Composite Cover With Metallic Foil For Deep Draw Forming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Forming a durable and effective lid or cover for high-voltage battery enclosures using fiber-reinforced materials is challenging, especially when the cover needs to have a deep draw design.
Innovation Solution
A composite cover is created using a sandwich structure with an interior layer of continuous fiber reinforcements and an exterior metallic foil, featuring a specific design with gaps or elongated voids at corners for enhanced strength and flexibility, and a manufacturing method involving shaped composite preforms and formed metallic foil sheets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If fiber-reinforced materials are used to construct a durable and tough enclosure cover, then the strength and durability of the cover is improved, but the ability to adequately form the cover with a deep draw design deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is divided into multiple layers including an inner layer, outer layer, and intermediate layer, with each layer serving specific functions. The fiber reinforcement is segmented into continuous fibers embedded in resin matrices, allowing differential deformation between layers during deep draw forming while maintaining overall structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite materials combining fiber reinforcements (such as glass fibers, carbon fibers, or aramid fibers) with resin matrices to create a multi-layered structure. This composite construction provides both the necessary strength and durability while enabling deep draw formability through the flexible resin matrix that accommodates deformation during forming.
2Reliability
If the cover is designed with deep draw to enclose interior space with adequate protection, then the protective function is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fiber reinforcements are pre-impregnated with resin to create preforms before final assembly. This preliminary impregnation allows the fibers to be positioned and oriented correctly before molding, simplifying the subsequent deep draw forming process while ensuring adequate protective function is achieved.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover structure employs nested layers where the intermediate layer is positioned between the inner and outer layers. This nested configuration allows each layer to contribute to the protective function while the layered structure simplifies manufacturing by enabling sequential placement and curing of each layer during the deep draw process.
Data Source
AI summary
A composite cover includes a generally rectangular main portion having four main portion edges about a perimeter of the main portion and having opposing top and bottom surfaces defining respective upward and downward directions, and four generally rectangular side portions each contiguous with and extending downward from a respective one of the main portion edges. The main portion and the four side portions generally enclose an interior space and are made of a sandwich structure comprising an interior layer of continuous fiber reinforcements and resin and an exterior layer of metallic foil bonded to the interior layer. A method of manufacturing the cover, having a desired shape generally of a five-walled open box, includes attaching a formed sheet made of metallic foil and having the desired shape onto a shaped composite preform disposed in the desired shape, wherein the shaped composite preform is made of continuous fiber reinforcements and resin.