Molding method and molding device

Abstract

To provide a composite material molding method and molding device that can shorten the thermal curing time of composite materials.SOLUTION: The molding method described in the present disclosure involves fixing a shape-retaining jig on top of a first holding jig, attaching a material sheet to the shape-retaining jig, removing the material sheet and the shape-retaining jig from the first holding jig to place them to a second holding jig that is lighter and has a smaller heat capacity than the first holding jig, and vacuuming the material sheet and the shape-retaining jig fixed on top of the second holding jig. Furthermore, the molding device according to the present disclosure comprises a shape-retaining jig and a holding jig, and the holding jig is equipped with a support mechanism capable of supporting multiple shape-retaining jigs stacked in layers.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to molding methods and molding apparatus, and more particularly to molding methods and molding apparatus for composite materials. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a molding jig used when heating a prepreg sheet of a composite material in an autoclave. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-147009 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Composite materials, such as fiber-reinforced plastics, are suitable for use in components of aircraft, industrial machinery, etc. Composite materials are formed by attaching a skin (material sheet), which is a plate-like member, and a stringer (longitudinal member), which is a reinforcing material, onto a holding jig and then heat treating the material.

[0005] As the size of composite materials increases, the holding jigs that support the skins and stringers also become larger and have a larger heat capacity. Therefore, the heat energy and molding time required for heat treatment of the skins and stringers supported by the holding jigs also increase.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and aims to provide a composite molding method and molding device that can shorten the heating and curing time of composite materials. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A molding method according to the present disclosure includes fixing a shape-retaining jig on a first holding jig, attaching a material sheet to the shape-retaining jig, removing the material sheet and the shape-retaining jig from the first holding jig and placing them on a second holding jig that is lighter and has a smaller heat capacity than the first holding jig, and vacuuming the material sheet and the shape-retaining jig fixed on the second holding jig. This provides a molding method that can shorten the heat-hardening time of a composite material.

[0008] After evacuation, the material sheet and the shape-retaining jig fixed on the second holding jig may be heat-treated, and the material sheet may be removed from the shape-retaining jig, thereby shortening the heat-hardening time of the composite material.

[0009] The molding apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a shape-retaining jig and a holding jig, and the holding jig includes a support mechanism that can support a plurality of the shape-retaining jigs in a stacked manner. This provides a molding method that can shorten the heat-hardening time of composite material.

[0010] Furthermore, a chamber may be provided that can accommodate the holding jig and a plurality of the shape-retaining jigs and perform vacuuming and / or heat treatment, thereby shortening the heat-hardening time of the composite material. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The present disclosure provides a composite molding method and molding device that can shorten the heating and curing time of the composite material. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a molding method according to the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a related molding method. [Figure 3] 1 illustrates an example of a molding apparatus according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings, in which: Figures 1(a) to 1(d) are diagrams illustrating a molding method according to the present embodiment.

[0014] First, a shape-retaining jig 100 is fixed on a first holding jig 110, and a material sheet 10 is attached to the shape-retaining jig 100 (see FIG. 1(a)). The first holding jig 110 includes at least a stage 111 for fixing the shape-retaining jig 100 and a base 112 for supporting the shape-retaining jig 100.

[0015] An example of the material sheet 10 is a prepreg sheet made of carbon fiber impregnated with a thermosetting resin. By applying pressure and heat treatment to a laminate of such material sheets 10, the prepreg sheets are bonded and cured to obtain a composite material.

[0016] The shape-retaining jig 100 is a sheet-like jig and can be detached from the first holding jig 110. Because the shape-retaining jig 100 is sheet-like, its heat capacity can be kept small. The shape-retaining jig 100 is preferably made of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic, glass fiber reinforced plastic, steel, SS400, aluminum, copper, or graphene. Furthermore, because the composite material is formed after the material sheet 10 is attached onto the shape-retaining jig 100, the shape-retaining jig 100 preferably has sufficient flatness.

[0017] After the material sheet 10 is attached to the shape-retaining jig 100, a stringer 20, which is a reinforcing material, is provided on the material sheet 10, and the material sheet 10 and the shape-retaining jig 100 are removed from the first holding jig 110 (see the left diagram in FIG. 1(b)). The stringer 20 has the role of improving the rigidity of the material sheet 10, and is provided on the surface and / or inside of the material sheet 10.

[0018] After removing the material sheet 10 and the shape-retaining jig 100 from the first holding jig 110, they are placed on and fixed to the second holding jig 120, and the covering member 30 is placed over the material sheet 10 and the shape-retaining jig 100 via the spacer 40, and a vacuum is drawn (see the right diagram in Figure 1(b)).

[0019] The second holding jig 120 is made of a material that is lighter and has a smaller heat capacity than the first holding jig 110. The second holding jig 120 is preferably made of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum or SS400. The covering member 30 is made of, for example, a nylon film.

[0020] The step of attaching the material sheet 10 to the shape-retaining jig 100 is performed by using a laminator (not shown) to press the material sheet 10 against the shape-retaining jig 100 and the first holding jig 110. Therefore, the first holding jig 110 needs to be large and have sufficient rigidity, and therefore the weight of the first holding jig 110 becomes considerably large.

[0021] On the other hand, the second holding jig 120 has the advantage of being easier to handle because it is made of a material that is lighter and has a smaller heat capacity than the first holding jig 110. Furthermore, in the vacuuming step, the second holding jig 120 has the advantage of being easier to make airtight because it is small and lightweight.

[0022] After evacuation, the material sheet 10 and the shape-retaining jig 100 fixed on the second holding jig 120 are heat-treated to heat-set the material sheet 10 (see FIG. 1(c)). The second holding jig 120 is made of a material with a small heat capacity, so that the material sheet 10 can be heat-treated efficiently.

[0023] Thereafter, the heat-cured material sheet 10 is removed from the shape-retaining jig 100, and a composite material in which the material sheet 10 and the stringers 20 are integrated is obtained (see FIG. 1(d)).

[0024] Next, a molding method that is a comparative example of the molding method according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 2(a) to 2(d). Note that the same elements as those in Figures 1(a) to 1(d) are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0025] The molding method shown in FIGS. 2(a) to 2(d) is a method in which the second holding jig 120 is not used, and the material sheet 10 is directly attached to a stage 131 provided in a molding jig 130 to obtain a composite material.

[0026] First, the material sheet 10 is attached onto a forming jig 130 (see FIG. 2(a)). The forming jig 130 includes at least a stage 131 and a base 132.

[0027] The step of attaching the material sheet 10 to the forming jig 130 is performed by using a laminator (not shown) to press the material sheet 10 onto the forming jig 130. Therefore, the forming jig 130 needs to be large and have sufficient rigidity, and the weight of the forming jig 130 becomes considerably large.

[0028] After the material sheet 10 is attached to the forming jig 130, the stringers 20 are attached to the material sheet 10, and the covering member 30 is placed over the material sheet 10 via the spacer 40, followed by evacuation (see FIG. 2(b)). In the forming method using the forming jig 130, the forming jig 130 and the other components are made airtight, which requires additional costs such as airtight welding.

[0029] After evacuation, the material sheet 10 fixed on the forming jig 130 is heat-treated to heat-set the material sheet 10 (see FIG. 2(c)). Thereafter, the heat-set material sheet 10 is removed from the forming jig 130 to obtain a composite material in which the material sheet 10 and the stringers 20 are integrated (see FIG. 2(d)).

[0030] Because the forming jig 130 is heavy and has a large heat capacity, most of the heat energy required for the heat treatment of the material sheet 10 is consumed by the forming jig 130. In addition, the heating furnace that houses the forming jig 130 also needs to have a high load capacity and high heating capacity, which results in low productivity.

[0031] Furthermore, the forming jig 130 cannot perform other processes until the material sheet 10 is removed. On the other hand, with the forming method according to the present disclosure, after the material sheet 10 and the shape-retaining jig 100 are removed from the first holding jig 110, the first holding jig 110 can be used for other processes, thereby achieving high productivity.

[0032] Next, a molding apparatus 1 according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The molding apparatus 1 includes a holding jig 140, which includes a support mechanism 141 capable of supporting a plurality of shape-retaining jigs 100 stacked one on top of the other. This configuration makes it possible to mold a plurality of composite materials at once.

[0033] The molding device 1 may also include a chamber 150 that can accommodate the holding jig 140 and a plurality of shape-retaining jigs 100 and perform vacuuming and / or heat treatment.

[0034] In this way, a method and apparatus for molding a composite material are provided that can shorten the heating and hardening time of the composite material.

[0035] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1 Molding equipment 10 Material Sheets 20 longerons 30 Covering material 40 spacer 100 Shape retention jig 110 First holding jig Stages 111 and 131 112, 132 base 120 Second holding jig 130 Molding jig 140 Holding jig 141 Support mechanism 150 Chamber

Claims

1. Fixing a shape-retaining jig on the first holding jig and attaching a material sheet to the shape-retaining jig; The material sheet and the shape-retaining jig are removed from the first holding jig and placed on a second holding jig that is lighter and has a smaller heat capacity than the first holding jig; The material sheet and the shape-retaining jig fixed on the second holding jig are vacuumed. Molding method.

2. Furthermore, after evacuation, the material sheet and the shape-retaining jig fixed on the second holding jig are heat-treated, The material sheet is removed from the shape-retaining jig. The molding method according to claim 1 .

3. A shape-retaining jig and a holding jig are provided, The holding jig includes a support mechanism capable of supporting a plurality of the shape-retaining jigs in a stacked manner. Molding equipment.

4. Further, a chamber is provided which can accommodate the holding jig and a plurality of the shape-retaining jigs and perform evacuation and / or heat treatment. The molding apparatus according to claim 3.

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