Fiber-Reinforced Composite Molding with Temperature Gradient Bubble Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing process of fiber-reinforced composite materials is complicated and costly due to the need for preliminary shaping and the inability to precisely control the positions and sizes of air bubbles in the resin, leading to reduced strength and appearance quality.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a mold with temperature gradient-controlled pipe paths to move and subdivide air bubbles within the resin, allowing precise control of their positions and sizes during curing, thereby preventing air bubble trails in critical areas and enhancing mechanical strength and appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If preliminary shaping step is performed before essential shaping, then fiber-reinforced sheets are fixed and positioning is improved, but manufacturing process becomes complicated and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the preliminary shaping step from the manufacturing process. By directly placing fiber-reinforced sheets in the essential shaping mold with proper positioning features, the process achieves both fixation and positioning without the additional preliminary shaping operation, thereby reducing process complexity while maintaining positioning precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies preliminary action by preparing positioning features and fixtures in advance within the essential shaping mold itself. These pre-designed positioning structures ensure that fiber-reinforced sheets are correctly positioned before resin injection, eliminating the need for a separate preliminary shaping step while maintaining accurate positioning.
2Manufacturing precision
If air bubbles are not removed from resin, then void occurs in molded article, but removing air bubbles by vacuum is incomplete and air bubbles remain
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies mechanical vibration to the resin during injection molding. The vibration disrupts air bubble formation and promotes bubble escape from the resin, effectively removing air bubbles that vacuum methods cannot eliminate. This results in complete bubble removal and high-quality molded articles without voids.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the vacuum system with a mechanical vibration system for air bubble removal. Instead of relying on vacuum suction which cannot achieve complete removal, the vibration mechanism actively disrupts and eliminates air bubbles through mechanical energy, providing more reliable and complete bubble removal.
3Productivity
If resin is injected quickly to improve productivity, then air bubbles are mixed in resin, but slow injection reduces productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies mechanical vibration during the resin injection process. This vibration prevents air bubbles from becoming trapped in the resin even during rapid injection, allowing high injection speeds to be maintained while achieving complete bubble-free resin impregnation. The vibration continuously disrupts bubble formation and promotes bubble escape.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention maintains continuous vibration action throughout the entire injection process. This continuous vibration ensures that air bubbles are constantly disrupted and removed throughout the rapid injection, maintaining both high injection speed and complete bubble removal without interruption or compromise in either productivity or quality.
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 simplifies the manufacturing process, improves the mechanical strength and appearance quality of fiber-reinforced composite materials by ensuring air bubbles are placed at predetermined positions, reducing the need for additional shaping steps and enhancing bonding strength.
Implementation Method 1
A method involving a mold with temperature gradient-controlled pipe paths to move and subdivide air bubbles within the resin
Implementation Method 2
molding including injecting the resin into the cavity of the mold, impregnating the fiber-reinforced sheet with the resin, and curing the resin
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing a fiber-reinforced composite material which is molded by impregnating a fiber-reinforced sheet with a resin and curing the resin includes: placing the fiber-reinforced sheet in a cavity of a mold; and molding the fiber-reinforced composite material, the molding including injecting the resin into the cavity of the mold, impregnating the fiber-reinforced sheet with the resin, and curing the resin. In the molding, after fine air bubbles contained in the resin are placed at a predetermined position of the cavity, the resin is cured.