Fiber-Reinforced Plastic Threaded Bolt Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern threaded bolts made of steel are heavy, posing a disadvantage in various applications, and existing material-forming methods for producing threaded structures cannot be directly applied to other materials.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a blank with aligned fibers embedded in a plastics material, such as PEEK, is used, where the blank is deformed in a negative mold under pressure to form a threaded structure, with controlled temperature and pressure conditions to maintain fiber alignment and achieve a lightweight threaded bolt.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If steel is used to produce threaded bolts, then high strength is achieved, but weight increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining plastics (polymer matrix) with reinforcing fibers (carbon, glass, or aramid fibers) to create a lightweight threaded bolt that maintains high strength. This composite structure replaces traditional steel while achieving both weight reduction and strength requirements through the synergistic combination of materials with different properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters by transitioning from metallic materials to polymer-fiber composites, fundamentally altering the density and strength characteristics. The fiber orientation parameters are also optimized to align with stress directions, maximizing strength-to-weight ratio while maintaining structural integrity under load.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional material-forming methods are used, then threaded structures can be produced in steel, but these methods cannot be directly applied to plastics with embedded fibers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameters of the plastics material by heating it to a temperature range where it becomes sufficiently fluid or viscoelastic. This parameter change enables the material to flow into the mold cavity and form complex threaded structures while the embedded fibers remain intact and properly oriented, making the process adaptable to fiber-reinforced plastics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical cutting or forming methods with a molding process that uses heat and pressure to form the threaded structure. This substitution allows the same manufacturing approach to work with both metals and fiber-reinforced plastics, significantly expanding material versatility while maintaining ease of manufacture.
3Manufacturing precision
If pressure is exerted on the blank to deform it in the mold cavity, then the threaded structure is formed, but the fibers may be severed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of the plastics material during forming, heating it to a range where the material becomes more fluid or viscoelastic. This parameter change allows the material to deform and conform to the threaded mold cavity while the embedded fibers remain intact, as the softened matrix better accommodates fiber deformation without causing fracture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamic control to the forming process by using controlled pressure application and potential multi-stage forming. The pressure is applied in a manner that allows gradual deformation of the viscoelastic material, enabling the fibers to follow the deformation path without sudden stress concentrations that would cause severing, thus maintaining both threading precision and fiber integrity.
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
The method produces a threaded bolt with high strength and reduced weight by embedding fibers in a plastics material, which is deformed without severing the fibers, resulting in a stable and lightweight threaded structure.
Implementation Method 1
the plastics material may be reduced to a fluid state by the pressure which is exerted in the method according to the invention
Implementation Method 2
a material having fluidity which improves as the temperature increases is selected
Implementation Method 3
Pressure is exerted on the blank in order to deform the blank in the mold cavity such that a threaded structure is formed
Implementation Method 4
Fibers which are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the bolt-shaped cylindrical portion are embedded in a plastics material in the blank
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for producing a threaded bolt. A blank is introduced into a threaded-bolt negative mold. The blank has a bolt-shaped portion. Fibers which are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the bolt-shaped portion are embedded in a plastics material in the blank. Pressure is exerted on the blank in order to deform the blank in the negative mold such that a threaded structure is formed on a circumferential face of the bolt-shaped portion. The invention moreover relates to a threaded bolt which is manufacturable by this method, and to a system which is conceived for carrying out the method. Lightweight and hard-wearing threaded bolts may be manufactured by the method according to the invention.