Composite Material Forming Device Gas Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing composite materials with high strength are hindered by gas trapped inside thermosetting resins, which reduces material strength, and the autoclave method is inefficient due to lengthy preparation steps like laminating, debulking, and bagging.
Innovation Solution
A composite material forming device and method using a pressurizing unit and heating unit that apply a magnetic field to sandwich and heat the material, allowing for efficient gas removal without the need for these preparation steps, with a movement mechanism to adjust the pressurization and heating regions based on the material's size and shape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a laminated sheet is heated to cure thermosetting resin, then the composite material is formed, but gas generated internally cannot be removed and strength decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary pressurization to the laminated sheet before heating to remove gas. The pressurizing unit compresses the laminated sheet in the atmospheric pressure apparatus, forcing gas out of the thermosetting resin before curing occurs. This preliminary action prevents gas entrapment that would otherwise occur during heating, thereby maintaining high strength of the composite material.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the pressure parameter by applying atmospheric pressure (higher than normal atmospheric pressure) to the laminated sheet during the forming process. This pressure parameter change forces gas out of the resin while the resin is still in a state where gas can be extruded, preventing gas entrapment and ensuring high strength composite material formation.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If an autoclave method is used to remove gas, then gas can be removed from the composite material, but numerous preparation steps (laminating, debulking, bagging) are required and production time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the gas removal function from the complex autoclave process by using a simplified atmospheric pressure apparatus. The pressurizing unit directly compresses the laminated sheet to remove gas, eliminating the need for separate debulking and bagging steps. This extraction of the essential gas removal function reduces production time while achieving the same harmful factor removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the gas removal function with the heating and forming operations into a single integrated process. The atmospheric pressure apparatus performs pressurization, heating, and gas removal simultaneously, whereas the autoclave method requires sequential laminating, debulking, and bagging steps. This merging eliminates unnecessary preparation steps and reduces production time.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If an autoclave method is used to remove gas, then gas can be removed from the composite material, but the number of process steps increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the gas removal function from the complex autoclave process by using a simplified atmospheric pressure apparatus. The pressurizing unit directly compresses the laminated sheet to remove gas, eliminating the need for separate debulking and bagging steps. This extraction of the essential gas removal function reduces production time while achieving the same harmful factor removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the gas removal function with the heating and forming operations into a single integrated process. The atmospheric pressure apparatus performs pressurization, heating, and gas removal simultaneously, whereas the autoclave method requires sequential laminating, debulking, and bagging steps. This merging eliminates unnecessary preparation steps and reduces production time.
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 enables the efficient formation of composite materials by heating and pressurizing in the atmosphere, effectively removing trapped gas and reducing production time and complexity, thus enhancing material strength and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a heating unit which applies a magnetic field to the predetermined region of the composite material that has been pressurized by the pressurizing unit to heat the predetermined region of the composite material
Implementation Method 2
a pressurizing unit which includes a first member and a second member which are transparent with respect to a magnetic field, and sandwiches and pressurizes, between the first member and the second member, a predetermined region of a composite material
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The present invention provides a composite material forming device and composite material forming method for efficiently forming a composite material while suitably removing gas generated inside a thermosetting resin. A composite material forming device (10) includes a pressurizing unit (12), heating unit (14), movement mechanism (16) and control unit (18), and processes a composite material (20) in which reinforced fibers have been impregnated with a thermosetting resin from a softened state or semi-cured state into a cured state while forming the composite material into a prescribed size and prescribed shape. The pressurizing unit (12) applies pressure to a prescribed region of the composite material (20). The heating unit (14) applies a magnetic field to the prescribed region of the composite material (20) to which pressure has been applied by the pressurizing unit (12), thereby heating a prescribed region of the composite material (20). The movement mechanism (16) causes the pressurization region and heating region to synchronously move by simultaneously changing the position of a first member (22) relative to the composite material (20) and the position of the heating unit (14) relative to the composite material (20).