Forming auxiliary plate and baking device applied to carbon fiber plate

Abstract

The invention relates to a forming auxiliary plate and a baking device applied to a carbon fiber plate. The forming auxiliary plate comprises a plastic supporting core layer; the surface of the plastic supporting core layer is a circular curved surface; and the elastic outer skin layer covers the outer side of the plastic supporting core layer. The forming auxiliary plate and the baking device applied to the carbon fiber plate have the advantage of being low in cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of carbon fiber composite material molding technology, and in particular to a molding auxiliary plate and a baking device for carbon fiber plates. Background Technology

[0002] Carbon fiber composites, with their superior specific strength and modulus, excellent structural designability, and good fatigue resistance, have become strategic materials in aerospace, defense, and high-end equipment manufacturing. In particular, with the increasing demand for lightweight and high-strength structures, carbon fiber composites are being used more and more extensively in the manufacture of curved components, such as aircraft fuselage panels, satellite reflectors, and high-performance sports equipment. These components often have complex curved surface geometries, and their molding quality directly determines the performance and reliability of the final product.

[0003] In modern industrial applications, curved carbon fiber components face multiple challenges in manufacturing with high precision, high quality, and high efficiency. Taking the aerospace field as an example, typical curved stiffened panels must meet extremely stringent surface accuracy requirements (typically within an error range of 0.1-0.5 mm), while simultaneously ensuring fiber continuity and proper resin distribution to avoid defects such as wrinkles, dry spots, and porosity. Therefore, carbon fiber panels often require the use of molding auxiliary plates for fabrication.

[0004] However, the curved shape of carbon fiber sheets is complex, and usually requires the production of special molds. However, the curvature of the surface is not very versatile. Often, the products or parts made by a set of molds can only be used by the same person. As a result, the cost of molds accounts for a large part of the production cost in the early stage, and the utilization efficiency of molds is low. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a molding auxiliary plate and a baking device for carbon fiber plates to address the problem of high cost of carbon fiber plate molds.

[0006] A first aspect of this application provides a molding auxiliary plate, comprising: a plastic support core layer; the surface of the plastic support core layer being a curved surface; and an elastic outer skin layer covering the outside of the plastic support core layer.

[0007] In one embodiment, the malleable support core layer is an aluminum alloy plate, a copper alloy plate, a lead plate, or a lead alloy plate; and / or, the thickness of the malleable support core layer ranges from 1 mm to 10 mm.

[0008] In one embodiment, the radius of curvature of the plastic support core layer ranges from 5 cm to 50 cm.

[0009] In one embodiment, the plastic support core layer is flattened into a triangular, square, circular, or elliptical shape.

[0010] In one embodiment, the elastic outer skin layer is a silicone layer; and / or, the thickness of the elastic outer skin layer ranges from 1 mm to 10 mm.

[0011] In one embodiment, the molding auxiliary plate further includes a protective coating; the protective coating is applied to the outer surface of the elastic outer skin layer.

[0012] In one embodiment, the protective coating is made of silane or silicone resin.

[0013] In one embodiment, the elastic outer skin layer includes a first sub-component and a second sub-component, the first sub-component wrapping around the upper surface of the plastic support core layer, and the second sub-component wrapping around the lower surface of the plastic support core layer; the ends of the first sub-component and the ends of the second sub-component are attached to each other and integrally formed into an ear.

[0014] In one embodiment, the ear is provided with a bolt; and / or, the ear is fixed together by heat fusion.

[0015] A second aspect of this application provides a baking apparatus for carbon fiber sheets, comprising:

[0016] Baking cavity;

[0017] And the aforementioned molding auxiliary plate, which is disposed in the baking cavity, for supporting and shaping the carbon fiber plate blank.

[0018] The beneficial effects are:

[0019] This application discloses a molding auxiliary plate and a baking device for carbon fiber sheets. By setting a plastic support core layer and an elastic outer skin layer, the plastic support core layer has a curved surface, which enables the molding auxiliary plate to accurately match the component design surface of the carbon fiber sheet with continuous curvature characteristics. This effectively guides the prepreg laying and reduces fiber wrinkles, resin enrichment, or dry spot defects caused by abrupt changes in curvature, thereby ensuring the surface accuracy and internal quality of the molded component. The elastic outer skin layer covers the outside of the plastic support core layer, and the outer surface of the elastic outer skin layer is non-stick. Furthermore, the outer skin layer and the supporting core layer can deform synchronously without separating during repeated shaping. This achieves two key benefits: firstly, the elastic outer skin layer allows for clean separation from the cured resin, ensuring smooth demolding without damaging the carbon fiber sheet surface; secondly, the fully encapsulated structure of the elastic outer skin layer acts as an insulator, protecting the malleable supporting core layer material from contamination or oxidation in the process environment, and preventing direct contact between the material and operators or the working environment, thus improving operational safety. Finally, the molding auxiliary plate can replace traditional fixed rigid molds. Within the same baking apparatus, carbon fiber components with different curvatures can be efficiently produced by replacing or reshaping the molding auxiliary plate, significantly improving the utilization rate of the baking apparatus and reducing the reliance on and cost of dedicated molds for high-frequency, small-batch curved surface products. This also gives the molding auxiliary plate the ability to adapt to designed curved surfaces, excellent demolding performance, and reliable safety protection. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 An internal view of a portion of the structure of a molding auxiliary plate provided in some embodiments of this application.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the plastic support core layer provided in some embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The embodiments of the technical solution of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this application and are therefore merely examples, and should not be used to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0023] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application; the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, in the specification, claims, and foregoing description of the drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0024] In the description of the embodiments of this application, if the technical terms such as "first" and "second" appear, these terms are used only for descriptive purposes to distinguish different objects, and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number, specific order or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features.

[0025] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0026] In the description of the embodiments in this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0027] In the description of the embodiments of this application, if the term "multiple" appears, "multiple" means at least two (including two), such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified. Similarly, if the term "multiple sets" appears, "multiple sets" refers to two or more sets (including two sets), and if the term "multiple pieces" appears, "multiple pieces" refers to two or more pieces (including two pieces).

[0028] In the description of the embodiments of this application, if the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of this application and simplifying the description, 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. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of this application.

[0029] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the technical terms "installation," "connection," "joining," "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0030] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the use of descriptions such as "above" or "below" the second feature indicates that the first and second features are in direct contact or indirect contact via an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. Similarly, "below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0031] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. If so, the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0032] A first aspect of this application provides a molding auxiliary plate used in a baking apparatus. The baking apparatus includes, but is not limited to, an oven, an autoclave, or a vacuum bag pressing system with heating function.

[0033] In this application scenario, the forming auxiliary plate serves as the core load-bearing and forming mold. It can precisely shape the target carbon fiber plate component manually or with assistance before it is placed into the baking device, based on the curved contour of the component. During the baking and curing process, the forming auxiliary plate, thanks to the non-stick properties of its outer layer, ensures that the carbon fiber plate will not stick. The forming auxiliary plate as a whole can withstand temperatures ranging from 60°C to 200°C within the device, thereby ensuring that the carbon fiber plate remains within the typical curing temperature range, maintaining its shape stability without softening or deformation.

[0034] See Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the molding auxiliary plate includes a plastic support core layer 10 and an elastic outer skin layer 20. The surface of the plastic support core layer 10 is curved. The elastic outer skin layer 20 covers the outside of the plastic support core layer 10.

[0035] By setting a plastic support core layer 10 and an elastic outer skin layer 20, the surface of the plastic support core layer 10 is set as a curved surface, which enables the molding auxiliary plate to accurately match the component design surface of the carbon fiber plate with continuous curvature characteristics, effectively guide the prepreg laying, and reduce fiber wrinkles, resin enrichment or dry spot defects caused by abrupt changes in curvature, thereby ensuring the surface accuracy and internal quality of the molded component; the elastic outer skin layer 20 covers the outside of the plastic support core layer 10, and the outer surface of the elastic outer skin layer 20 is non-stick. Furthermore, the outer skin layer and the supporting core layer can deform synchronously without separating during repeated shaping. In this way, on the one hand, the elastic outer skin layer 20 achieves clean separation from the cured resin, ensuring a smooth demolding process without damaging the surface of the carbon fiber plate; on the other hand, the structure of the elastic outer skin layer 20 completely covering the surface acts as an isolation layer, protecting the plastic supporting core layer 10 material (such as lead) from contamination or oxidation in the process environment, and also avoiding direct contact between the plastic supporting core layer 10 material and operators or the working environment, thus improving operational safety. Finally, the molding auxiliary plate can replace the traditional fixed rigid mold. In the same baking device, carbon fiber components with different curvatures can be produced efficiently by replacing or reshaping the molding auxiliary plate, significantly improving the utilization rate of the baking device and reducing the dependence and cost of special molds for high-frequency, small-batch curved surface products. It also enables the molding auxiliary plate to have the molding function to adapt to the designed curved surface, excellent demolding performance, and reliable safety protection function.

[0036] Optionally, the malleable support core layer 10 can be a lead plate. Lead has low resistance to plastic deformation and is very easy to process under pressure such as rolling and extrusion. It can undergo significant plastic deformation at room temperature without easily cracking. Moreover, lead plates can withstand certain temperatures and will not melt when baking carbon fibers. Furthermore, the recrystallization temperature of lead is lower than room temperature. Lead materials have excellent low deformation resistance and high ductility, and the work hardening phenomenon that occurs during processing will spontaneously and quickly disappear, thus ensuring that the lead plate can be repeatedly shaped without easily breaking.

[0037] Optionally, the malleable support core layer 10 is an aluminum alloy plate, a copper alloy plate, or a lead alloy plate.

[0038] Optionally, the plastic support core layer 10 is laid flat in the shape of a triangle, square, circle or ellipse.

[0039] In some possible embodiments, the thickness A of the plastic support core layer 10 ranges from 1 mm to 10 mm.

[0040] By limiting the thickness A of the plastic support core layer 10 to a range of 1 mm to 10 mm, it is ensured that the plastic support core layer 10 has sufficient structural strength to maintain the stability of the curved surface shape, while also taking into account its excellent plastic deformation ability, which facilitates efficient and precise curved surface shaping and repeated leveling by hand or tooling.

[0041] Specifically, the thickness A of the plastic support core layer 10 can be 2.5mm, 3mm, 3.4mm, or 4mm.

[0042] In some possible embodiments, see Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the radius of curvature B of the plastic support core layer 10 ranges from 5 cm to 50 cm.

[0043] By limiting the radius of the curvature B of the plastic support core layer 10 to 50cm, the molding auxiliary plate can accurately match the requirements of carbon fiber plate structural parts with curvature ranging from high curvature (such as sports equipment and drone parts) to medium curvature. While ensuring molding accuracy, it effectively optimizes the stress distribution of the plastic support core layer 10 material during bending, and avoids springback or wrinkle defects caused by improper curvature of carbon fiber plate structural parts.

[0044] Specifically, the radius of curvature ranges from 10cm to 30cm.

[0045] In some possible embodiments, see Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the elastic outer skin layer 20 is a silicone layer.

[0046] By setting the elastic outer skin layer 20 as a silicone layer, when processing the plastic support core layer 10 made of lead plate, the elastic outer skin layer 20 wraps around the outside of the plastic support core layer 10, which can effectively improve safety protection and protect the health and safety of operators. In addition, the silicone layer as an outer skin has excellent ductility and can bend and deform together with the plastic support core layer 10 without breaking. Finally, the silicone layer does not easily stick to the epoxy resin component in the carbon fiber plate, which can achieve easy demolding.

[0047] Optionally, the thickness C of the elastic outer skin layer 20 ranges from 1 mm to 10 mm. By setting the thickness C of the elastic outer skin layer 20 to a range of 1 mm to 10 mm, it is ensured that the elastic outer skin layer 20 fully covers and isolates the plastic support core layer 10, while also ensuring that it has good follow-up deformation ability when assisting in the shaping of the plastic support core layer 10. At the same time, it provides a stable and reliable non-stick surface, which is conducive to demolding and durable.

[0048] Specifically, the thickness C of the elastic outer skin layer 20 can be 2.5mm, 3mm, 3.4mm, or 4mm.

[0049] In some possible embodiments, see Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the molding auxiliary plate also includes a protective coating 30. The protective coating 30 is applied to the outer surface of the elastic outer skin layer 20.

[0050] The protective coating 30 is a hydrophobic and oleophobic coating. Specifically, the protective coating 30 may be made of silane or silicone resin.

[0051] By applying the protective coating 30 to the outer surface of the elastic outer skin layer 20, the outermost functional interface is formed. The protective coating 30 effectively enhances the chemical inertness and physical stability of the molding auxiliary plate surface. The hydrophobic, oleophobic and anti-fouling properties of the protective coating 30 can effectively resist the adhesion of resin overflow during the baking and curing process of the carbon fiber plate component and avoid environmental dust pollution, thereby ensuring the purity and consistency of the surface quality of the carbon fiber plate component.

[0052] Furthermore, the protective coating 30, acting as an additional physical barrier, further enhances the wear resistance and scratch resistance of the elastic outer skin layer 20, significantly extending the service life of the molding auxiliary plate during repeated demolding and leveling processes. The combination of the protective coating 30 and the elastic outer skin layer 20 forms a durable and non-stick composite surface, optimizing the demolding experience and ensuring process reliability.

[0053] In some possible embodiments, see Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the elastic outer skin layer 20 includes a first sub-component 21 and a second sub-component 22. The first sub-component 21 is wrapped around the upper surface of the plastic support core layer 10, and the second sub-component 22 is wrapped around the lower surface of the plastic support core layer 10. The ends of the first sub-component 21 and the ends of the second sub-component 22 are attached to each other and integrated to form an ear portion 23.

[0054] In this embodiment, by designing the first sub-component 21 and the second sub-component 22 to be independently wrapped on the upper and lower surfaces of the plastic support core layer 10, the wrapping operation of the elastic outer skin layer 20 is made simpler and tighter. In particular, it can ensure complete coverage of the edges and corners of the plastic support core layer 10, avoiding wrinkles or weak areas that may occur when using overall wrapping.

[0055] The ends of the first sub-component 21 and the second sub-component 22 are attached to each other and integrated to form an ear 23, which constitutes a continuous edge sealing structure. This not only strengthens the integrity and durability of the elastic outer skin layer 20 and prevents it from peeling off during repeated shaping, but also the ear 23 can be used as an operating handhold or positioning structure to facilitate the placement, alignment and fixation of the auxiliary plate in the baking device, thereby improving the ease of operation and process reliability.

[0056] Optionally, the ear portion 23 can be fixed as a single unit by heat fusion, thereby fastening the first sub-component 21 and the second sub-component 22 and making them integrally connected and fixed. Furthermore, a bolt 24 can be passed through the ear portion 23, so that the first sub-component 21 and the second sub-component 22 can be further fastened by the ear portion 23 to prevent poor fixation.

[0057] A second aspect of this application provides a baking apparatus for carbon fiber sheets.

[0058] The baking apparatus includes a baking cavity and the aforementioned forming auxiliary plate. The forming auxiliary plate is disposed within the baking cavity and is used to support and shape the carbon fiber sheet blank.

[0059] The baking device integrates the aforementioned forming auxiliary plate, which is set in the baking cavity as the core support and forming mold. The plastic support core layer 10 can be flexibly shaped into the required round surface according to the curved contour requirements of the carbon fiber plate component before entering the furnace. This allows the same baking device to adapt to the production of carbon fiber plate blanks with different curvatures without changing the internal fixed mold, greatly expanding the process versatility and production flexibility of the equipment.

[0060] During the baking and curing process, the molding auxiliary plate, thanks to the non-stick properties of its outer skin, ensures that the carbon fiber plate will not stick. The molding auxiliary plate as a whole can withstand temperatures of 60°C to 200°C within the device, thereby ensuring that the carbon fiber plate is within the typical curing temperature range and maintains its shape stability without softening or deformation.

[0061] During the baking and curing process, the elastic outer skin layer 20 of the molding auxiliary plate can withstand the thermal environment inside the baking cavity and ensures that the carbon fiber plate does not stick, thus guaranteeing smooth demolding and the surface quality of the component. This device combines a reusable and reshapeable auxiliary plate with standard baking equipment, effectively reducing the cost of the baking device, simplifying storage, facilitating shape changeover, improving production efficiency, and enabling efficient and low-cost curing and molding of small batches and various types of carbon fiber curved components.

[0062] Optionally, the baking apparatus also includes a heating unit disposed within the baking cavity. The heating unit may be a ceramic heating wire, used to provide the temperature required for baking, typically 60-200°C.

[0063] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0064] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A molding auxiliary plate, characterized in that, The molding auxiliary plate includes: A plastic support core layer (10); the surface of the plastic support core layer (10) is a curved surface; And an elastic outer skin layer (20) covering the outside of the plastic support core layer (10).

2. The molding auxiliary plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The malleable support core layer (10) is an aluminum alloy plate, a copper alloy plate, a lead plate, or a lead alloy plate; and / or, The thickness of the plastic support core layer (10) ranges from 1 mm to 10 mm.

3. The molding auxiliary plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The radius of curvature of the plastic support core layer (10) ranges from 5 cm to 50 cm.

4. The molding auxiliary plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plastic support core layer (10) unfolds flat into a triangle, square, circle or ellipse.

5. The molding auxiliary plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic outer skin layer (20) is a silicone layer; and / or, The thickness of the elastic outer skin layer (20) ranges from 1 mm to 10 mm.

6. The molding auxiliary plate according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The molding auxiliary plate also includes a protective coating (30); The protective coating (30) is applied to the outer surface of the elastic outer skin layer (20).

7. The molding auxiliary plate according to claim 6, characterized in that, The protective coating (30) is made of silane or silicone resin.

8. The molding auxiliary plate according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The elastic outer skin layer (20) includes a first sub-component (21) and a second sub-component (22). The first sub-component (21) wraps around the upper surface of the plastic support core layer (10), and the second sub-component (22) wraps around the lower surface of the plastic support core layer (10). The ends of the first sub-component (21) and the ends of the second sub-component (22) are attached to each other and integrated to form an ear (23).

9. The molding auxiliary plate according to claim 8, characterized in that, A bolt (24) is threaded through the ear (23); and / or, The ear (23) is fixed together by heat fusion.

10. A baking apparatus for carbon fiber sheets, characterized in that, include: Baking cavity; And a molding auxiliary plate as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, the molding auxiliary plate being disposed within the baking cavity for supporting and shaping the carbon fiber sheet blank.

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