Carbon Fibre Vehicle Body Winding Method
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for producing armoured vehicles using carbon fibres are costly and complex, with high tool expenses and difficulty in achieving uniformity and adaptability for military applications, especially in reducing weight while maintaining load-carrying ability and armouring.
Innovation Solution
A method involving winding carbon fibre threads wetted in glue around a mandrel, with integrated lightweight ceramic or armouring materials, followed by curing and surface treatment, allowing for precise control of fibre directions and mounting positions, reducing tool expenses and enabling adaptation to specific applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional moulding tools and autoclave processes are used for producing carbon fibre armoured vehicles, then the vehicle body can be manufactured with sufficient strength and armouring, but the production cost and tool expenses become excessively high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive, complex moulding tools with a simple mandrel that can be reused multiple times. The mandrel is a basic cylindrical form without the complex contours of traditional moulds, making it much cheaper to manufacture and maintain. This disposable-like approach to tooling dramatically reduces production costs while still enabling high-quality carbon fibre vehicle body production
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential function of the mould (providing a form for the carbon fibre to take) while removing the expensive, complex components. By using a simple mandrel instead of a full mould, the solution keeps only the necessary form-giving function and eliminates the costly tooling infrastructure, thereby reducing production expenses
2Shape
If multiple separate body parts are assembled to create the vehicle body, then the vehicle can be manufactured with complex shapes and features, but the tolerance control and uniformity of the finished product become difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple body parts into a single integrated structure by winding carbon fibre threads continuously around the mandrel. This creates one uniform vehicle body without the need for assembling separate components, thereby eliminating tolerance accumulation and ensuring consistent quality throughout the entire structure
Solution Approach 2:
The mandrel is designed with pre-defined features (such as mounting positions and structural contours) that guide the carbon fibre winding process. This preliminary preparation ensures that the final vehicle body achieves the desired shape and features with precise tolerances directly during the winding process, without requiring subsequent assembly operations
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional glass fibre boat moulding methods are used for carbon fibre vehicles, then the production process is well-established and straightforward, but the vehicle weight remains high and load-carrying ability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses carbon fibre threads impregnated with resin to create a composite material structure that is significantly lighter than traditional glass fibre or steel constructions. The carbon fibre composite maintains sufficient strength and armouring properties while reducing vehicle weight, thereby improving load-carrying ability and mobility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from glass fibre to carbon fibre, which has superior strength-to-weight ratio properties. This material substitution fundamentally alters the density and mechanical properties of the vehicle body, achieving weight reduction while maintaining or improving structural performance
4Adaptability or versatility
If manual handling and assembly operations are used in the production process, then the manufacturing process is flexible and adaptable, but the production time and labour costs increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The mandrel is designed to automatically guide the carbon fibre thread winding process and define the body geometry. The system is self-guiding during the winding operation, eliminating the need for continuous manual intervention and assembly operations, thereby dramatically reducing production time while maintaining manufacturing flexibility through mandrel design variations
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
This method results in a lightweight, uniformly structured vehicle with reduced tool costs, enhanced armouring capabilities, and the ability to adapt to various military needs, facilitating air transport and integration of complex devices, while maintaining strength and reducing manual handling.
Implementation Method 1
threads wetted in glue
Implementation Method 2
the threads wound around the mandrel are subsequently cured
Implementation Method 3
one or more layers of light weight ceramic and/or other armouring materials are laid in which thereby become integrated in the basic body
Implementation Method 4
the body is subsequently surface treated
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
There is described a method for making a vehicle (2), including a body comprising carbon fibres, preferably a military vehicle. The method consists of the body being wound up over a mandrel with threads (28) wetted in glue. The threads (28) contain carbon fibres. The threads (28) wound around the mandrel (22) are subsequently cured. After the curing, the body is drawn off the mandrel (22), and the ends of the body are cut off at appropriate angles. Then the front end and rear end of the body are closed with closure elements, preferably closure elements containing carbon fibres and armouring materials. During the winding process, one or more layers of lightweight ceramic and/or other armouring materials (26) are laid in, which thereby become integrated in the basic body.