Forming apparatus and forming method

Abstract

To suppress defects, such as wrinkles, in a laminate when a laminate is formed by a forming die having a forming surface that includes a curved region.SOLUTION: A forming device 100 has: a forming die 10 having a forming surface 10a that includes a convex surface 13 and a concave surface 14, with multiple electromagnets 16a to 16s arranged; a current supply unit capable of selectively supplying electric current to each of the multiple electromagnets; and a sheet member 20 formed of an elastic material containing a magnetic material, which has flexibility and is arranged in a state where a laminate 200 is sandwiched between it and the forming surface 10a. The plurality of electromagnets are arranged at intervals from a first end 10a1 to a second end 10a2 of the forming surface 10a in the width direction WD, and the current supply unit provides current to the electromagnets, thereby forming the laminate 200, which is positioned between the electromagnet supplied with current and the corresponding area of the sheet member 20, in a shape that conforms to the forming surface 10a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a shaping apparatus and a shaping method for shaping a laminate obtained by laminating a plurality of sheet materials containing reinforcing fibers. [Background Art]

[0002] Composite structural members used in aircraft, automobiles and the like have arbitrary cross-sectional shapes. As a method for manufacturing the same, a method is known which obtains a target shape by pressing a laminate, formed by laminating a plurality of sheet materials containing reinforcing fibers, against a shaping die to shape the laminate (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose shaping a laminate into a Z-shape by placing the laminate on a shaping die having a Z-shaped cross-section, sealing the laminate with a vacuum bag, and depressurizing the space sealed by the vacuum bag.

[0003] As other shaping methods, there are known a technique of attracting an upper die and a lower die by magnetic force to shape a laminate disposed between the upper die and the lower die (see, for example, Patent Document 2), and a technique of assisting shaping by a vacuum bag by pressing a laminate, formed by laminating a plurality of sheet materials containing magnetic reinforcing fibers, against a shaping die by magnetic force (see, for example, Patent Document 3). [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Pat. No. 1,115,506, Specification [Patent Document 2] U.S. Pat. No. 8,268,226, Specification [Patent Document 3] United States Patent Application Publication No. 2011 / 0180209, Specification [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] However, in Patent Document 1, in the recessed region of the mold, the pressure applied to the mold by the laminate due to the depressurization of the space sealed by the vacuum bag is reduced compared to other regions, making it difficult to fold the laminate faithfully along the shape of the mold. In particular, if the area of ​​the laminate that is not in contact with the mold before depressurization by the vacuum bag and is pressed against the mold and shaped after the start of depressurization by the vacuum bag is large, wrinkles may occur in the laminate after shaping.

[0006] Furthermore, in Patent Document 2, since the entire area of ​​the laminate placed in the lower mold is simultaneously shaped by the upper mold, when shaping a laminate with a concave or convex shape, wrinkles may occur in the concave or convex areas. Also, in Patent Document 3, since the magnitude of the shaping force used to shape the laminate depends on the magnetism of the reinforcing fibers in each area of ​​the laminate, when shaping a laminate with a concave or convex shape, wrinkles may occur because an appropriate shaping force is not generated in the concave or convex areas.

[0007] This disclosure has been made in view of these circumstances and aims to provide a forming apparatus and a forming method that can suppress the problem of wrinkles occurring in a laminate when forming a laminate with a forming die having a forming surface that includes at least one curved region of a concave or convex shape. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A forming apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a forming apparatus for forming a laminate made of a plurality of sheet materials including reinforcing fibers, comprising: a forming mold having a forming surface that extends along the longitudinal direction and includes at least one curved region of a concave or convex shape along the width direction, and having a plurality of electromagnets arranged on the forming surface for generating magnetic force; a current supply unit capable of selectively supplying current to each of the plurality of electromagnets; and a sheet member formed of an elastic member including a magnetic material, having flexibility, and arranged with the laminate sandwiched between it and the forming surface, wherein the plurality of electromagnets are formed to extend along the longitudinal direction and are arranged at intervals from the first end to the second end of the forming surface in the width direction, and the current supply unit is After starting to supply current to the electromagnets positioned at predetermined locations in the width direction, the supply of current to a plurality of electromagnets is gradually started from the predetermined locations toward the first and / or second ends. By doing so, the laminate, which is placed between the electromagnet to which the current is supplied and the sheet member in the region corresponding to the electromagnet, is shaped to conform to the shape of the shaped surface.

[0009] A shaping method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a shaping method for shaping a laminate obtained by laminating a plurality of sheet materials including reinforcing fibers, wherein the shaping surface includes a curved region that extends along the longitudinal direction and includes at least one of a concave or convex shape along the width direction. death, A magnetic force is generated on the shaped surface. Formed to extend in the longitudinal direction Multiple electromagnets Leaving space in the width direction A laminate installation step involves installing the laminate on a positioned shaping mold, and a sheet member installation step involves installing a flexible sheet member formed from an elastic member containing a magnetic material, with the laminate sandwiched between the shaping surface and the sheet member. After initiating the supply of current to the electromagnets positioned at predetermined locations in the width direction, the supply of current to a plurality of electromagnets is gradually initiated from the predetermined locations toward the first end and / or the second end of the shaping surface in the width direction. The process comprises a shaping step of shaping the laminate, which is placed between the electromagnet to which current is supplied and the sheet member in the region corresponding to the electromagnet, so as to conform to the shape of the shaping surface. El . [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a forming apparatus and a forming method that can suppress the problem of wrinkles occurring in a laminate when forming a laminate with a forming die having a forming surface that includes at least one curved region of a concave or convex shape. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a lower mold and a laminate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, showing the state before the laminate is formed. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing a lower mold and a laminate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, showing the state after the laminate has been formed. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view of the mold near the central part in the longitudinal direction, showing the state before the laminate and sheet members are installed on the mold. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view of the mold near the central part in the longitudinal direction, showing the state after the laminate and sheet members have been installed on the mold. [Figure 5] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the current supply unit. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart showing the method for shaping the laminate according to this embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view of the shaped mold near the central part in the longitudinal direction, showing the state during the shaping process. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view of the shaped mold near the central part in the longitudinal direction, showing the state during the shaping process. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view of the shaped mold near the central part in the longitudinal direction, showing the state after the shaping process has been completed. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Hereinafter, a shaping apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and a shaping method using the same will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a shaping mold 10 and a laminate 200 according to the present embodiment, showing a state before the laminate 200 is shaped. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the shaping mold 10 and the laminate 200 according to the present embodiment, showing a state after the laminate 200 is shaped.

[0013] The shaping apparatus 100 of the present embodiment is an apparatus that shapes a laminate 200 obtained by laminating a plurality of sheet materials along the shape of a shaping surface 10a of a shaping mold 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the laminate 200 before shaping is obtained by flatly laminating a plurality of layers of sheet-shaped composite materials. The laminate 200 is obtained by laminating a plurality of layers of sheet-shaped composite materials. The composite material constituting the laminate 200 is a sheet-shaped intermediate molding material in which a matrix resin is attached to reinforcing fibers and semi-integrated.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, the sheet member 20 is a sheet-shaped member disposed in a state where the laminate 200 is sandwiched between the sheet member 20 and the shaping surface 10a of the shaping mold 10. The sheet member 20 is a flexible member formed of an elastic member containing a magnetic material (for example, magnetized iron powder) (for example, a member formed of a rubber material). The sheet member 20 is attracted toward the shaping surface 10a by magnetic force generated by a plurality of electromagnets 16 disposed on the shaping mold 10.

[0015] The reinforcing fibers contained in the composite material are, for example, carbon fibers, glass fibers, aramid fibers, and the like. As the matrix resin contained in the composite material, a thermosetting resin or a thermoplastic resin can be used. Examples of the thermosetting matrix resin include epoxy resin, unsaturated polyester, vinyl ester, phenol, cyanate ester, polyimide, and the like.

[0016] Examples of thermoplastic matrix resins include polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), nylon 6 (PA6), nylon 66 (PA66), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyetherimide (PEI), and polyether ketone ketone (PEKK).

[0017] The shaping mold 10 may be equipped with a heating mechanism (not shown) capable of heating the matrix resin above its softening temperature. By heating the matrix resin above its softening temperature using the heating mechanism, the laminate 200 containing the matrix resin can be shaped to conform to the surface shape of the shaping mold 10.

[0018] As the laminate 200, a flat structure may be formed by laminating multiple sheet-like reinforcing fibers (dry fabric) that do not contain matrix resin. When dry fabric is used, the RTM (Resin Transfer Molding) method is employed, in which the laminate 200, which has been shaped according to the surface shape of the mold 10, is placed in a mold (not shown), and resin material is injected into the inside of the mold to impregnate the reinforcing fibers and form the laminate.

[0019] Furthermore, in the laminate 200 formed from dry fabric, it is desirable to sprinkle a powdered resin (powder binder) on the surface of each of the multiple layers of dry fabric to temporarily fix adjacent dry fabrics together. A thermosetting resin or a thermoplastic resin can be used as the powder binder.

[0020] The forming apparatus 100 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is arranged in three-dimensional space. The X, Y, and Z axes shown in Figures 1 and 2 are axes that intersect each other in three-dimensional space. The X axis is an axis that extends parallel to the installation surface S on which the forming mold 10 is installed, and the Z axis is an axis that extends perpendicular to the installation surface S on which the forming mold 10 is installed. The Y axis is an axis that is perpendicular to both the X and Z axes.

[0021] The shaping mold 10 is a block-shaped mold having a shaping surface 10a for shaping the laminate 200, and is formed of, for example, a metal material. The shaping mold 10 has an upper surface 11, a side surface 12, a convex surface (curved region) 13, a concave surface 14 (curved region), and a bottom surface 15 as the shaping surface 10a for shaping the laminate 200.

[0022] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the mold 10 near the central part of the longitudinal LD, showing the state before the laminate 200 and sheet members 20 are installed on the mold 10. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the mold 10 near the central part of the longitudinal LD, showing the state after the laminate 200 and sheet members 20 are installed on the mold 10.

[0023] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the top surface 11 of the mold 10 is a flat surface extending along the X-axis. The side surface 12 of the mold 10 is a flat surface extending along the Z-axis. The bottom surface 15 of the mold 10 is a flat surface extending along the X-axis.

[0024] The convex surface 13 is a surface that connects the top surface 11 and the side surface 12, and has an arc shape in which the direction of the surface normal to the surface gradually changes from a surface aligned with the X axis to a surface aligned with the Z axis as it approaches the side surface 12 from the top surface 11 along the X axis. The convex surface 13 is a portion that includes a convex shape along the width direction WD parallel to the X axis.

[0025] The concave surface 14 is a surface connecting the side surface 12 and the bottom surface 15, and has an arc shape in which the direction of the surface normal gradually changes as it approaches the bottom surface 15 from the side surface 12 along the Z axis, from a surface along the Z axis to a surface along the X axis, and then to a surface intersecting the X axis. The concave surface 14 is a portion that includes a concave shape along the width direction WD. The top surface 11, the side surface 12, and the bottom surface 15 are non-curved regions in which the change in curvature along the width direction WD is smaller than that of the convex surface 13 and the concave surface 14, respectively.

[0026] The shape of the mold 10 shown in Figures 3 and 4 may be in other forms. For example, the top surface 11 may be a surface extending in a direction different from the X-axis. The side surface 12 may be a surface extending in a direction different from the Z-axis. The convex surface 13 may be any convex shape different from an arc shape. The concave surface 14 may be any concave shape different from an arc shape. The bottom surface 15 may be a surface extending in a direction parallel to the X-axis or in a direction inclined downward from the X-axis. The mold 10 only needs to have a mold surface 10a that extends along the longitudinal direction LD and includes at least one curved region of a concave or convex shape along the width direction WD.

[0027] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, multiple electromagnets 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d, 16e, 16f, 16g, 16h, 16i, 16j, 16k, 16l, 16m, 16n, 16o, 16p, 16q, 16r, and 16s (hereinafter also referred to as electromagnets 16) are arranged in the shaping mold 10 so as to constitute a part of the shaping surface 10a. The multiple electromagnets 16 generate a magnetic force on the shaping surface 10a by the current supplied from the current supply unit 30. Note that the multiple electromagnets 16 may be embedded in the vicinity of the shaping surface 10a of the shaping mold 10 without constituting a part of the shaping surface 10a.

[0028] Each of the multiple electromagnets 16 is formed to extend along the longitudinal direction LD and is spaced apart from the first end 10a1 to the second end 10a2 of the shaped surface 10a in the width direction WD. The spacing of the multiple electromagnets 16 in the width direction WD on the convex surface 13 and concave surface 14 (curved region) (first spacing) is narrower than the spacing of the multiple electromagnets 16 in the width direction WD on the top surface 11, side surface 12, and bottom surface 15 (non-curved region) (second spacing). The spacing is the distance between the center positions in the plane of the shaped surface 10a of an adjacent pair of electromagnets 16 in the width direction WD.

[0029] Next, the current supply unit 30 of the shaping device 100 will be described with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the current supply unit 30. As shown in Figure 5, the current supply unit 30 includes a power supply 31, a relay 32, a circuit breaker 33, a voltage conversion unit 34, and a current control unit 35. The current supply unit 30 is a device capable of selectively supplying current to each of the multiple electromagnets 16.

[0030] The current supply unit 30 selectively supplies current to each of the multiple electromagnets 16, thereby causing the desired electromagnet 16 to generate magnetic force. By supplying current to the desired electromagnet 16, the current supply unit 30 shapes the laminate 200, which is placed between the electromagnet 16 to which the current is supplied and the sheet member 20 in the region corresponding to that electromagnet 16, so as to conform to the shape of the shaping surface 10a.

[0031] The current supply unit 30 supplies voltage from the power supply 31 to the voltage conversion unit 34, and supplies the voltage converted by the voltage conversion unit 34 to the current control unit 35. The current control unit 35 selectively supplies current to each of the multiple electromagnets 16 by selectively applying voltage to each of the multiple electromagnets 16. When an AC voltage is supplied from the power supply 31, the voltage conversion unit 34 converts the AC voltage to a DC voltage. Also, when a DC voltage is supplied from the power supply 31, the voltage conversion unit 34 converts the voltage value of the DC voltage to a desired voltage value.

[0032] Relay 32 is a device that switches between supplying voltage from power supply 31 to voltage conversion unit 34 and not supplying voltage. Breaker 33 is a safety device that cuts off the voltage supply from power supply 31 to voltage conversion unit 34 when the voltage value supplied from power supply 31 to voltage conversion unit 34 exceeds a predetermined threshold voltage.

[0033] Next, the method for shaping the laminate 200 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the method for shaping the laminate 200 of this embodiment.

[0034] In step S101 (laminated structure installation process), the worker installs the laminate 200 on the mold 10 so that it faces the shaping surface 10a of the mold 10. In step S102 (sheet member installation process), the worker installs the sheet member 20 with the laminate 200 sandwiched between it and the shaping surface 10a.

[0035] If the hardness of the laminate 200 is relatively low, and the shape of the laminate 200 deforms along the shaping surface 10a of the shaping mold 10 due to the weight of the laminate 200 and the sheet member 20, then by performing steps S101 and S102, the state shown in Figure 4 will be achieved.

[0036] Furthermore, if the hardness of the laminate 200 is relatively high and the shape of the laminate 200 does not deform along the shaping surface 10a of the shaping mold 10 due to the weight of the laminate 200 and the sheet member 20 as shown in Figure 4, then before executing step S103, a current with a current value lower than the current value supplied to the multiple electromagnets 16 in step S103 may be supplied to all of the multiple electromagnets 16.

[0037] By supplying current to all of the multiple electromagnets 16 before executing step S103, all of the multiple electromagnets 16 generate a magnetic force, and the sheet members 20 placed in the region corresponding to each electromagnet 16 are attracted toward the shaping surface 10a. When the sheet members 20 are attracted toward the shaping surface 10a, the laminate 200 deforms along the shaping surface 10a of the shaping mold 10, resulting in the state shown in Figure 4.

[0038] The reason why the current value supplied to the multiple electromagnets 16 in step S103 is lower than the current value supplied to the multiple electromagnets 16 is that if the current value supplied to all of the multiple electromagnets 16 were the same as in step S103, the entire area of ​​the sheet member 20 would be attracted toward the shaping surface 10a, and there is a possibility that the laminate 200 would deform along the shaping surface 10a, causing wrinkles to form in parts.

[0039] In step S103 (shaping process), the operator operates the current supply unit 30, which selectively supplies current to each of the multiple electromagnets 16, thereby shaping the laminate 200 to conform to the shape of the shaping surface 10a.

[0040] Here, the operation of the current supply unit 30 selectively supplying current to each of the multiple electromagnets 16 during the shaping process will be explained with reference to the drawings. Figures 7 and 8 are cross-sectional views of the shaping mold 10 near the central part of the longitudinal LD, showing the state during the shaping process. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the shaping mold 10 near the central part of the longitudinal LD, showing the state after the shaping process has been completed.

[0041] As shown in Figures 7-9, the first end region 200a of the laminate 200 is placed in the region where the electromagnet 16a is located, and the second end region 200b of the laminate 200 is placed in the region where the electromagnet 16s is located. The current supply unit 30 gradually shapes the laminate 200 corresponding to each region along the first direction DR1 within the shaping surface 10a, which extends from the concave surface 14 to the side surface 12, from the side surface 12 to the convex surface 13, and from the convex surface 13 to the top surface 11. The current supply unit 30 also gradually shapes the laminate 200 corresponding to each region along the second direction DR2 within the shaping surface 10a, which extends from the concave surface 14 to the bottom surface 15.

[0042] In step S104, the current control unit 35 of the current supply unit 30 starts supplying current to the electromagnet 16n located at the central position (predetermined position) in the width direction WD of the concave surface 14 among the plurality of electromagnets 16. The laminate 200, which is placed between the electromagnet 16n to which current is supplied and the sheet member 20 in the region corresponding to the electromagnet 16n, is shaped to conform to the shape of the shaped surface.

[0043] After the current control unit 35 starts supplying current to the electromagnet 16n, it gradually starts supplying current to multiple electromagnets 16 from the position where the electromagnet 16n is located toward the first end 10a1 and the second end 10a2 of the shaping surface 10a, depending on the elapsed time (at least 1 second) since the start of supplying current to a predetermined electromagnet 16. The current control unit 35 then starts supplying current to other adjacent electromagnets 16 after a predetermined time (at least 1 second) has elapsed since the start of supplying current to a predetermined electromagnet 16, and this operation is continuously repeated for multiple electromagnets 16.

[0044] Figure 7 shows the state in which the current control unit 35 starts supplying current to electromagnet 16n, and then starts supplying current to electromagnets 16m and 16o adjacent to electromagnet 16n in the width direction WD. As shown in Figure 7, the magnetic force generated by electromagnets 16n, 16m, and 16o causes the sheet member 20 in the region corresponding to electromagnets 16n, 16m, and 16o to be attracted to the shaping surface 10a, and the laminate 200 in the region corresponding to electromagnets 16n, 16m, and 16o is shaped along the shape of the concave surface 14.

[0045] After the current control unit 35 starts supplying current to electromagnet 16m, it starts supplying current to electromagnet 16l adjacent to the first end 10a1 side of the shaping surface 10a, depending on the elapsed time. Subsequently, the current control unit 35 gradually starts supplying current to electromagnets 16k, 16j, and 16i each time a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0046] Similarly, the current control unit 35 starts supplying current to electromagnet 16o, and then, after a predetermined time has elapsed, starts supplying current to electromagnet 16p adjacent to the second end 10a2 side of the shaping surface 10a. Subsequently, the current control unit 35 gradually starts supplying current to electromagnets 16q, 16r, and 16s each time a predetermined time has elapsed, until the state shown in Figure 8 is reached.

[0047] As shown in Figure 8, the magnetic force generated by the electromagnets 16i-16s causes the sheet member 20 in the region corresponding to the electromagnets 16i-16s to be attracted to the shaping surface 10a, and the laminate 200 in the region corresponding to the electromagnets 16i-16s is shaped to conform to the shape of the concave surface 14.

[0048] After the current control unit 35 starts supplying current to electromagnet 16i, it starts supplying current to electromagnet 16h adjacent to the first end 10a1 side of the shaping surface 10a after a predetermined time has elapsed. Subsequently, the current control unit 35 gradually starts supplying current to electromagnets 16g, 16f, 16e, 16d, 16c, 16b, and 16a each time a predetermined time has elapsed, until the state shown in Figure 9 is reached.

[0049] As shown in Figure 9, once the shaping process is complete, the magnetic force generated by the electromagnets 16a-16s attracts the sheet member 20 in the region corresponding to the electromagnets 16a-16s to the shaping surface 10a, and the laminate 200 in the region corresponding to the electromagnets 16a-16s is shaped to conform to the shape of the concave surface 14.

[0050] As described above, in step S103, the current control unit 35 starts supplying current to the electromagnet 16n located at the center of the width direction WD of the concave surface 14, and then gradually starts supplying current to the electromagnets 16m, 16l, 16k, 16j, 16i, 16h, 16g, 16f, 16e, 16d, 16c, 16b, and 16a in the order of the center of the width direction WD of the concave surface 14 toward the first end 10a1. Similarly, the current control unit 35 starts supplying current to the electromagnet 16n located at the center of the width direction WD of the concave surface 14, and then gradually starts supplying current to the electromagnets 16o, 16p, 16q, 16r, and 16s in the order of the center of the width direction WD of the concave surface 14 toward the second end 10a2.

[0051] In step S104 (curing step), the resin material impregnated into the multiple reinforcing fiber sheets of the laminate 200 is cured. If the resin material is thermosetting, the resin material is heated to a temperature above the curing temperature to cure it. If the resin material is a thermoplastic resin, the resin material is cooled to a temperature below the softening temperature to cure it. Steps S101 to S104 described above execute a composite material molding method in which the laminate 200 is shaped using the shaping device 100 to form a composite material.

[0052] The functions and effects of the shaping device 100 of this embodiment, as described above, will now be explained. According to the shaping apparatus 100 of this embodiment, a shaping mold 10 having a shaping surface 10a including a convex surface 13 and a concave surface 14 along the width direction WD has a plurality of electromagnets 16 arranged on the shaping surface 10a that generate a magnetic force. The plurality of electromagnets 16 are formed to extend in the longitudinal direction LD and are arranged at intervals from the first end 10a1 to the second end 10a2 of the shaping surface 10a in the width direction WD.

[0053] The current supply unit 30 supplies current to the electromagnets 16, thereby generating a shaping force that attracts the flexible sheet member 20 containing magnetic material toward the shaping surface 10a, and shaping the laminate 200, which is placed between the electromagnets 16 to which the current is supplied and the sheet member 20 in the region corresponding to the electromagnets 16, so as to conform to the shape of the shaping surface 10a. Since the current supply unit 30 can selectively supply current to each of the multiple electromagnets 16, by gradually starting the supply of current to the multiple electromagnets 16 toward the first end 10a1 and the second end 10a2 from a position corresponding to the concave surface 14 in the width direction WD, it is possible to suppress the problem of wrinkles occurring in the laminate 200 compared to when the supply of current to the multiple electromagnets 16 is started simultaneously.

[0054] According to the shaping device 100 of this embodiment, by making the first spacing of the multiple electromagnets 16 on the convex surface 13 and concave surface 14 (curved region) narrower than the second spacing of the multiple electromagnets 16 on the top surface 11, side surface 12, and bottom surface 15 (non-curved region), it is possible to appropriately suppress the occurrence of wrinkles in the curved region where the curvature changes significantly.

[0055] [Other embodiments] In the above description, the current control unit 35 starts supplying current to the electromagnet 16n positioned at the center of the width direction WD of the concave surface 14, and then gradually starts supplying current to a plurality of electromagnets 16 from the center of the width direction WD of the concave surface 14 toward the first end 10a1 and the second end 10a2. However, other embodiments are also possible. For example, the current control unit 35 may gradually start supplying current to a plurality of electromagnets 16 from the first end 10a1 toward the second end 10a2. In this case, the current control unit 35 gradually starts supplying current to the electromagnets 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d, 16e, 16f, 16g, 16h, 16i, 16j, 16k, 16l, 16m, 16n, 16o, 16p, 16q, 16r, and 16s in that order.

[0056] Alternatively, for example, the current control unit 35 may gradually start supplying current to multiple electromagnets 16 from the second end 10a2 toward the first end 10a1. In this case, the current control unit 35 gradually starts supplying current to the electromagnets 16s, 16r, 16q, 16p, 16o, 16n, 16m, 16l, 16k, 16j, 16i, 16h, 16g, 16f, 16e, 16d, 16c, 16b, and 16a.

[0057] Furthermore, the current control unit 35 may, after starting to supply current to an electromagnet 16 positioned at any location between the first end 10a1 and the second end 10a2, gradually start supplying current to multiple electromagnets 16 toward the first end 10a1 and the second end 10a2.

[0058] Furthermore, the current control unit 35 may supply the same current value to the multiple electromagnets 16a, or it may supply different current values. For example, if the thickness of the laminate 200 differs in the width direction WD, the current control unit 35 may increase the current value as the thickness of the laminate 200 increases. In other words, the current control unit 35 may control the current value so that the magnetic force with which the electromagnets 16 attract the sheet member 20 increases as the thickness of the laminate 200 increases.

[0059] Specifically, in step S103 (shaping step), the current control unit 35 controls the current supply unit 30 to make the first current value greater than the second current value if the first thickness of the laminate 200 located in the region corresponding to the first electromagnet 16 is greater than the second thickness of the laminate 200 located in the region corresponding to the second electromagnet 16.

[0060] In the above description, the shaping mold 10 is assumed to be formed into a roughly Z-shape by bending the laminate 200 along both the convex surface 13 and the concave surface 14, but other embodiments are also possible. For example, the shaping mold 10 may be formed into a convex shape (L-shape) using only the convex surface 13 and the upper surface 11 and side surface 12 adjacent to the convex surface 13, or the laminate 200 may be formed into a concave shape (L-shape) using only the concave surface 14 and the side surface 12 and bottom surface 15 adjacent to the concave surface 14.

[0061] The forming apparatus and forming method described in the embodiments above can be understood, for example, as follows. A forming apparatus according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a forming apparatus (100) for forming a laminate (200) made of multiple sheet materials including reinforcing fibers, comprising: a forming mold (10) having a forming surface (10a) that extends along the longitudinal direction (LD) and includes at least one curved region (13) that is concave or convex along the width direction (WD), and having a plurality of electromagnets (16) that generate magnetic force on the forming surface; a current supply unit (30) capable of selectively supplying current to each of the plurality of electromagnets; and an elastic member containing a magnetic material. The device comprises a sheet member (20) which is formed to be flexible and arranged with the laminate sandwiched between it and the shaping surface, wherein the plurality of electromagnets are formed to extend in the longitudinal direction and are spaced apart from the first end (10a1) to the second end (10a2) of the shaping surface in the width direction, and the current supply unit supplies current to the electromagnets, thereby shaping the laminate, which is arranged between the electromagnet to which the current is supplied and the area of ​​the sheet member corresponding to the electromagnet, to conform to the shape of the shaping surface.

[0062] According to a shaping apparatus according to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a shaping mold having a shaping surface including a curved region that is concave or convex along the width direction, has a plurality of electromagnets arranged on the shaping surface to generate a magnetic force. The plurality of electromagnets are formed to extend in the longitudinal direction and are spaced apart from the first end to the second end of the shaping surface in the width direction.

[0063] The current supply unit generates a shaping force that attracts a flexible sheet member containing magnetic material toward the shaping surface by supplying current to the electromagnets, thereby shaping the laminate placed between the electromagnets to which the current is supplied and the sheet member in the region corresponding to the electromagnets so as to conform to the shape of the shaping surface. Since the current supply unit can selectively supply current to each of the multiple electromagnets, for example, by gradually starting the supply of current to multiple adjacent electromagnets along the width direction, it is possible to suppress the problem of wrinkles forming in the laminate compared to when the supply of current to multiple electromagnets is started simultaneously.

[0064] The shaping apparatus according to a second aspect of the present disclosure further comprises the following configuration in the first aspect: The current supply unit starts supplying current to the electromagnets positioned at predetermined locations in the width direction, and then gradually starts supplying current to a plurality of electromagnets from the predetermined locations toward the first end and / or second end. According to the forming apparatus of the second aspect of this disclosure, by gradually starting the supply of current to a plurality of electromagnets from a predetermined position in the width direction toward the first end and / or the second end, it is possible to suppress the problem of wrinkles occurring in the laminate compared to when the supply of current to the plurality of electromagnets is started simultaneously.

[0065] The shaping apparatus according to a third aspect of the present disclosure further comprises the following configuration in the second aspect: the predetermined position is a position corresponding to the curved region (13), and the current supply unit starts supplying current to the electromagnet located at the predetermined position, and then gradually starts supplying current to a plurality of electromagnets from the predetermined position toward the first end and the second end. According to the shaping apparatus of the third aspect of this disclosure, by gradually starting the supply of current to multiple electromagnets from a position corresponding to the curvature region in the width direction toward the first end and the second end, it is possible to suppress the problem of wrinkles occurring in the laminate compared to when the supply of current to multiple electromagnets is started simultaneously.

[0066] A shaping apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure further comprises the following configuration in a second aspect: the predetermined position is the first end, and the current supply unit starts supplying current to the electromagnet located at the predetermined position, and then gradually starts supplying current to a plurality of electromagnets from the predetermined position toward the second end. According to the shaping apparatus of the fourth aspect of this disclosure, by gradually starting the supply of current to a plurality of electromagnets from the first end to the second end in the width direction, it is possible to suppress the problem of wrinkles occurring in the laminate compared to when the supply of current to the plurality of electromagnets is started simultaneously.

[0067] A shaping device according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure further comprises the following configuration in any of the first to fourth aspects: the shaping surface includes non-curved regions (11, 12, 15) in which the change in curvature along the width direction is smaller than that of the curved region, and the first spacing of the plurality of electromagnets in the width direction in the curved region is narrower than the second spacing of the plurality of electromagnets in the width direction in the non-curved region. According to the shaping apparatus of the fifth aspect of this disclosure, by making the first spacing of multiple electromagnets in the curved region narrower than the second spacing of multiple electromagnets in the non-curved region, it is possible to appropriately suppress the occurrence of wrinkles in the curved region where the curvature changes significantly.

[0068] The forming apparatus according to the sixth aspect of this disclosure further comprises the following configuration in any of the first to fourth aspects: The current supply unit provides different first current values ​​to a first electromagnet included in the plurality of electromagnets and a second current value to a second electromagnet included in the plurality of electromagnets. According to the shaping apparatus of the sixth aspect of this disclosure, by making the first current value supplied to the first magnet and the second current value supplied to the second magnet different, it is possible to apply a shaping force of an appropriate size according to the thickness to each region of a laminate having different thicknesses in each region.

[0069] The forming apparatus according to the seventh aspect of this disclosure further comprises the following configuration in the sixth aspect: The current supply unit increases the first current value to the second current value when the first thickness of the laminate arranged in the region corresponding to the first electromagnet is greater than the second thickness of the laminate arranged in the region corresponding to the second electromagnet. According to the shaping apparatus of the seventh aspect of this disclosure, when the first thickness of the laminate arranged in the region corresponding to the first electromagnet is greater than the second thickness of the laminate arranged in the region corresponding to the second electromagnet, the first current value can be made greater than the second current value, and the shaping force generated by the first electromagnet can be made greater than the shaping force generated by the second electromagnet.

[0070] A shaping method according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure is a shaping method for shaping a laminate made of a plurality of sheet materials including reinforcing fibers, comprising: a laminate installation step (S101) in which the laminate is installed in a shaping mold having a shaping surface that extends along the longitudinal direction and includes at least one curved region of a concave or convex shape along the width direction, and a plurality of electromagnets that generate magnetic force are arranged on the shaping surface; a sheet member installation step (S102) in which a flexible sheet member made of an elastic member including a magnetic material is installed with the laminate sandwiched between the shaping surface and the sheet member; and a shaping step (S103) in which the laminate, which is arranged between the electromagnet to which current is supplied and the sheet member in the region corresponding to the electromagnet, is shaped to conform to the shape of the shaping surface by selectively supplying current to each of the plurality of electromagnets, wherein the plurality of electromagnets are formed to extend along the longitudinal direction and are arranged at intervals from the first end to the second end of the shaping surface in the width direction.

[0071] According to the shaping method of the eighth aspect of this disclosure, a shaping mold having a shaping surface including at least one curved region of a concave or convex shape along the width direction has a plurality of electromagnets arranged on the shaping surface to generate a magnetic force. The plurality of electromagnets are formed to extend in the longitudinal direction and are arranged at intervals from the first end to the second end of the shaping surface in the width direction.

[0072] The shaping process generates a shaping force that attracts a flexible sheet member containing magnetic material toward the shaping surface by selectively supplying current to each of several electromagnets, thereby shaping the laminate placed between the electromagnets to which current is supplied and the sheet member in the region corresponding to the electromagnet so as to conform to the shape of the shaping surface. For example, by gradually starting the supply of current to several adjacent electromagnets along the width direction, it is possible to suppress the problem of wrinkles forming in the laminate compared to when the supply of current to several electromagnets is started simultaneously.

[0073] A shaping method according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure further comprises the following configuration in an eighth aspect: The shaping step starts supplying current to the electromagnets positioned at predetermined locations in the width direction, and then gradually starts supplying current to a plurality of electromagnets from the predetermined locations toward the first end or the second end. According to the shaping method of the ninth aspect of this disclosure, by gradually starting the supply of current to a plurality of electromagnets from a predetermined position in the width direction toward the first end or the second end, it is possible to suppress the problem of wrinkles occurring in the laminate compared to the case where the supply of current to the plurality of electromagnets is started simultaneously.

[0074] A shaping method according to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure further comprises the following configuration in a ninth aspect: the predetermined position is a position corresponding to the curved region, and the shaping step starts supplying current to the electromagnets positioned at the predetermined position, and then gradually starts supplying current to a plurality of electromagnets from the predetermined position toward the first end and the second end. According to the shaping method of the tenth aspect of this disclosure, by gradually starting the supply of current to multiple electromagnets from a position corresponding to the curvature region in the width direction toward the first end and the second end, it is possible to suppress the problem of wrinkles occurring in the laminate compared to the case where the supply of current to multiple electromagnets is started simultaneously.

[0075] A shaping method according to an eleventh aspect of the present disclosure further comprises the following configuration in the ninth aspect: the predetermined position is the first end, and the shaping step starts supplying current to the electromagnet located at the predetermined position, and then gradually starts supplying current to a plurality of electromagnets from the predetermined position toward the second end. According to the shaping method of the 11th aspect of this disclosure, by gradually starting the supply of current to a plurality of electromagnets from the first end to the second end in the width direction, it is possible to suppress the problem of wrinkles occurring in the laminate compared to when the supply of current to the plurality of electromagnets is started simultaneously.

[0076] A shaping method according to a twelfth aspect of the present disclosure further comprises the following configuration in any of the eighth to eleventh aspects: the shaping surface includes a non-curved region in which the change in curvature along the width direction is smaller than that of the curved region, and the first spacing of the plurality of electromagnets in the width direction in the curved region is narrower than the second spacing of the plurality of electromagnets in the width direction in the non-curved region. According to the shaping method of the twelfth aspect of this disclosure, by making the first spacing of multiple electromagnets in a curved region narrower than the second spacing of multiple electromagnets in a non-curved region, it is possible to appropriately suppress the occurrence of wrinkles in a curved region where the curvature changes significantly.

[0077] The shaping method according to the 13th aspect of this disclosure further comprises the following configuration in any of the 8th to 11th aspects: The current supply unit provides different first current values ​​to a first electromagnet included in the plurality of electromagnets and a second current value to a second electromagnet included in the plurality of electromagnets. According to the shaping method of the 13th aspect of this disclosure, by making the first current value supplied to the first magnet and the second current value supplied to the second magnet different, it is possible to apply a shaping force of an appropriate size according to the thickness to each region of a laminate where the thickness differs from region to region.

[0078] A shaping method according to a fourteenth aspect of the present disclosure further comprises the following configuration in a thirteenth aspect: The current supply unit increases the first current value to the second current value when the first thickness of the laminate arranged in the region corresponding to the first electromagnet is greater than the second thickness of the laminate arranged in the region corresponding to the second electromagnet. According to the shaping method of the 14th aspect of this disclosure, when the first thickness of the laminate arranged in the region corresponding to the first electromagnet is greater than the second thickness of the laminate arranged in the region corresponding to the second electromagnet, the first current value can be made greater than the second current value, and the shaping force generated by the first electromagnet can be made greater than the shaping force generated by the second electromagnet. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0079] 10 Shaping mold 10a Shaping surface 10a1 1st end 10a2 2nd end 11. Top surface (non-curved area) 12 Side view (non-curved area) 13. Convex surface (curved region) 14. Concave surface (curved region) 15. Bottom surface (non-curved area) 16,16a,16b,16c,16d,16e,16f,16g,16h,16i,16j,16k,16l,16m,16n,16o,16p,16q,16r,16s electromagnet 20 Sheet material 30 Current supply section 31 Power supply 32 relays 33 Circuit breakers 34 Voltage conversion section 35 Current control unit 100 Shaping equipment 200-layer structure 200a 1st end area 200b Second end area DR1 1st direction DR2 2nd direction LD (Long side) WD width direction

Claims

1. A forming apparatus for forming a laminate formed by stacking multiple sheet materials containing reinforcing fibers, A shaping mold having a shaping surface that extends along the longitudinal direction and includes at least one curved region that is concave or convex along the width direction, and having a plurality of electromagnets that generate magnetic force arranged on the shaping surface, A current supply unit capable of selectively supplying current to each of the multiple electromagnets, A sheet member is formed of an elastic member containing a magnetic material, is flexible, and is arranged with the laminate sandwiched between it and the shaping surface, The multiple electromagnets are formed to extend in the longitudinal direction and are arranged at intervals from the first end to the second end of the shaped surface in the width direction. The current supply unit starts supplying current to the electromagnets positioned at predetermined positions in the width direction, and then gradually starts supplying current to a plurality of electromagnets from the predetermined positions toward the first end and / or second end, thereby shaping the laminate, which is placed between the electromagnets to which current is supplied and the sheet member in the region corresponding to the electromagnets, so as to conform to the shape of the shaping surface.

2. The predetermined position is a position corresponding to the curved region, The shaping apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the current supply unit, after starting to supply current to the electromagnets positioned at the predetermined location, gradually starts supplying current to a plurality of electromagnets toward the first end and the second end from the predetermined location.

3. The predetermined position is the first end, The shaping apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the current supply unit, after starting to supply current to the electromagnets positioned at the predetermined location, gradually starts supplying current to a plurality of electromagnets toward the second end from the predetermined location.

4. The shaping surface includes a non-curved region in which the change in curvature along the width direction is smaller than that of the curved region. The shaping apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first spacing in the width direction of the plurality of electromagnets in the curved region is narrower than the second spacing in the width direction of the plurality of electromagnets in the non-curved region.

5. The shaping apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the current supply unit provides a first current value to a first electromagnet included in the plurality of electromagnets and a second current value to a second electromagnet included in the plurality of electromagnets.

6. The shaping apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the current supply unit makes the first current value greater than the second current value when the first thickness of the laminate arranged in the region corresponding to the first electromagnet is greater than the second thickness of the laminate arranged in the region corresponding to the second electromagnet.

7. A shaping method for forming a laminate obtained by laminating multiple sheet materials containing reinforcing fibers, A laminate installation step involves installing the laminate into a mold having a shaping surface that extends along the longitudinal direction and includes at least one curved region that is concave or convex along the width direction, and a plurality of electromagnets that generate magnetic force on the shaping surface and are formed to extend along the longitudinal direction, arranged at intervals in the width direction, A sheet member installation step involves installing a flexible sheet member formed from an elastic member containing a magnetic material, with the laminate sandwiched between the shaping surface and the sheet member, A shaping method comprising: a shaping step of shaping the laminate, which is placed between the electromagnets to which current is supplied and the area of ​​the sheet member corresponding to the electromagnets, so as to conform to the shape of the shaping surface, by starting to supply current to the electromagnets arranged at predetermined positions in the width direction, and then gradually starting to supply current to a plurality of electromagnets from the predetermined positions toward the first end and / or the second end of the shaping surface in the width direction, thereby shaping the laminate to conform to the shape of the shaping surface.

8. The predetermined position is a position corresponding to the curved region, The shaping method according to claim 7, wherein the shaping step involves starting to supply current to the electromagnets positioned at the predetermined location, and then gradually starting to supply current to a plurality of electromagnets from the predetermined location toward the first end and the second end.

9. The predetermined position is the first end, The shaping method according to claim 7, wherein the shaping step involves starting to supply current to the electromagnets positioned at the predetermined location, and then gradually starting to supply current to a plurality of electromagnets from the predetermined location toward the second end.

10. The shaping surface includes a non-curved region in which the change in curvature along the width direction is smaller than that of the curved region. The shaping method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the first spacing in the width direction of the plurality of electromagnets in the curved region is narrower than the second spacing in the width direction of the plurality of electromagnets in the non-curved region.

11. The shaping method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the shaping step involves making the first current value supplied to the first electromagnet included in the plurality of electromagnets different from the second current value supplied to the second electromagnet included in the plurality of electromagnets.

12. The shaping step is to make the first current value greater than the second current value when the first thickness of the laminate arranged in the region corresponding to the first electromagnet is greater than the second thickness of the laminate arranged in the region corresponding to the second electromagnet, according to claim 11.

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