Composite Preform Adhesive Density Gradient for Resin Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The resin infusion process in composite material manufacturing is time-consuming due to uneven resin flow, requiring high injection pressures and costly equipment, as resin easily flows towards injection ports and struggles to reach peripheral edges, increasing molding time and equipment costs.
Innovation Solution
A manufacturing method and apparatus where an adhesive with varying density is applied to the reinforcement, with a higher density near the injection port and lower density elsewhere, controlling resin flow to facilitate quicker infusion and reducing equipment costs by optimizing resin distribution within the mold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If high injection pressure is applied to inject resin quickly, then molding time is reduced, but equipment cost increases due to need for high-pressure injection equipment and large-sized press machine
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive content density is varied locally across different regions of the reinforcement. The first region (near injection port) has higher adhesive content density to control resin flow and prevent floating, while the second region (peripheral area) has lower adhesive content density to facilitate resin infiltration. This local variation in adhesive distribution optimizes resin flow characteristics without requiring high-pressure injection equipment.
2Device complexity
If resin is injected at normal pressure, then equipment cost is reduced, but molding time increases due to slow resin flow to peripheral regions
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive content density parameter is changed across different regions of the reinforcement. By adjusting the adhesive content density in the first region to be higher and in the second region to be lower, the resin flow characteristics are modified to achieve faster and more uniform distribution throughout the cavity, reducing molding time without increasing equipment pressure capabilities.
3Ease of manufacture
If adhesive content density is uniform across reinforcement, then manufacturing process is simple, but resin flow is uneven causing long molding time
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniform adhesive distribution, the adhesive content density is made non-uniform with higher density in the first region near the injection port and lower density in the second region at the periphery. This local quality variation controls resin flow to be more uniform across the cavity, preventing resin floating and reducing molding time while maintaining reasonable manufacturing complexity.
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 approach allows resin to flow efficiently to previously hard-to-reach areas, reducing molding time and equipment costs by minimizing the need for high-pressure injection systems and ensuring uniform resin distribution within the composite material.
Implementation Method 1
applying an adhesive to the sheet-shaped reinforcement having first and second regions such that a content density of the adhesive of the second region is lower than that of the first region; The resin injected into the cavity easily flows in a portion of the cavity where the second region of the reinforcement is placed, compared to a portion of the cavity where the first region of the reinforcement is placed
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing a composite material 400 provided with a reinforcement 510 and a resin 600 infused into the reinforcement, includes: an applying process of applying an adhesive 520 to the sheet-shaped reinforcement having first and second regions 501 and 502 such that a content density of the adhesive of the second region is lower than that of the first region; a preforming process of forming a preform 500 by preforming the reinforcement; and a process of molding a composite material 400 by infusing the resin 600 into the preform. The resin injected into the cavity easily flows in a portion of the cavity 350 where the second region of the reinforcement is placed, compared to a portion of the cavity where the first region of the reinforcement is placed.