A cured structure and method

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of solidification structure and method, including heating platform and heating pad;Heating platform has working surface, and circulating heating part and vacuum part are embedded in heating platform interior;Circulating heating part includes liquid inlet passage, intermediate heating pipeline and liquid outlet passage, and intermediate heating pipeline is built into the inside of heating platform, and its two ends are communicated with liquid inlet passage and liquid outlet passage respectively, and the heating surface of intermediate heating pipeline covers the entire working surface of heating platform;Vacuum part includes vacuum pipeline and multiple vacuum ports, and vacuum pipeline is built into the inside of heating platform, and multiple vacuum ports are communicated with vacuum pipeline respectively, and the outlet end surface of each vacuum port is communicated with the outside of the working surface of heating platform;Heating pad is flexible structure, and can be detachably covered above heating platform, and form sealed cavity after being assembled with heating platform.The application realizes bidirectional synchronous heat supply of bottom hot oil global uniform heating and upper flexible heating pad active heating compensation, and effectively eliminates the temperature difference of upper and lower surfaces of component.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aerospace composite material molding equipment technology, specifically to a curing structure and method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the mainstream curing process for aerospace composite material components mostly employs hot air circulating curing ovens, which use air as the heat transfer medium and achieve temperature control of the components through convection heating within the oven. Meanwhile, there are also some attempts in the industry to use oil-heated curing fixtures. The basic principle is to use high-temperature heat-conducting oil in the bottom hot plate to conduct heat to the component on one side, with a covering structure on top for passive heat insulation. Regarding vacuum operations, existing solutions generally use external independent vacuum units, applying negative pressure to the components through external pipelines. The heating unit, insulation device, and vacuum unit are usually separated by independent control systems and operated sequentially according to a predetermined procedure.

[0003] In existing technologies, hot air curing ovens use air as the medium, resulting in low heat exchange efficiency and large thermal hysteresis effects. This leads to poor uniformity of the temperature field inside the oven, which can easily cause quality defects such as insufficient curing, porosity, delamination, and debonding in components. At the same time, they have slow heating and high energy consumption, which cannot meet the stringent curing requirements of satellite precision components for small temperature differences (such as within ±3℃). In addition, the control systems of each device are independent of each other and cannot coordinate and match the continuous curing curve of composite material stage heating, constant temperature, and vacuum pressure holding. This not only makes the process cumbersome and lacks continuity, but also makes it difficult to meet the high-precision and high-efficiency manufacturing requirements of large-size carbon fiber composite materials for satellites.

[0004] Therefore, a new technological solution is needed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, embodiments of the present invention provide a curing structure and method to at least solve the problem of large temperature difference between the upper and lower parts of the component during curing in the prior art.

[0006] The embodiments of the present invention provide the following technical solutions: This invention provides a curing structure, comprising: A heating platform having a working surface for placing the workpiece to be heated, and the heating platform having staggered circulating heating sections and vacuum sections embedded inside; The circulating heating unit includes an inlet channel, an intermediate heating pipe, and an outlet channel. The inlet channel and the outlet channel are both connected to the outside. The intermediate heating pipe is built into the heating platform, and its two ends are connected to the inlet channel and the outlet channel, respectively. The heating surface of the intermediate heating pipe covers the entire working surface of the heating platform. The vacuum section includes a vacuum pipe and multiple vacuum ports. The vacuum pipe is built into the heating platform, and the multiple vacuum ports are respectively connected to the vacuum pipe. The outlet end face of each vacuum port is connected to the outer side of the working surface of the heating platform. A heating pad, which is a flexible structure, is detachably placed above the heating platform and forms a sealed cavity after being assembled with the heating platform. The heating pad covers the upper surface of the workpiece to be heated.

[0007] Furthermore, the heating platform also includes a mold temperature controller heating module; The mold temperature controller heating module includes a mold temperature controller main unit, a circulating liquid inlet pipe, and a circulating liquid return pipe; The mold temperature controller has a built-in heating unit, a temperature control unit, and a circulation pump. The heating unit is used to heat the heat transfer oil, the temperature control unit is used to control the temperature of the heat transfer oil, and the circulation pump is used to drive the heat transfer oil to circulate. The two ends of the circulating liquid inlet pipe are respectively connected to the liquid outlet of the mold temperature controller and the liquid inlet channel, and the two ends of the circulating liquid return pipe are respectively connected to the liquid outlet channel and the liquid return port of the mold temperature controller, so that the heat transfer oil forms a closed-loop circulating heat source between the mold temperature controller and the circulating heating part.

[0008] Furthermore, the curing platform also includes a vacuum module, which includes a vacuum unit, vacuum pipelines, and a vacuum control valve; The vacuum unit is sealed and connected to the vacuum section through the vacuum pipeline, and the vacuum control valve is installed on the vacuum pipeline to control the opening and closing of the vacuum pipeline and the vacuum level. The vacuum module is used to evacuate the sealed cavity so that the heating pad is pressed against the upper surface of the workpiece to be heated under the action of external atmospheric pressure, and at the same time, the workpiece to be heated is subjected to negative pressure exhaust treatment.

[0009] Furthermore, the intermediate heating pipes are arranged in an equidistant, meandering serpentine pattern, with their heating surfaces fully covering the working surface of the heating platform; The circulating heating unit and the heating pad simultaneously provide bidirectional heating to the workpiece from below and above the heating platform, respectively, so as to control the overall temperature difference of the working surface within ±3℃.

[0010] Furthermore, the heating pad includes a flexible body and a temperature controller; The flexible body is detachably covered above the heating platform and forms a sealed cavity with the heating platform; the flexible body has a built-in electric heating component for active heating compensation of the upper surface of the workpiece to be heated; The thermostat is connected to the electric heating component and is used to control the heating temperature and heating rate of the electric heating component.

[0011] Furthermore, the heating pad is detachably pressed and fixed above the heating platform by a fixing connector to achieve the sealing of the sealed cavity.

[0012] Furthermore, the heating platform is a one-piece molded high thermal conductivity alloy platform substrate; The circulating heating section and the vacuum section are respectively and independently processed and formed in layers within the platform matrix, and there is no contact or communication between the pipes of the intermediate heating pipe and the pipes of the vacuum pipe.

[0013] Furthermore, the multiple vacuum ports are distributed in an equidistant array on the working surface of the heating platform, and the outlet end face of each vacuum port is flush with the working surface.

[0014] This invention also provides a curing method, employing the curing structure described in any of the preceding embodiments, comprising the following steps: S1: Lay the composite material preform flat on the working surface of the heating platform; S2: Cover the heating pad over the composite material preform and fix it in place to seal it, so that a closed cavity is formed between the heating pad and the heating platform; S3: Activate the vacuum unit to evacuate the sealed cavity to a preset vacuum level, so that the heating pad is pressed against the upper surface of the composite material preform under the action of external atmospheric pressure, and at the same time perform negative pressure exhaust treatment on the composite material preform. S4: Start the circulating heating unit and the heating pad, and according to the preset segmented curing process curve, synchronously control the circulating heating unit and the heating pad to heat up to the preset constant temperature at a preset heating rate, and keep the temperature for a preset time; S5: After the heat preservation is completed, turn off the heating function of the circulating heating part and the heating pad, and let it cool naturally to room temperature or the preset demolding temperature. Demold and take out the cured composite material component.

[0015] Preferably, the preset vacuum degree is -0.095 MPa.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the technical effects that can be achieved by at least one of the above-mentioned technical solutions adopted in the embodiments of the present invention include at least the following: The present invention provides a curing structure in which the heating surface of the intermediate heating pipe fully covers the working surface of the heating platform, the vacuum pipe is built into the heating platform with multiple vacuum ports flush with the working surface, and the flexible heating pad is detachably covered above the heating platform to form a sealed cavity. This synergistic effect achieves two-way synchronous heating: uniform heating of the bottom hot oil and active heating compensation from the upper flexible heating pad, effectively eliminating temperature differences between the upper and lower surfaces of the component and meeting the stringent requirements for curing temperature uniformity in satellite composite materials. Furthermore, the integrated distributed vacuum ports built into the platform, combined with the flexible heating pad, are uniformly pressed against the surface of the component under atmospheric pressure during vacuuming, ensuring uniform pressure transmission to the entire component. This avoids insufficient compaction or pressure concentration in certain areas, effectively preventing defects such as delamination, porosity, and debonding. Meanwhile, the circulating heating section, vacuum section and heating pad are integrated into the same structure, eliminating the need for multiple separate equipment. The process is continuous and efficient. The flexible heating pad can be bent and deformed, making it suitable for flat and irregular curved components with strong versatility. The staggered arrangement of the circulating heating section and vacuum section ensures that the oil and gas circuits do not cross each other, eliminating the risk of oil and gas leakage and ensuring the long-term stable operation of the equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments 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.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a curing structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] The reference numerals in the drawings of this invention are as follows: 1. Heating platform; 11. Circulating heating section; 12. Vacuum section; 2. Heating pad; 3. Mold temperature controller heating module; 31. Heating unit; 32. Temperature control unit; 33. Circulating pump; 34. Circulating liquid inlet pipeline; 35. Circulating liquid return pipeline. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this application. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this application from the content disclosed in this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. This application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this application. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0022] It will be apparent that the aspects described herein can be embodied in a wide variety of forms, and any particular structure and / or function described herein is merely illustrative. Based on this application, those skilled in the art will understand that one aspect described herein can be implemented independently of any other aspect, and two or more of these aspects can be combined in various ways. For example, any number and aspect set forth herein can be used to implement the device and / or practice the method. Furthermore, this device and / or practice the method can be implemented using other structures and / or functionalities besides one or more of the aspects set forth herein.

[0023] It should also be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic representations of the basic concept of this application. The drawings only show the components related to this application and are not drawn according to the actual number, shape and size of the components in the actual implementation. In the actual implementation, the form, quantity and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0024] Additionally, specific details are provided in the following description to facilitate a thorough understanding of the examples. However, those skilled in the art will understand that practice can be carried out without these specific details.

[0025] Satellite composite material components have extremely high requirements for molding dimensional accuracy, internal density, and mechanical consistency. The curing and molding process is a key step that determines the product qualification rate and on-orbit stability.

[0026] At present, in the industry, the curing of aerospace composite materials is mostly completed by hot air curing ovens, which use air as the heat transfer medium, featuring low heat exchange efficiency, large thermal hysteresis, and poor uniformity of the temperature field inside the oven, easily leading to quality defects such as insufficient local curing, internal pores, delamination, and debonding of composite material components; hot air ovens have a slow heating rate and high overall energy consumption, cannot achieve precise local temperature control, have a large temperature fluctuation range, and are difficult to meet the small temperature difference curing requirements for precision satellite components; at the same time, the heating and vacuum systems are independent of each other, requiring multiple pieces of equipment to cooperate in the operation process, with cumbersome procedures and poor production continuity.

[0027] The currently disclosed oil-heated composite material curing tooling relies only on the bottom hot plate for single-sided heat conduction and heating, and the matching upper covering structure only has a single thermal insulation function, with no active heating compensation capability. During molding, the temperature difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the component is large, making it difficult to meet the high-precision temperature control requirements for satellite components; meanwhile, the vacuum system of the existing oil-heated curing equipment is an external split structure, and no distributed embedded vacuum channels are integrally arranged on the heating platform 1, resulting in poor consistency of vacuum compaction for large-area plates. The bottom heating main unit, upper thermal insulation device, and vacuum unit of the existing equipment are each equipped with an independent control system, which cannot synchronously match the staged temperature rise, constant temperature, and vacuum pressure-maintaining curing curves of composite materials, leading to cumbersome process operations. There is a lack of curing platforms on the market that are adapted to large-size carbon fiber composite materials for satellites and integrate uniform bottom hot oil heating, upper active heating and thermal insulation, full-range vacuum adsorption on the tabletop, and multi-unit linked temperature control, leaving obvious room for technical improvement.

[0028] The present invention addresses the problems of the existing hot air curing methods such as low thermal efficiency, poor temperature uniformity, low equipment integration, cumbersome processes, insufficient component molding accuracy, as well as the problems of existing oil-heated curing tooling such as single-sided heating, only passive thermal insulation on the upper part without active temperature regulation, split vacuum arrangement, and inability of multiple devices to perform coordinated regulation, and provides a hot oil circulation heating curing platform for satellite composite material components; through uniform heating by the bottom hot oil substrate, the upper active heating and thermal insulation closed cavity, the integrated vacuum adsorption structure and multi-module linkage control, the curing molding of composite material components with extremely small temperature difference, high precision and high efficiency is realized.

[0029] The technical solutions provided by each embodiment of the present application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] As Figure 1 shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a curing structure, which includes a heating platform 1 and a heating mat 2.

[0031] The heating platform 1 has a working surface for placing the workpiece to be heated. The heating platform 1 is internally embedded with a staggered circulating heating section 11 and a vacuum section 12. The circulating heating section 11 includes an inlet channel, an intermediate heating pipe, and an outlet channel. The inlet channel and the outlet channel are both connected to the outside. The intermediate heating pipe is internally embedded in the heating platform 1, and its two ends are connected to the inlet channel and the outlet channel, respectively. The heating surface of the intermediate heating pipe covers the entire working surface of the heating platform 1. The vacuum section 12 includes a vacuum pipe and multiple vacuum ports. The vacuum pipe is internally embedded in the heating platform 1, and the multiple vacuum ports are connected to the vacuum pipe, and the outlet end face of each vacuum port is connected to the outside of the working surface of the heating platform 1.

[0032] Heating platform 1 is the basic load-bearing component of the entire curing structure, and its working surface provides a flat placement reference surface for the composite material preform. Heating platform 1 is integrally machined from a high thermal conductivity alloy material. If it is an alloy platform, it can ensure that heating platform 1 has excellent thermal conductivity and structural rigidity, and can evenly conduct internal heat sources to the entire working surface.

[0033] In this embodiment, the heating platform 1 can be 3000mm × 1500mm in size, which can meet the curing requirements of large-sized carbon fiber composite material components for satellites. The component to be heated is a carbon fiber resin-based composite material preform, which is laid flat on the working surface of the heating platform 1 for curing.

[0034] In some embodiments, the heating platform 1 is an integrally formed high thermal conductivity alloy platform substrate; the circulating heating part 11 and the vacuum part 12 are independently processed and formed in layers within the platform substrate, and there is no contact communication between the pipes of the intermediate heating pipe and the pipes of the vacuum pipe.

[0035] The circulating heating unit 11 is responsible for circulating high-temperature heat transfer oil inside the heating platform 1 to achieve uniform heating of the entire working surface, while the vacuum unit 12 is responsible for providing distributed vacuum adsorption function on the working surface of the heating platform 1.

[0036] By staggering the distribution of the circulating heating section 11 and the vacuum section 12, the pipes are connected without contact, eliminating the risk of oil and gas leakage. This ensures that the two functions operate independently and do not interfere with each other. The heating platform 1 integrates both heating and vacuum functions within a limited thickness, which greatly improves the integration of the equipment and overcomes the problems of the existing oil curing equipment's vacuum system being an external split structure, not having an integrated distributed embedded vacuum channel on the heating platform 1, and poor consistency in vacuum compaction of large-area plates.

[0037] The intermediate heating pipe is built into the heating platform 1, with its two ends connected to the inlet and outlet channels, respectively. Heat transfer oil flows into the intermediate heating pipe from the inlet channel, transferring heat through the base of the heating platform 1 to the working surface during its flow. It then flows out from the outlet channel back to the external mold temperature controller for reheating, forming a closed-loop cycle. The heating surface of the intermediate heating pipe covers the entire working surface of the heating platform 1, ensuring uniform heating across the entire surface without any localized cold spots. This design separates the heating source from the heating platform 1, facilitating maintenance and temperature control management. Simultaneously, the closed-loop circulation reduces heat loss and improves thermal efficiency.

[0038] The vacuum pipeline generates negative pressure under the action of an external vacuum unit, forming distributed vacuum adsorption points on the working surface through multiple vacuum ports, firmly adsorbing and positioning the composite material preform placed on the working surface. The outlet end face of the vacuum port is connected to the outside of the working surface, allowing the vacuum adsorption force to act directly on the lower surface of the preform, achieving uniform compaction of the preform.

[0039] Multiple vacuum ports are distributed in an equidistant array on the working surface of heating platform 1, and the outlet end face of each vacuum port is flush with the working surface.

[0040] The heating pad 2 is a flexible structure that can be detachably covered above the heating platform 1 and forms a sealed cavity after being assembled with the heating platform 1. The heating pad 2 covers the upper surface of the workpiece to be heated.

[0041] Heating pad 2 is a flexible heat insulation blanket made of flexible and bendable material, which can be detachably covered above heating platform 1.

[0042] After the heating pad 2 is placed over and sealed onto the heating platform 1, a sealed cavity is formed between the heating pad 2 and the heating platform 1, and the component to be heated, i.e., the composite material preform, is enclosed within this sealed cavity. The heating pad 2 covers the upper surface of the component to be heated, providing active heating compensation to the upper surface of the preform and eliminating temperature differences between the top and bottom. Furthermore, during vacuuming, it is pressed against the upper surface of the preform under external atmospheric pressure, achieving negative pressure compaction. The flexible and bendable nature of the heating pad 2 allows it to adapt to the covering, insulation, and heating requirements of flat and irregularly shaped curved composite material components, demonstrating strong versatility.

[0043] The curing structure of this invention achieves uniform heating of the lower surface through the circulating heating section 11 at the bottom of the heating platform 1, and active heating compensation of the upper surface through the heating pad 2, forming a bidirectional heating structure with coordinated upper and lower heating. The vacuum section 12 achieves integrated vacuum adsorption and compaction, creating a negative pressure environment within the sealed cavity for exhaust treatment. The coordinated operation of these three components overcomes the problems of low thermal efficiency, poor temperature uniformity, low equipment integration, cumbersome processes, and insufficient component forming precision in existing hot air curing methods.

[0044] In some embodiments, the curing structure further includes a mold temperature controller heating module 3; the mold temperature controller heating module 3 includes a mold temperature controller main unit, a circulating liquid inlet pipe 34, and a circulating liquid return pipe 35; the mold temperature controller main unit has a built-in heating unit 31, a temperature control unit 32, and a circulating pump 33. The heating unit 31 is used to heat the heat transfer oil to raise the temperature of the heat transfer oil to the target temperature. The temperature control unit 32 is used to control the temperature of the heat transfer oil to achieve high-precision closed-loop temperature control and ensure that the temperature of the heat transfer oil is stable at the set value; the circulating pump 33 is used to drive the heat transfer oil to circulate.

[0045] Specifically, the two ends of the circulating liquid inlet pipe 34 are connected to the liquid outlet and liquid inlet channel of the mold temperature controller host, respectively, and the two ends of the circulating liquid return pipe 35 are connected to the liquid outlet channel and the liquid return port of the mold temperature controller host, respectively, so that the heat transfer oil forms a closed-loop circulating heat source between the mold temperature controller host and the circulating heating unit 11, thereby reducing heat loss and improving heat utilization efficiency. At the same time, the heating source is separated from the heating platform 1, which facilitates maintenance and temperature control management.

[0046] The mold temperature controller adopts a high-precision closed-loop temperature control hot oil mold temperature controller, which forms a closed-loop circulation with the flow channel of the heating platform 1 through a high-temperature resistant sealed pipeline, and is used to provide constant temperature heat transfer oil and form a closed-loop circulating heat source.

[0047] In some embodiments, the curing structure further includes a vacuum module, which includes a vacuum unit, a vacuum pipeline, and a vacuum control valve. The vacuum unit is sealed and connected to the vacuum section 12 through the vacuum pipeline, and the vacuum control valve is located on the vacuum pipeline to control the on / off state of the vacuum pipeline and the vacuum level.

[0048] Vacuum control valves can precisely adjust the opening and closing of vacuum lines, thereby controlling the vacuum level within the sealed cavity and adapting to the curing process requirements of different types of composite material components.

[0049] The vacuum module is used to evacuate the sealed cavity so that the heating pad 2 is pressed against the upper surface of the workpiece to be heated under the action of external atmospheric pressure, while the workpiece to be heated is subjected to negative pressure exhaust treatment.

[0050] When the vacuum unit is started, the air in the sealed cavity is extracted through the vacuum pipeline and vacuum section 12, creating a negative pressure environment. Under the action of negative pressure, the heating pad 2 is subjected to atmospheric pressure, pressing it tightly against the upper surface of the composite material preform, thus achieving compaction and positioning of the preform. At the same time, the negative pressure environment causes the gas and volatiles inside the preform to be extracted, performing negative pressure exhaust treatment, effectively reducing defects such as internal porosity and delamination of the component, and improving the curing quality. This design integrates the vacuum adsorption function into the heating platform 1, overcoming the problems of existing equipment with externally separate vacuum systems and poor consistency in vacuum compaction of large-area panels.

[0051] In some embodiments, the intermediate heating pipes are arranged in an equidistant, meandering serpentine pattern, with their heating surfaces fully covering the working surface of the heating platform 1; the circulating heating unit 11 and the heating pad 2 simultaneously provide bidirectional heating to the workpiece from below and above the heating platform 1, respectively, so as to control the overall temperature difference of the working surface within ±3℃.

[0052] The equidistant, meandering serpentine arrangement refers to the intermediate heating pipes being arranged back and forth at equal intervals within the heating platform 1, forming a serpentine path that covers the entire working surface area. This arrangement ensures that heating pipes pass through or are adjacent to any position on the working surface. As the heat transfer oil flows within the pipes, it evenly transfers heat to the heating platform 1 substrate, achieving isothermal heating across the entire working surface and guaranteeing uniform heating throughout the working surface.

[0053] The circulating heating unit 11 is located inside the heating platform 1, providing basic heating from below the workpiece; the heating pad 2 covers the workpiece, providing active heating compensation from above. Bottom hot oil heating works in conjunction with the upper heating blanket for supplementary heating, both operating synchronously to eliminate the problem of large temperature differences between the upper and lower surfaces caused by traditional single-sided heating. Unlike existing oil-heated composite material curing fixtures that rely solely on single-sided heat conduction from the bottom hot plate, and whose upper covering structure only provides basic insulation and lacks active heating compensation capabilities, this invention's bidirectional heating structure can control the overall temperature difference of the curing surface within ±3℃, meeting the high-precision molding requirements of satellite composite materials.

[0054] In some embodiments, the heating pad 2 includes a flexible body and a temperature controller; the flexible body is detachably covered above the heating platform 1 and forms a sealed cavity with the heating platform 1; the flexible body has an internal electric heating component for active heating compensation of the upper surface of the object to be heated; the temperature controller is connected to the electric heating component for controlling the heating temperature and heating rate of the electric heating component.

[0055] The flexible body is made of a flexible and bendable material, and its dimensions are perfectly matched to the working surface of the heating platform 1. The electric heating component consists of uniformly distributed electric heating wires arranged inside the flexible body, which can uniformly heat the area covered by the heating pad 2.

[0056] In this embodiment, the flexible and bendable nature of the flexible body allows it to conform to the surface of components of different shapes, accommodating the covering, insulation, and heating requirements of planar and irregularly curved satellite composite material components. The heating pad 2 has dual functions of active heating and thermal insulation: active heating compensates for and eliminates the temperature difference between the top and bottom of the component, while thermal insulation reduces heat loss. The two work together to improve curing quality and energy efficiency.

[0057] The thermostat, also known as the blanket thermostat, is independently configured on the heating pad 2. It can precisely adjust the heating power of the electric heating component and control the heating temperature and heating rate.

[0058] In this invention, the temperature controller, the temperature control unit 32 of the mold temperature controller, and the vacuum control valve are connected to the same linkage control system to achieve synchronous control of parameters such as bottom oil temperature, upper blanket temperature, heating rate, heat preservation time, and vacuum degree, adapting to the segmented curing process of different types of satellite composite material components. This design overcomes the problem that existing equipment has separate control systems for the bottom heating host, upper heat preservation device, and vacuum unit, making it impossible to synchronously match the staged heating, constant temperature, and vacuum pressure curing curves of composite materials.

[0059] Furthermore, the heating pad 2 is detachably pressed and fixed above the heating platform 1 by a fixing connector to achieve the sealing of the sealed cavity.

[0060] The fixed connector presses and seals the edge of the flexible body against the working surface edge of the heating platform 1, ensuring a sealed cavity is formed between the heating pad 2 and the heating platform 1 to prevent air leakage during vacuuming. The fixed connector can use detachable connection methods such as quick clamps, pressure bolts, and clips, facilitating quick assembly and disassembly of the heating pad 2. The detachable design allows the heating pad 2 to be flexibly replaced according to different component shapes, improving the applicability and ease of operation of the equipment.

[0061] This invention also provides a curing method applied to any of the curing structures described above, comprising: S1: Lay the composite material preform flat on the working surface of the heating platform 1.

[0062] Specifically, the carbon fiber resin-based composite preform can be laid flat on the working surface of the heating platform 1, ensuring that the lower surface of the preform is in contact with the working surface, and the vacuum port is located below the preform. The working surface of the heating platform 1 is flat and smooth, providing a stable placement reference for the preform.

[0063] S2: Cover the heating pad 2 over the composite material preform and fix it in a sealed manner, so that a closed cavity is formed between the heating pad 2 and the heating platform 1, so as to provide a sealed environment for subsequent vacuuming and heat preservation curing.

[0064] S3: Start the vacuum unit 12 to evacuate the sealed cavity to the preset vacuum level, so that the heating pad 2 is pressed against the upper surface of the composite material preform under the action of external atmospheric pressure, and at the same time, the composite material preform is subjected to negative pressure exhaust treatment.

[0065] Preferably, the preset vacuum degree is -0.095MPa.

[0066] The vacuum unit is started, and the air in the sealed cavity is extracted through the vacuum pipeline and embedded vacuum channel, maintaining the vacuum level stably at the preset level. Under the action of negative pressure, the external atmospheric pressure presses the heating pad 2 tightly against the upper surface of the precast component, realizing the compaction and positioning of the precast component; at the same time, the negative pressure environment extracts the gas and volatiles inside the precast component, performing negative pressure exhaust treatment to reduce internal defects in the component.

[0067] S4: Start the circulating heating unit 11 and heating pad 2, and according to the preset segmented curing process curve, synchronously control the circulating heating unit 11 and heating pad 2 to heat up to the preset constant temperature at the preset heating rate, and keep it at the preset temperature for the preset time.

[0068] In this embodiment, the heating rate is 2℃ / min, with the bottom hot oil and the upper heating blanket simultaneously heated to 120℃ and cured at a constant temperature for 4 hours. A sealed, insulated, bidirectional heating system and a constant negative pressure environment are maintained throughout the process, ensuring the component cures uniformly and densely from top to bottom. The linkage control system can synchronously adjust the bottom oil temperature, upper blanket temperature, heating rate, holding time, and vacuum parameters, adapting to the segmented curing process of different types of satellite composite material components. The mold temperature controller unit 32, the heating blanket temperature control unit 32, and the vacuum control valve form a linkage control system that can synchronously adjust the bottom oil temperature, upper blanket temperature, heating rate, holding time, and vacuum parameters.

[0069] S5: After the heat preservation is completed, turn off the heating function of the circulating heating part 11 and the heating pad 2, and let it cool naturally to room temperature or the preset demolding temperature. Demold and take out the cured composite material component to ensure that the curing degree of the molded component is consistent, the surface is flat and there are no delamination pores, and the dimensional accuracy meets the requirements of satellite precision component assembly and use.

[0070] The curing method of this invention achieves minimal temperature difference, high precision, and high efficiency in curing composite material components through bidirectional heating with coordinated top and bottom heating, integrated vacuum adsorption compaction, and multi-module linkage control. This effectively solves problems in existing technologies such as large temperature differences from single-sided heating, uneven compaction from separate vacuum installations, and the inability to coordinate and control multiple devices. The bidirectional heating combined with a sealed cavity insulation concentrates heat without large-scale diffusion, significantly reducing heat loss compared to single-sided heating fixtures, shortening heating time, and lowering overall curing production energy consumption.

[0071] The present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. Coordinated heating from top and bottom significantly improves temperature control accuracy. Utilizing a bidirectional heating structure with bottom-mounted full-area hot oil flow channel for basic heating and upper flexible blanket for active heating compensation, unlike traditional single-sided heating and passive insulation fixtures, this design can control the overall temperature difference of components within ±3℃, perfectly matching the high-precision molding requirements of satellite composite materials.

[0072] 2. Excellent curing quality and low defect rate. Utilizing the platform's integrated distributed vacuum adsorption channel, preforms are uniformly compacted and thoroughly vented; coupled with a uniform temperature field above and below, the resin curing reaction is synchronized and consistent, effectively eliminating molding defects such as delamination, porosity, dry fibers, and localized under-curing, significantly improving the yield rate of satellite composite materials products.

[0073] 3. High equipment integration and simplified process flow. The system integrates precise bottom hot oil heating, active top heat preservation heating, and full-area vacuum compaction functions. The linkage control system synchronously matches the segmented curing process curve, eliminating the need for multiple separate devices. This ensures strong process continuity and significantly improves work efficiency.

[0074] 4. Low heat loss and optimized overall energy consumption. The combination of top and bottom bidirectional heating and sealed cavity insulation concentrates heat without large-scale diffusion, significantly reducing heat loss compared to single-sided heating fixtures, shortening heating time, and reducing overall curing production energy consumption.

[0075] 5. Wide range of process adaptability. The bottom oil temperature, upper blanket heating temperature, heating rate and vacuum degree can be flexibly matched according to different component materials, thicknesses and structures; the flexible heating blanket can be bent and is compatible with planar and irregular curved surface satellite composite material components, with strong versatility.

[0076] In this specification, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to mutually. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, for the product embodiments described later, since they correspond to the methods, the descriptions are relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions in the system embodiments.

[0077] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A curing structure, characterized in that, include: A heating platform having a working surface for placing the workpiece to be heated, and the heating platform having staggered circulating heating sections and vacuum sections embedded inside; The circulating heating unit includes an inlet channel, an intermediate heating pipe, and an outlet channel. The inlet channel and the outlet channel are both connected to the outside. The intermediate heating pipe is built into the heating platform, and its two ends are connected to the inlet channel and the outlet channel, respectively. The heating surface of the intermediate heating pipe covers the entire working surface of the heating platform. The vacuum section includes a vacuum pipe and multiple vacuum ports. The vacuum pipe is built into the heating platform, and the multiple vacuum ports are respectively connected to the vacuum pipe. The outlet end face of each vacuum port is connected to the outer side of the working surface of the heating platform. A heating pad, which is a flexible structure, is detachably placed above the heating platform and forms a sealed cavity after being assembled with the heating platform. The heating pad covers the upper surface of the workpiece to be heated.

2. The curing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a mold temperature controller heating module; The mold temperature controller heating module includes a mold temperature controller main unit, a circulating liquid inlet pipe, and a circulating liquid return pipe; The mold temperature controller has a built-in heating unit, a temperature control unit, and a circulation pump. The heating unit is used to heat the heat transfer oil, the temperature control unit is used to control the temperature of the heat transfer oil, and the circulation pump is used to drive the heat transfer oil to circulate. The two ends of the circulating liquid inlet pipe are respectively connected to the liquid outlet of the mold temperature controller and the liquid inlet channel, and the two ends of the circulating liquid return pipe are respectively connected to the liquid outlet channel and the liquid return port of the mold temperature controller, so that the heat transfer oil forms a closed-loop circulating heat source between the mold temperature controller and the circulating heating part.

3. The curing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a vacuum module, which includes a vacuum unit, vacuum pipelines and vacuum control valves; The vacuum unit is sealed and connected to the vacuum section through the vacuum pipeline, and the vacuum control valve is installed on the vacuum pipeline to control the opening and closing of the vacuum pipeline and the vacuum level. The vacuum module is used to evacuate the sealed cavity so that the heating pad is pressed against the upper surface of the workpiece to be heated under the action of external atmospheric pressure, and at the same time, the workpiece to be heated is subjected to negative pressure exhaust treatment.

4. The curing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The intermediate heating pipes are arranged in an equidistant, meandering serpentine pattern, and their heating surfaces fully cover the working surface of the heating platform. The circulating heating unit and the heating pad simultaneously provide bidirectional heating to the workpiece from below and above the heating platform, respectively, so as to control the overall temperature difference of the working surface within ±3℃.

5. The curing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating pad includes a flexible body and a temperature controller; The flexible body is detachably covered above the heating platform and forms a sealed cavity with the heating platform; the flexible body has a built-in electric heating component for active heating compensation of the upper surface of the workpiece to be heated; The thermostat is connected to the electric heating component and is used to control the heating temperature and heating rate of the electric heating component.

6. The curing structure according to claim 5, characterized in that, The heating pad is detachably pressed and fixed above the heating platform by a fixing connector to achieve the sealing of the sealed cavity.

7. The curing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating platform is a one-piece molded high thermal conductivity alloy platform substrate; The circulating heating section and the vacuum section are respectively and independently processed and formed in layers within the platform matrix, and there is no contact or communication between the pipes of the intermediate heating pipe and the pipes of the vacuum pipe.

8. The curing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multiple vacuum ports are distributed in an equidistant array on the working surface of the heating platform, and the outlet end face of each vacuum port is flush with the working surface.

9. A curing method, characterized in that, Applied to the cured structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising: S1: Lay the composite material preform flat on the working surface of the heating platform; S2: Cover the heating pad over the composite material preform and fix it in place to seal it, so that a closed cavity is formed between the heating pad and the heating platform; S3: Activate the vacuum unit to evacuate the sealed cavity to a preset vacuum level, so that the heating pad is pressed against the upper surface of the composite material preform under the action of external atmospheric pressure, and at the same time perform negative pressure exhaust treatment on the composite material preform. S4: Start the circulating heating unit and the heating pad, and according to the preset segmented curing process curve, synchronously control the circulating heating unit and the heating pad to heat up to the preset constant temperature at a preset heating rate, and keep the temperature for a preset time; S5: After the heat preservation is completed, turn off the heating function of the circulating heating part and the heating pad, and let it cool naturally to room temperature or the preset demolding temperature. Demold and take out the cured composite material component.

10. The curing method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The preset vacuum level is -0.095 MPa.

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