Interchangeable Mold Protrusions for FRP Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in manufacturing fiber-reinforced plastic structures is accurately positioning demolded members relative to the mold without using expensive materials with low thermal expansion coefficients, as molds with high thermal expansion coefficients cause positional shifts due to thermal expansion, making it difficult to maintain precise positioning and increasing material costs.
Innovation Solution
A method and mold design that utilize interchangeable near and far printing parts with different distances, allowing the mold to elongate without affecting the positioning of the fiber-reinforced plastic member, using inexpensive materials with higher thermal expansion coefficients by housing the far printing part in the second printed part after elongation, ensuring accurate positioning and reducing material costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the mold is made of material with high thermal expansion coefficient, then the material cost of the mold is reduced, but the positioning accuracy deteriorates due to thermal expansion during molding
Solution Approach 1:
The invention makes the second printing part dynamically interchangeable between near and far positions rather than fixed. This allows the system to adapt its configuration based on whether the mold is in a heated or cooled state, compensating for thermal expansion effects and maintaining positioning accuracy regardless of the mold material's thermal expansion coefficient
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the positional parameter of the second printing part by providing it in two versions (near and far) that can be interchangeably installed. This parameter change compensates for the dimensional changes caused by thermal expansion, allowing accurate positioning to be maintained while using cost-effective mold materials
2Productivity
If the skin is returned to the mold at a different position, then the molding process can be completed, but the stringer ends up at an off-position making it difficult to fit to mating parts
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary positioning action by printing the first and second printing parts on the skin before the skin is removed from the mold. These printed markings serve as pre-established reference points that guide the accurate repositioning of the skin when it is returned to the mold for stringer molding
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a copy of the positioning reference system by printing the printing parts (protrusions or recesses) from the mold onto the skin surface. This copied reference system travels with the skin when it is removed and returned to the mold, ensuring the skin can be accurately repositioned without requiring the original mold geometry
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 allows for high positioning accuracy and cost-effective manufacturing by using inexpensive mold materials with higher thermal expansion coefficients, reducing cycle time and energy consumption while maintaining precise positioning of fiber-reinforced plastic members during the molding process.
Implementation Method 1
If the mold is made of a material with a high thermal expansion coefficient, the protrusions of the mold are printed on the skin while the mold is elongated due to the heat applied during molding
Data Source
AI summary
In the manufacturing method of the present invention, as preparation for providing a mold 30 with protrusions 31 and 32 to be printed on an FRP material of a skin 1 in co-bold molding, which requires resetting of the skin 1 to the mold 30, a long protrusion 32A and a short protrusion 32B are interchangeable as one protrusion 32. The long protrusion 32A is printed to form a second recessed part 12 in the skin 1, and before the skin 1 is reset, the long protrusion 32A is replaced with the short protrusion 32B. In this way, as the short protrusion 32B is housed in the second recessed part 12 formed during elongation of the mold 30, the skin 1 can be reset in the state of being positioned relative to the mold 30 by the first protrusion 31 and the short protrusion 32B.