Fiber-Reinforced Rim Lamination With Draped Fabric Preforming
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of fiber-reinforced composite wheels is labor-intensive and expensive due to the complexity of applying planar fiber materials to curved surfaces, leading to imperfections in the lamination process and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a draping device that preforms and applies planar fabric to a three-dimensionally contoured forming tool, using a slid with a contour-forming surface to guide the material and adjust fiber orientation, combined with a compaction device to ensure uniform thickness and mechanical competence, allowing for the automated production of high-quality annular bodies with reproducible properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If manual lamination of fiber materials is used, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but labor intensity increases and production cost rises
Solution Approach 1:
The forming tool is divided into multiple independently movable segments that can be adjusted to match different fiber layout requirements. Each segment can be positioned and oriented separately, allowing the tool to adapt to various wheel designs without requiring complete tool redesign, thus maintaining flexibility while enabling automated production.
Solution Approach 2:
The forming tool incorporates movable and adjustable components that can dynamically reconfigure during the lamination process. The tool segments can be repositioned and reoriented to accommodate different fiber orientations and wheel geometries, providing the adaptability of manual methods while maintaining automated production efficiency.
2Productivity
If automated fiber laying is implemented, then productivity increases, but manufacturing precision decreases due to imperfections in applying planar material to curved surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The forming tool is designed with curved surfaces that precisely match the target wheel geometry. By pre-forming the tool with the appropriate curvature and using contoured support surfaces, the planar fiber material can be laid down following the curved path without distortion, maintaining manufacturing precision while enabling automated production.
Solution Approach 2:
The forming tool allows for adjustment of geometric parameters such as curvature radius, segment angles, and surface contours. These parameters can be modified to match different wheel designs and fiber layout requirements, ensuring that the automated laying process maintains high precision across various product configurations.
3Strength
If multiple lamination steps are used to build up wheel components, then mechanical competence is improved, but production time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated lamination system operates continuously without interruption, applying multiple layers of fiber material in sequence without removing or repositioning the forming tool between layers. This continuous process maintains mechanical competence through proper lamination while significantly reducing production time compared to repeated manual operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The forming tool is pre-configured with the final wheel geometry and fiber orientation requirements before the lamination process begins. This preliminary setup allows multiple fiber layers to be applied in the correct positions and orientations from the start, eliminating the need for subsequent repositioning or correction steps and reducing overall production time.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention is directed to a method for producing a rim (2) comprising at least one three-dimensionally shaped layer of reinforcing fibers (26). In a first step a forming tool (25) is provided which comprises a three-dimensionally shaped outer contour. In a subsequent step a band of reinforcing fibers (26) is wound onto the forming tool (25) such that the reinforcing fibers follow the outer contour of the forming tool (25) and are arranged in at least one of reinforcing fibers. A draping device (27) is provided by which the band of reinforcing fibers (26) is preformed before the band of reinforcing fibers (26) is wound onto the forming tool (25).