A composite sheet material and a method of manufacture thereof
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current composite materials, particularly carbon fibre composites, are limited in their aesthetic appeal due to their natural black color, and existing methods to introduce color either obscure the woven appearance or add weight and cost, while conventional cure cycles are too long for large-volume production.
Innovation Solution
A composite sheet material is created by applying an opaque layer of a different color on one side of a fibrous material, paired with a transparent or translucent plastics layer that cooperates to provide a colored appearance, enhancing strength and allowing the contours of the opaque layer to match the fibrous material's shape, while using a method that includes adhering a pre-preg and curing to form a composite structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If coloured yarn is interwoven with carbon fibre, then the material appears coloured, but the woven appearance becomes blurred
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the colour application from the fibre structure by using a separate coloured coating layer applied to the carbon fibre surface, rather than interweaving coloured yarns. This allows the woven pattern to remain visible while achieving vibrant colour appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a coloured coating layer as an intermediary between the carbon fibre and the viewer. This coating provides the desired colour while being thin enough to allow the woven structure to show through, resolving the contradiction between colour intensity and woven appearance.
2Illumination intensity
If a carbon fibre part is painted, then it has colour, but the paint hides the woven appearance and adds weight and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a thin coloured coating specifically on the carbon fibre surface rather than using thick paint layers. This localized application provides colour while maintaining the visibility of the woven structure underneath, avoiding the drawbacks of conventional painting.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of coating thickness to be very thin, allowing light to pass through and reveal the woven structure while still providing sufficient colour. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between colour appearance and woven visibility.
3Illumination intensity
If glass fibres are used as a backing layer, then the thermoplastic layer has a bright backing, but the glass fibres are heavier and provide less mechanical strength
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the backing layer function from the structural reinforcement function. By using a thin coloured coating instead of a thick glass fibre backing, the patent achieves brightness without sacrificing the mechanical strength provided by the carbon fibre structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure where the carbon fibre provides both structural strength and the coloured coating provides brightness. This eliminates the need for a separate glass fibre backing layer, maintaining strength while achieving the desired optical properties.
4Use of energy by stationary object
If low temperature curing is used, then energy costs are reduced for large parts, but cure cycles become too long for high-volume production
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter during curing to optimize the balance between energy consumption and cure cycle time. By using higher temperatures suitable for the specific thermoplastic/thermoset materials, the patent achieves faster curing rates that enable high-volume production while managing energy costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic heating cycles during the curing process, allowing for efficient heat distribution and reduced overall cure time. This periodic thermal action enables faster production cycles while maintaining energy efficiency for high-volume manufacturing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution retains the structural qualities of carbon fibre composites while offering a high-quality colored appearance, reduces the likelihood of cracking in the plastics layer, and enables shorter cure cycles suitable for high-volume production, maintaining mechanical strength and aesthetics.
Implementation Method 1
The applying the layer of opaque material may be performed by vapour deposition of the opaque material onto the first side of the layer of fibrous material
Implementation Method 2
applying a layer of transparent or translucent plastics material on a side of the opaque material opposite the layer of fibrous material, wherein the side of the layer of opaque material is viewable through the layer of plastics material
Implementation Method 3
adhering a pre-preg to a second side of the layer of fibrous material
Implementation Method 4
curing and/or forming the pre-preg and the composite sheet material to form the composite structure
Data Source
AI summary
A COMPOSITE SHEET MATERIAL AND A METHOD OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF A method of making a composite sheet material, comprising: applying (102) an opaque layer of opaque material (12), for example aluminium, to a first side of a layer of fibrous material (10); applying (104) a layer of transparent or translucent plastics material (14) on a side of the opaque material opposite the layer of fibrous material. The side of the layer of opaque material is viewable through the layer of plastics material. The opaque layer is a different colour to the colour of the fibrous material. The opaque layer and the layer of plastics material cooperate to provide the composite sheet material with a coloured appearance. The layer of opaque material is coated on the first side of the fibrous layer so that contours of the side of the opaque material correspond to the shape of the first side of the fibrous material layer. The fibrous material may be a woven fabric such woven carbon fibre. The plastics material may be thermoplastic or thermoset material. Further steps may include: adhering (110) an cured or formed pre-preg (120) to a second side of the woven carbon fibre material; and curing and/or forming (112) to form the composite structure. The pre- preg may be a thermoplastic or thermoset pre-preg.