a controller, a plurality of electric heating pipes and a thermocouple, the thermocouple is installed near an outlet of the channel, and the electric heating pipes are connected to the two sides of the channel of the forming main body. According to the device, the investment cost and energy consumption of pultrusion equipment are effectively reduced, the pultrusion speed is increased, the processing period is shortened, and compounding of various thermoplastic resins and fiber yarns can be compatible.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to a prepreg pultrusion molding apparatus and method, belonging to the field of composite material molding technology. Background Technology

[0002] High-performance thermoplastic prepreg yarn is a key semi-finished material in composite material manufacturing, and it can be widely used in various advanced composite material molding processes, such as autoclave molding, resin transfer molding (RTM), automated fiber placement (AFP), compression molding, filament winding, and pultrusion. This material can be used directly as a raw material for AFP processes to achieve high-precision placement and molding of complex-shaped components. Alternatively, it can be processed into preforms through textile processes such as weaving, knitting, or braiding, and then combined with autoclave or compression molding technologies to ultimately form high-performance, high-thickness complex structural components.

[0003] Current thermoplastic prepreg molding processes rely on extruders to melt and extrude thermoplastic materials. Simultaneously, the mixing equipment for high-performance fiber yarns and thermoplastic materials requires maintaining a high-temperature environment, resulting in high equipment costs and energy consumption. This makes it difficult to meet the needs of laboratory research on multi-material high-performance thermoplastic prepreg pultrusion molding processes. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop an innovative high-performance thermoplastic yarn pultrusion molding device and method to reduce processing time and economic costs, and promote the practical application of this technology. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, this application provides a prepreg pultrusion molding apparatus, which not only effectively reduces the equipment investment cost and energy consumption of pultrusion molding, increases the pultrusion molding speed, and shortens the processing cycle, but also can be compatible with the composite of various thermoplastic resins and fiber yarns, realizing the processing of high-performance thermoplastic prepreg yarns. The mechanical properties of the obtained prepreg yarns can reach aerospace-grade standards.

[0005] Specifically, this application is implemented through the following scheme: A prepreg pultrusion molding apparatus includes a yarn storage device, a molding body, an extruder head, an intelligent temperature control box, and an empty yarn storage tube. The yarn storage device is located above the forming body and includes a yarn storage tube, a yarn passing roller and a yarn threading hole. The fiber yarn on the yarn storage tube passes through the yarn passing roller and the yarn threading hole to the forming body. The forming body has a channel inside, and several staggered yarn guide rollers are installed in the channel. The extrusion head is installed below the molding body. The extrusion head is provided with a yarn threading hole, which is matched with the outlet of the channel to realize the control of yarn size. The intelligent temperature control box includes a controller, electric heating tubes and thermocouples. The thermocouples are installed near the outlet of the channel, and multiple electric heating tubes are provided. The electric heating tubes are connected to both sides of the channel of the molding body. The empty yarn storage tube is located below the extruder.

[0006] The pultrusion molding apparatus of this application mainly consists of a molding body, an extruder head, a yarn storage device, and an empty yarn storage tube. The yarn storage device and the empty yarn storage tube are installed above and below the molding body, respectively. The extruder head is installed near the outlet of the molding body. The intelligent temperature control box can be placed according to the usage environment. It has the advantages of simple structure and low construction cost. By inputting different fiber yarns and thermoplastic resins, prepreg yarns with different composite compositions can be produced. It is flexible in operation and has a short processing cycle.

[0007] Furthermore, as a preferred option: The channel is divided into an upper channel, a middle channel, and a lower channel. The inlet is located at the top of the upper channel, and the outlet is located at the bottom of the lower channel. The yarn guide rollers are distributed in the middle channel, and the electric heating tubes are distributed on both sides of the middle channel. More preferably, the upper channel has a conical structure.

[0008] The channel has mounting grooves on both sides, and the yarn guide roller is installed in the channel through the mounting grooves.

[0009] The extrusion head includes a first extrusion head and a second extrusion head, with the first extrusion head embedded in the second extrusion head, and a yarn-passing hole provided at the junction of the two. More preferably, the first extrusion head has a T-shaped structure, including a wedge and a yarn-passing hole formed by a groove along the length direction from the bottom end of the wedge to the middle of the wedge; the second extrusion head is provided with a groove, and the wedge is embedded into the groove to realize the connection between the first extrusion head and the second extrusion head.

[0010] The yarn storage tube is mounted on the bracket, the yarn feeding roller is mounted on the bottom of the bracket, and a side plate is mounted on one side of the bracket, with the yarn feeding hole located on the side plate. More preferably, a spring is installed between the side plate and the yarn feeding roller.

[0011] The aforementioned apparatus enables rapid and cost-effective research into pultrusion molding processes for multi-material high-performance thermoplastic prepreg yarns, thereby effectively promoting the industrial-scale mass production of high-performance thermoplastic prepreg yarns. Before prepreg yarn molding, the raw materials for the thermoplastic prepreg yarn are first determined, the specifications of the high-performance fiber yarn are determined based on the yarn threading hole size, and the type of thermoplastic resin is determined according to the performance requirements of the final composite material. Then, pultrusion molding is carried out according to the following steps: Step 1: Couple the fiber yarn onto the yarn storage tube, assemble the yarn storage device, and guide the fiber yarn from the yarn storage tube through the yarn roller and the yarn threading hole into the channel, through the yarn threading hole, and around the yarn storage tube. Step 2: Pour thermoplastic resin granules into the channel, and set the heating temperature of the electric heating tube according to the melting temperature of the thermoplastic resin through the controller. Step 3: The thermocouple detects that the temperature has reached the set temperature, and starts the empty yarn storage tube to rotate and translate, so that the fiber yarn passes through the molten thermoplastic resin to complete the resin impregnation.

[0012] in: The fiber yarn specifications include the material, model, and linear density of the fiber yarn. The fiber yarn material can be high-performance fibers such as carbon fiber, quartz fiber, and basalt fiber. The fiber yarn model can be different models that determine the performance of the fiber yarn, such as T300, T700, or T1000. The fiber yarn linear density can be parameters that determine the fineness of the fiber yarn, such as 3K, 6K, and 12K.

[0013] The thermoplastic resin can be a high-performance thermoplastic resin such as polyamide (PA), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).

[0014] This invention reduces the initial equipment investment cost and energy consumption for pultrusion process research by optimizing the design of the heating and impregnation devices, increases the pultrusion speed, and shortens the process debugging cycle. This method is compatible with a variety of thermoplastic resin systems and high-performance reinforcing fibers, and the mechanical properties of the produced thermoplastic prepreg yarn can reach aerospace-grade standards. It provides an efficient and economical solution for the laboratory research and development and industrial mass production of high-performance thermoplastic prepreg yarn. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the split structure of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the main body of the molded part in this application; Figure 3 for Figure 2 MM direction view; Figure 4 for Figure 2 NN-direction view; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the extruder head in this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the yarn storage device in this application.

[0017] Figure labels: A. Fiber yarn; B. Prepreg yarn; 1. Forming body; 1a. Upper channel; 1b. Middle channel; 1c. Lower channel; 11. Inlet; 12. Yarn guide roller; 13. Mounting groove; 14. Outlet; 15. Mounting hole one; 151. Bolt; 152. Nut; 16. Mounting hole two; 17. Mounting hole three; 18. Mounting hole four; 19. Mounting hole five; 2. Sealing plate; 3. Extruder head; 31. First extrusion 311. Extrusion head; 312. Wedge; 32. Yarn threading hole; 32. Second extrusion head; 321. Insertion groove; 33. Mounting hole six; 4. Intelligent temperature control box; 41. Controller; 42. Electric heating tube; 43. Thermocouple; 5. Yarn storage device; 51. Yarn storage tube with yarn; 511. Bracket; 512. Connector; 52. Yarn guiding roller; 53. Yarn threading hole; 531. Side plate; 54. Tension spring; 55. Mounting hole seven; 6. Empty yarn storage tube. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects to be solved by this application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain this application and are not intended to limit the technical solutions of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments in this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0019] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be located directly or indirectly on that other component. When a component is referred to as "connected to" another component, it can be directly or indirectly connected to that other component. The terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or position based on the orientation or position shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for ease of description and should not be construed as limiting the present technical solution.

[0020] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or specifying the number of technical features. "A plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly defined.

[0021] This embodiment provides a pultrusion molding apparatus for high-performance thermoplastic prepreg yarn. The embodiment of this application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] See Figure 1 , Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the device structure in this embodiment is shown.

[0023] It includes a yarn storage device 5, a forming body 1, an extruder 3, an intelligent temperature control box 4, and an empty yarn storage tube 6.

[0024] Combination Figure 2 , Figure 3 4. The molding body 1 has an internal channel, which includes an upper channel 1a, a middle channel 1b, and a lower channel 1c. The upper channel 1a, middle channel 1b, and lower channel 1c are interconnected. The upper channel 1a has a conical structure, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, with a thermoplastic resin granule injection port 11 at the top. Along both sides of the middle channel 1b, four sets of mounting grooves 13 are set at different heights. The four yarn guide rollers 12 pass through the mounting grooves 13 as follows: Figure 4 The components are installed in a staggered manner in the middle channel 1b as shown. The lower channel 1c is relatively narrow, with the exit 14 at the bottom.

[0025] In some embodiments, two pairs of mounting holes 15 can be provided on the molding body 1, with the two sets of mounting holes 15 located at the upper and lower parts of the molding body 1, respectively. Two pairs of mounting holes 16 are provided on both sides of the central channel 1b. Eight holes are also provided on the sealing plate 2 at corresponding positions. By inserting bolts 151 and nuts 152 into the mounting holes 15, the two sealing plates 2 are installed on both sides of the molding body 1 for sealing. Mounting holes 17 are provided laterally on the side of the molding body 1. Mounting holes 17 are threaded holes. Bolts are inserted to suspend and fix the molding body 1 in the corresponding application site. Mounting holes 18 and 19 are provided at the bottom of the molding body 1. Mounting holes 18 and 19 are both arranged longitudinally. Mounting hole 19 is a threaded hole.

[0026] Combination Figure 5 The extrusion head 3 includes a first extrusion head 31 and a second extrusion head 32. The first extrusion head 31 has a T-shaped structure, and its protruding wedge 311 is provided with a yarn-passing hole 312. The yarn-passing hole 312 is formed by slotting from the bottom end to the middle along the length direction of the wedge 311. In this embodiment, the length × width of the yarn-passing hole 312 is 5 × 0.2 mm to control the pultrusion molding size of the prepreg yarn. The second extrusion head 32 is provided with a groove 321. During installation, the wedge 311 is inserted into the groove 321, and then a bolt is inserted into the mounting hole 33 to connect the first extrusion head 31 and the second extrusion head 32. At the same time, mounting holes corresponding to the mounting hole 19 are provided on both sides of the groove 321. Bolts are inserted and pass through the second extrusion head and the molding body to install the extrusion head 3 below the molding body 1.

[0027] The intelligent temperature control box 4 includes a controller 41, four electric heating tubes 42 and a thermocouple 43. The electric heating tubes 42 and the thermocouple 43 are electrically connected to the controller 41. The electric heating tubes 42 are inserted into the second mounting hole 16 to heat the molding body 1. The thermocouple 43 is inserted into the fourth mounting hole 18. The thermocouple 43 collects temperature information in real time so that the controller 41 can control whether the electric heating tubes 42 work or not, so as to achieve the effect of fully automatic temperature regulation.

[0028] Combination Figure 6 The yarn storage device 5 is located above the forming body 1 and includes a yarn storage tube 51, a bracket 511, a connector 512, a yarn guide roller 52, a yarn threading hole 53, and a side plate 531. The connector 512 is fixed to one side of the bracket 511, and the connector 512 has mounting holes 55. Screws and other fasteners are inserted into the mounting holes 55 to fix the bracket 511 to the installation site. A side plate 531 is installed on the other side of the bracket 511, and the side plate 53 has yarn threading holes 53. The yarn storage tube 51 is installed on the bracket 511, and the yarn guide roller 52 is installed at the bottom of the bracket 511.

[0029] In some embodiments, a spring 54 may also be installed between the side plate 531 and the yarn guide roller 52 for adjusting tension.

[0030] The empty yarn storage tube 6 is located below the extruder 3.

[0031] The pultrusion molding process using the above-mentioned apparatus is as follows: Step 1: Determine the raw material of the thermoplastic prepreg yarn. Based on the size of the yarn hole 312, determine the specification of the high-performance fiber yarn A. Based on the performance requirements of the final composite material, determine the type of thermoplastic resin. In this embodiment, fiber yarn A uses T300, 12K carbon fiber, and the thermoplastic resin uses polyamide 66 (PA66).

[0032] Step two: Fiber yarn A is spun onto the yarn storage tube 51, and the yarn storage device 5 is assembled. Fiber yarn A is pulled out from the yarn storage tube 51, passes through the yarn roller 52 and the yarn threading hole 53, enters the channel through the inlet 11, exits the channel through the yarn roller 12, passes through the yarn threading hole 312, and is wound onto the empty yarn storage tube 6. For ease of operation, after fiber yarn A has finished winding, two sealing plates 2 are installed on both sides of the forming body 1 for sealing, the extrusion head 3 is installed, and the electric heating tube 42 and thermocouple 43 are inserted.

[0033] Step 3: Inject thermoplastic resin granules into the upper channel 1a. Based on the melting temperature of the thermoplastic resin, the heating temperature of the electric heating tube 42 is set by the controller 41. The temperature of the intelligent temperature control box 4 is set to 265℃. When the thermocouple 43 detects that the temperature has reached the set temperature, it starts the rotation and translation of the empty yarn storage tube 6. The fiber yarn A passes through the molten thermoplastic resin to complete resin impregnation, resulting in prepreg yarn B. Theoretically, the fiber volume content of the thermoplastic prepreg yarn is 53%.

[0034] The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative of several feasible implementations of the present invention, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed. However, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention, nor are the embodiments intended to limit the scope of protection in the claims of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention. All equivalent implementations or changes that do not depart from the present invention should be included in the technology of the present invention.

Claims

1. A prepreg pultrusion molding apparatus, characterized in that: Includes a yarn storage device, forming body, extruder, intelligent temperature control box, and empty yarn storage tube. The yarn storage device is located above the forming body and includes a yarn storage tube, a yarn passing roller and a yarn passing hole. The fiber yarn is wound on the yarn storage tube, and after exiting the yarn storage tube, it passes through the yarn passing roller and the yarn passing hole and descends to the forming body. The forming body has a channel inside, and several staggered yarn guide rollers are installed in the channel. The extrusion head is installed below the molding body. The extrusion head is provided with a yarn threading hole, which is matched with the outlet of the channel to realize the control of yarn size. The intelligent temperature control box includes a controller, electric heating tubes and thermocouples. The thermocouples are installed near the outlet of the channel, and multiple electric heating tubes are provided. The electric heating tubes are connected to both sides of the channel of the molding body. The empty yarn storage tube is located below the extruder.

2. The prepreg pultrusion molding apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The channel is divided into an upper channel, a middle channel and a lower channel. The inlet is located at the top of the upper channel and the outlet is located at the bottom of the lower channel. The yarn guide rollers are distributed in the middle channel and the electric heating tubes are distributed on both sides of the middle channel.

3. The prepreg pultrusion molding apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that: The upper channel has a conical structure.

4. The prepreg pultrusion forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The channel has mounting grooves on both sides, and the yarn guide roller is installed in the channel through the mounting grooves.

5. The prepreg pultrusion forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The extrusion head includes a first extrusion head and a second extrusion head, with the first extrusion head embedded in the second extrusion head, and a yarn-passing hole provided at the junction of the two.

6. The prepreg pultrusion molding apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first extrusion head has a T-shaped structure, including a wedge and a slot formed along the length direction from the bottom end of the wedge to the middle of the wedge to form a yarn-passing hole; the second extrusion head is provided with a groove, and the wedge is embedded in the groove to realize the connection between the first extrusion head and the second extrusion head.

7. The prepreg pultrusion molding apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The yarn storage tube is installed on the bracket, the yarn feeding roller is installed at the bottom of the bracket, a side plate is installed on one side of the bracket, and the yarn feeding hole is set on the side plate.

8. The prepreg pultrusion molding apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that: A spring is installed between the side plate and the yarn guide roller.

9. A method for pultruding prepreg yarn using the apparatus described in claim 1, characterized in that, The steps are as follows: Step 1: Coupling the fiber yarn onto the yarn storage tube and assembling the yarn storage device. The fiber yarn on the yarn storage tube is guided into the channel through the yarn roller and the yarn threading hole, passes through the yarn threading hole, and is wound around the empty yarn storage tube. Step 2: Pour thermoplastic resin granules into the channel, and set the heating temperature of the electric heating tube according to the melting temperature of the thermoplastic resin through the controller. Step 3: The thermocouple detects that the temperature has reached the set temperature, and starts the empty yarn storage tube to rotate and translate, so that the fiber yarn passes through the molten thermoplastic resin to complete the resin impregnation.

10. A method for pultruding prepreg yarn according to claim 9, characterized in that: The fiber yarn is any one of carbon fiber, quartz fiber, and basalt fiber, and the thermoplastic resin is any one of polyamide, polyetheretherketone, and thermoplastic polyurethane.

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