Rotating Forming Tool for Accurate Laminate Bending in Recessed Areas
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for forming laminates of reinforced fibers struggle to faithfully bend the laminate along the shape of a forming tool, particularly in recessed regions, due to uneven pressing forces and issues with vacuum bag deterioration or stretching, leading to inconsistent shaping.
Innovation Solution
A forming device and method utilizing a forming tool with inclined forming surfaces and a rotation mechanism to rotate the tool around a perpendicular axis, combined with elastic forming sheets and maintaining members, to apply controlled tension and bend the laminate accurately along the tool's shape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a vacuum bag is used to apply pressing force to the laminate, then the laminate can be formed into a target shape, but the pressing force is lower in recessed regions and insufficient when the vacuum bag deteriorates or stretches
Solution Approach 1:
A pressing member is introduced as an intermediary between the vacuum bag and the laminate. The pressing member directly contacts the laminate in recessed regions to apply additional pressing force, compensating for the insufficient force from the vacuum bag alone. This mediator ensures uniform pressing force distribution and maintains forming accuracy even when the vacuum bag deteriorates or stretches.
2Ease of manufacture
If a vacuum bag is used for forming, then the process is simple, but the pressing force becomes significantly reduced when the vacuum bag deteriorates or stretches out
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing member serves as a reliable intermediary that directly transmits pressing force to the laminate regardless of vacuum bag condition. This additional component ensures consistent and reliable pressing force application, eliminating the reliability issues caused by vacuum bag deterioration while maintaining the overall simplicity of the vacuum bag forming process.
3Shape
If the laminate is pressed against a forming tool with recessed regions, then the target shape can be achieved, but the laminate cannot be faithfully bent along the shape in recessed regions due to insufficient pressing force
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing member acts as a mediator that directly contacts the laminate in recessed regions of the forming tool. It applies concentrated pressing force to these difficult-to-form areas, ensuring the laminate faithfully conforms to the target shape in recessed regions and achieving high shape conformity throughout the entire forming process.
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 solution enables faithful bending of laminates by applying consistent pressing forces, ensuring the laminate conforms precisely to the tool's shape, even in recessed areas, thereby improving the manufacturing accuracy of composite structural members.
Implementation Method 1
a rotation mechanism configured to rotate the forming tool around a rotation axis orthogonal to the predetermined direction, and a first forming sheet including one end fixed to the second forming member at a position facing a second region adjacent to the first region, and another end fixed to a first predetermined position
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a forming device including a forming tool including a first forming member, a second forming member, and a maintaining member maintaining a state in which a first region of a laminate is sandwiched between the first forming member and the second forming member, a rotation mechanism rotating the forming tool around a rotation axis X, and a first forming sheet including one end fixed to the second forming member and another end fixed to a first predetermined position, wherein the first forming member includes a first contact surface coming into contact with the first region and a first forming surface inclined at a first predetermined angle with respect to a width direction, and the rotation mechanism performs a forming operation of rotating the forming tool around the rotation axis X, thereby pressing, by the first forming sheet in contact with the second surface of the laminate, the first surface of the laminate against the first forming surface to bend the laminate.