CN113939396B

CN113939396B - Apparatus for producing molded article of fiber-reinforced resin material and method for producing molded article

Info

Publication number: CN113939396B
Application number: CN202180003512.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 济藤友明; 首藤祥史
Original assignee: Japan Technology Management Co ltd
Current assignee: Ningbo Motong Composite Materials Co ltd
Priority date: 2020-10-09
Filing date: 2021-05-26
Publication date: 2023-03-21
Anticipated expiration: 2041-05-26
Also published as: WO2021172597A1; JP6893011B1; CN113939396A; JP2022062870A

Abstract

The cycle time in the production of a molded article of a fiber-reinforced resin material by pressing can be shortened, and the mass production of high cycles can be promoted. The heating mechanism for supplying heat energy to the pair of upper and lower molds is disposed so as to be able to approach or separate from the respective back surfaces of the upper and lower molds by the cooling mechanism for cooling the pair of molds after the process of heating compression molding.

Description

Apparatus for producing molded article of fiber-reinforced resin material and method for producing molded article

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing a molded article of a fiber-reinforced resin material having improved strength by bonding to fibers such as glass fibers or carbon fibers, and a method for producing a molded article of a fiber-reinforced resin material using the apparatus for producing a molded article.

Background

In addition to the above-mentioned glass fibers and carbon fibers, fibers of synthetic resins such as cellulose, boron, and aromatic resins are known as fibers to be used. Materials obtained by impregnating or mixing thermosetting resins or thermoplastic resins with these fibers as continuous fibers or discontinuous fibers (short fibers) are provided as fiber-reinforced resin materials (processing materials) in the form of prepregs, sheet Molding Compounds (SMCs), tapes, sheets, mats, or the like.

The above-described materials are molded into a desired shape by pressing to produce Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) molded articles, which are used in a wide variety of fields such as building materials, structural materials for ships and aircraft.

The punch forming comprises the following steps: a pair of dies (generally, an upper die (cavity) having a female shape on one side and a lower die (core) having a male shape on the other side) are moved up and down by a slider driven by a hydraulic cylinder or an electric motor, a work material (for example, prepreg) inserted between the pair of dies (above the lower die) is heated and compressed by pressing, and is molded into a desired shape, and after cooling, the upper and lower dies are opened and taken out as a product.

Patent document 1 is an example of a document disclosing such a conventional technique. Patent document 1 discloses a press-forming die and a forming method using the same, the press-forming die being configured to: by arranging the elastomer between the die core and the heating mechanism, the imbalance of resin impregnation caused by uneven pressurization and heating in the punching process using the die core is eliminated.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent No. 5826243

Disclosure of Invention

The cooling time of the mold required for stabilizing the shape until the product is taken out after the mold is heated and compressed in the step of molding a molding material such as a prepreg by pressing is greatly dependent on the production time (process time, cycle time).

In patent document 1, a heating mechanism (heater) is embedded in: one transfer molding section and the other transfer molding section of a pair of molds for imparting a desired shape to a molding material are disposed adjacent to each other so as to directly supply thermal energy to the molding material. On the other hand, a flow path of cold water as a cooling mechanism is provided on the side of the movable mold opposite to the transfer molding section of the fixed mold, that is, outside the heating mechanism.

In this configuration, after the required molding process is performed by heating and compressing, a considerable amount of time is required until the cooling mechanism lowers the temperatures of the mold (transfer molding section) and the molded article and opens the mold to open the mold and enable the molded article to be taken out. That is, even if the supply of electric power to the heater is stopped and the cold water is made to flow through the cooling mechanism, a considerable amount of residual heat remains in the mold (core), and therefore, the cooling mechanism must suck out the residual heat, and it takes a long time until the temperature of the mold reaches a value at which the molded product can be taken out. This prevents the cycle time of the manufacturing process from being shortened, which becomes: the problem to be solved is to achieve a high cycle.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the conventional techniques, and can shorten the cycle time in the production of a molded article of a fiber-reinforced resin material by pressing, thereby promoting high-cycle mass production.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is characterized in that heating means for supplying heat energy to a pair of upper and lower molds are disposed on respective back surfaces of the molds so as to be able to approach or separate from each other by cooling means for cooling the pair of molds after a process of heating compression molding. The present invention includes the following features.

[1] A device for producing a molded article of a fiber-reinforced resin material, which is press-molded using a pair of upper and lower molds comprising an upper mold having a cavity and a lower mold having a core,

heating means for supplying heat energy to a pair of upper and lower molds are provided on the back surfaces of the pair of molds via cooling means for cooling the pair of molds, and are disposed so as to be capable of approaching and separating from the cooling means.

[2] The apparatus for producing a molded article of fiber-reinforced resin material according to [1], wherein the means for supplying heat energy to the upper mold and the lower mold comprises: and a cylindrical heater or a high-frequency power supply filled in the hollow space of the upper and lower heating plates.

[3] The apparatus for producing a molded article of a fiber-reinforced resin material according to item [1] above, wherein the cooling mechanism for cooling the upper mold and the lower mold by the upper cooling plate and the lower cooling plate is characterized in that: and cold water or oil flowing through the serpentine tubes embedded in the upper cooling plate and the lower cooling plate.

[4] A method for manufacturing a molded article of a fiber-reinforced resin material, which is press-molded using an upper mold having a cavity and a lower mold having a core,

the upper mold includes an upper cooling plate joined to and disposed on a back surface opposite to the cavity, and an upper heating plate disposed in thermal contact so as to be able to approach or separate from the upper cooling plate, and the lower mold includes a lower cooling plate joined to and disposed on a back surface opposite to the core, and a lower heating plate disposed in thermal contact so as to be able to approach or separate from the lower cooling plate,

the method for producing a molded article of a fiber-reinforced resin material comprises:

a material insertion step of inserting a fiber-reinforced resin material onto a core of the lower mold between a cavity of the upper mold constituting the upper unit and the core of the lower mold constituting the lower unit;

a heating step of bonding the upper cooling plate to a back surface of the upper mold constituting the upper unit, and bonding the lower cooling plate to a back surface of the lower mold, and performing press forming while pressing, heating, and compressing the fiber-reinforced resin material in a state in which thermal energy is transmitted and supplied to the upper mold and the lower mold via the upper heating plate provided in contact with the upper cooling plate and the lower heating plate provided in contact with the lower cooling plate;

a cooling step of stopping supply of thermal energy to the upper mold and the lower mold after a lapse of a required heating/compression process time, supplying a cooling medium to the upper cooling plate and the lower cooling plate, and cooling the upper mold, the lower mold, and the fiber-reinforced resin material to a predetermined temperature; and

and a molded article taking-out step of releasing the pressing of the upper unit and the lower unit at a point of time when the fiber-reinforced resin material is cooled to a desired temperature, opening the upper mold and the lower mold, and taking out the fiber-reinforced resin material molded article.

[5] The method of manufacturing a molded article of a fiber-reinforced resin material according to item [4] above, comprising a hot plate retracting step of releasing thermal bonding between the upper hot plate and the lower hot plate and the upper cooling plate and the lower cooling plate, respectively, when supply of thermal energy to the upper mold and the lower mold is stopped.

The cavity 1a and the core 2a provided in the upper and lower molds in the above configuration may be formed in any one of the upper and lower molds. In addition, the invention can also be applied to the die using the die core.

The present invention is not limited to: the structure of the embodiment described above and the embodiment described later can be variously modified within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, the heating plate is configured to be retracted away from the die provided with the cooling plate, so that the cooling time of the die during press working can be significantly shortened, and high-cycle mass production can be achieved.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the overall configuration of a molded article manufacturing apparatus for a fiber-reinforced resin material according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus for producing a molded article of fiber-reinforced resin material according to the present invention shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the structure of the upper unit of the apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material molded product according to the present invention, excluding the upper mold.

Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the structure of the lower unit of the molded article manufacturing apparatus of the fiber-reinforced resin material according to the present invention, excluding the lower die.

Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining an example of a cooling plate constituting the apparatus for producing a molded article of a fiber-reinforced resin material according to the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining an example of a heating plate constituting the apparatus for producing a molded article of a fiber-reinforced resin material according to the present invention.

Fig. 7A is a schematic diagram for explaining a process of manufacturing a molded article of a fiber-reinforced resin material according to the present invention.

Fig. 7B is a schematic view following fig. 7A for explaining a process of manufacturing a molded article of a fiber-reinforced resin material according to the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart for describing an example of a process for producing a molded article of a fiber-reinforced resin material according to the present invention.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, an apparatus and a method for producing a molded article of a fiber-reinforced resin material according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings of examples.

Example 1

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall configuration of a device (press) for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material molded product according to the present invention, and fig. 2 is a plan view of the device shown in fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an explanatory view of the structure of the upper unit of the apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material molded product according to the present invention, excluding the upper mold, and fig. 4 is an explanatory view of the structure of the lower unit of the apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material molded product according to the present invention, excluding the upper mold.

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a device for manufacturing a molded article of a fiber-reinforced resin material according to the present invention, and relates to a press molding device which is provided in a base 13 of a press machine and uses a pair of upper and lower dies including an upper die 1 having a cavity 1a and a lower die 2 having a core 2 a. In the present embodiment, the female (concave) shape formed on the upper mold 1 side is described as the cavity 1a, and the male (convex) shape formed on the lower mold 2 is described as the core 2a, but the cavity 1a and the core 2a may be formed on either of the upper and lower molds, and are not particularly limited.

The molded product manufacturing device is: a heating and cooling molding device suitable for heating and cooling a mold, comprising: heating means (upper heating plate 5, lower heating plate 6) and cooling means (upper cooling plate 3, lower cooling plate 4) for supplying thermal energy to the pair of upper and lower dies (upper die 1, lower die 2).

Heating means (5, 6) are provided on the back surfaces of the pair of molds (1, 2) via cooling means (3, 4) for cooling the molds (1, 2), and the heating means (5, 6) are arranged such that: can be separated from the cooling mechanisms (3, 4) in a close manner.

As shown in the plan view of fig. 2 (showing the plane of the upper heating plate 5), the molded article manufacturing apparatus of the present embodiment is: the cooling plate has a structure in which rectangular upper and lower cooling plates (3, 4) and upper and lower heating plates (5, 6) are stacked on top of each other.

As shown in detail in fig. 3, the upper unit pins 7a to 7d (7 c to 7d are not shown) are inserted in a state in which they can move up and down and their extraction is restricted: upper pin grooves (pin insertion holes) 8a to 8d (see fig. 1) formed at four corners of the upper heating plate 5.

In addition, the lower heater plate 6 is also configured in the same manner, and the lower unit pins 9a to 9d are inserted through: lower pin grooves (pin insertion holes) 10a to 10d formed at four corners of the lower heating plate 6. The lower unit pins 9a to 9d may be provided so as to be removable.

The upper and lower molds (1, 2) are integrally coupled to the upper and lower cooling plates (3, 4) by coupling screws 15, respectively.

Thus, the upper mold 1 has: the upper unit 100 is configured to include an upper cooling plate 3 and an upper heating plate 5, wherein the upper cooling plate 3 is joined to a rear surface opposite to the cavity 1a, and the upper heating plate 5 is disposed in thermal contact so as to be able to approach or separate from the upper cooling plate 3.

Further, the lower die 2 includes: the lower unit 200 is configured to include a lower cooling plate 4 and a lower heating plate 6, wherein the lower cooling plate 4 is joined to and disposed on a back surface opposite to the core 2a, and the lower heating plate 6 is disposed in thermal contact so as to be able to approach or separate from the lower cooling plate 4.

The fiber reinforced resin material 14a inserted between the cavity 1a of the upper die 1 and the core 2a of the lower die 2 is pressed by heating by the upper and

lower heating plates

5 and 6 and compression pressing of the upper and lower dies 1 and 2, and the upper and lower dies 1 and 2 are cooled by the upper and

lower cooling plates

3 and 4 in a state where the contact between the upper and

lower heating plates

5 and 6 is released and the upper and lower dies are locked to maintain the pressed state (intermediate locking), so that the fiber reinforced resin material becomes a molded product.

Referring to fig. 3 and 4, an upper unit 100 and a lower unit 200 constituting the molded article manufacturing apparatus of the fiber-reinforced resin material in this embodiment are explained.

Since the upper unit 100 and the lower unit 200 have the same structure in the state of being inverted in the vertical direction, the upper unit 100 will be mainly described.

As illustrated in fig. 1, the upper unit 100 includes an upper cooling plate 3 and an upper heating plate 5, wherein the upper cooling plate 3 is disposed on a back surface of the upper mold 1 opposite to the cavity 1a, which is illustrated in fig. 1, by a joint surface 16 so as to be thermally joined, and the upper heating plate 5 is disposed in thermal contact so as to be able to approach or separate from the upper cooling plate 3. Similarly, the lower mold 2 includes a lower cooling plate 4 and a lower heating plate 5, wherein the lower cooling plate 4 is disposed on the back surface opposite to the core 2a through a joint surface 17 so as to be thermally joined, and the lower heating plate 5 is disposed in thermal contact so as to be able to approach or separate from the lower cooling plate 4.

The upper and lower molds (1, 2) and the upper and lower cooling plates (3, 4) being arranged "in a thermally bonded manner" means that: the upper and lower molds (1, 2) are integrally joined to the upper and lower cooling plates (3, 4) so as to perform excellent heat transfer.

In general, the mold and the cooling plate are manufactured as separate members. When they are assembled to a press device, the die and the cooling plate are arranged in contact with each other: the heat transfer can be performed smoothly.

The cooling plates (3, 4) and the heating plates (5, 6) being arranged "in thermal contact" means that: although the above-described "arranged in a thermally joined manner" state is created, it is configured to be able to release the contact.

At the start of pressing, the upper heating plate 5 is brought into contact with the upper cooling plate 3 against the upper cell springs 11a to 11d (positions of 11c and 11d are shown in fig. 2) by a slider (not shown), and thereby the three are formed into one piece together with the upper die 1 and lowered so as to compress the fiber-reinforced resin material 14a placed on the lower cell 200.

The upper unit springs 11a to 11d are accommodated in the spring accommodation portions 18 (only the upper heater plate is given a reference numeral) in a state where the upper heater plate 5 is in pressure contact with the upper cooling plate 3.

The upper heating plate 5 is moved toward or away from the upper cooling plate 3 by sliding the upper unit pins 7a to 7d (7 c and 7d are not shown) in the upper pin grooves 8a having a step for limiting the vertical distance.

In addition, when the interval between the upper heating plate 5 and the upper cooling plate 3 is set to D1 and the distance between the upper surface of the upper unit pins 7a to 7D and the back surface (surface pressed by the slider) of the upper heating plate 5 is set to D1, D1. Ltoreq. D1, for example, 1 mm. Ltoreq. D1. Ltoreq.30 mm (5 mm in the present embodiment).

Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining an example of a cooling plate constituting the apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material molded product according to the present invention, and fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining an example of a heating plate constituting the apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material molded product according to the present invention.

In fig. 5, serpentine tubes (cooling medium flow paths) 24 and 25 are formed inside the upper and lower cooling plates (3 and 4) made of a metal block material, and in the present embodiment, cold water as a cooling medium flows therethrough. The cooling medium is not particularly limited as long as it can cool, and may be oil, for example.

The cooling medium flows from the cooling medium source/opening/closing mechanism 28 through the cooling

medium flow paths

24 and 25 to the recovery mechanism 30, thereby lowering the temperature of the upper and lower molds (1 and 2).

In fig. 6, a plurality of cartridge heaters (26, 27) are provided on the upper and lower heating plates (5, 6) of the metal block material to heat the heating plates (5, 6).

While the heating plates (5, 6) supply thermal energy to the upper and lower molds (1, 2) through the cooling plates (3, 4), the supply of the cooling medium to the upper and lower cooling plates (3, 4) is stopped.

The cartridge heaters (26, 27) are controlled by a control mechanism or the like so as to be turned on or off with the heat generation controller.

The cartridge heaters (26, 27) use joule heat as a heat source, but may be replaced by: a high-frequency power supply using a high-frequency heating coil, and the like. That is, the mechanism for supplying the thermal energy is not particularly limited, and may be a heating device capable of heating, or the like. The superheated steam may be heated by passing through a coil pipe similar to the cooling medium flow passage described above.

Next, the following explanation is made: an example of a process of a method for producing a molded article from a fiber-reinforced resin material using the molded article production apparatus according to the present invention is described above.

Fig. 7A is a schematic view for explaining a process of manufacturing a molded article of a fiber-reinforced resin material according to the present invention, and fig. 7B is a schematic view for explaining a process of manufacturing a molded article continued from fig. 7A. Fig. 8 is a flowchart for describing an example of a process for producing a molded article of a fiber-reinforced resin material according to the present invention.

Next, an embodiment of the manufacturing method according to the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 7A, 7B, and 8.

In the initial state, the slider, not shown, stops at the standby position, and the upper unit 100 and the lower unit 200 are: as shown in fig. 1, the cavity 1a of the upper mold 1 is separated from the core 2a of the lower mold 2.

The upper cooling plate 3 is joined to the back surface of the upper mold 1, and the upper heating plate 5 is provided on the back surface of the upper cooling plate 3 in a state separated by the tension of the upper cell springs 11a to 11d (11 c to 11d are not shown).

Similarly, in the lower die 2, the lower cooling plate 4 is joined to the back surface of the lower die 1, and the lower heater plate 6 is provided on the back surface of the lower cooling plate 4 in a state separated by the extension of the lower cell springs 12a to 12d (12 c to 12d are not shown). In this state, the upper and lower units (100, 200) are in standby (process 1 (hereinafter referred to as P1) in fig. 8).

Further, in the next process, the processing material (fiber-reinforced resin material 14 a) is inserted in: in the gap (between the cavity 1a and the core 2 a) between the upper and lower molds (1, 2) in the standby state (P2 in fig. 8).

Next, the slider, not shown, is operated to completely lower the slider. In the middle of the lowering, the upper and lower heating plates (5, 6) are brought into contact with the upper and lower cooling plates (3, 4) by a single step of the lowering, and the final lowering applies a pressing force to the upper and lower molds (1, 2). Accordingly, the working material (fiber-reinforced resin material 14 a) is compressed with the working material interposed therebetween (fig. 7A (a)). (P3 of FIG. 8).

Then, a current is passed through the heating means (cartridge heater) of the upper and lower heating plates (5, 6) to heat the material (fiber-reinforced resin material 14 a) and a high-temperature treatment is performed thereon (fig. 7A (b): heating step). (P4 of FIG. 8).

Preferably, the upper and lower molds (1, 2) are heated in advance by a heating means (cartridge heater) at a time point of the process from P3 to P4.

After the lapse of the time required for molding the work material, the slider is returned to the initial position, the current to the upper and lower heating plates (5, 6) is cut off, the contact between the upper and lower heating plates (5, 6) and the upper and lower cooling plates (3, 4) is broken, and a cooling medium (e.g., cold water at 0 to 10 ℃) is caused to flow through the upper and lower cooling plates (3, 4), thereby lowering the temperature of the work material (fiber-reinforced resin material 14 a) (fig. 7B (c): cooling step). (P5 of FIG. 8).

The "returning the slider by one stage" means the following state: the unit springs are expanded in this way, and the contact between the upper and lower heating plates (5, 6) and the upper and lower cooling plates (3, 4) is released, but the upper and lower cooling plates (3, 4) hold the compressive force to the upper and lower molds (1, 2) integrally joined together.

Namely, the upper and lower molds (1, 2) still hold: the processing material (fiber-reinforced resin material 14 a) is maintained in a compressed state. At stage P5, the following are maintained: the upper and lower molds (1, 2) compress the processing material (the fiber-reinforced resin material 14 a).

At a point in time when the temperature of the upper and lower molds (1, 2) is lowered to a desired value (for example, 80 ℃ C.) by cooling the upper and lower cooling plates (3, 4), the cooling medium supplied to the upper and lower cooling plates (3, 4) is cut off, and the slider is returned to the initial position.

Accordingly, the upper and lower molds (1, 2) are opened, and the fiber-reinforced resin material 14, which is a molded product, is taken out (released) (fig. 7B (d)). (P6 of FIG. 8).

Through the above-described process, the cycle time required for the heat treatment (heating → cooling) of the fiber-reinforced resin material subjected to the heating and compression is significantly shortened, and high-cycle production can be realized.

This can reduce the unit price of the molded product, and contribute to overall cost reduction.

The above-described manufacturing process will be further described in terms of a concept of a process as follows. That is, the production of the fiber-reinforced resin molded article according to the present embodiment includes the following steps.

(1) A material insertion step of inserting a fiber-reinforced resin material 14a onto a core 2a of a lower mold 2 between a cavity 1a of an upper mold 1 constituting an upper unit 100 and the core 2a of the lower mold 2 constituting a lower unit 200;

(2) A heating step in which an upper cooling plate 3 is joined to the back surface of an upper mold 1 constituting the upper side unit 100, a lower cooling plate 4 is joined to the back surface of a lower mold 2, and thermal energy is transmitted/supplied to the upper mold 1 and the lower mold 2 via an upper heating plate 5 provided in contact with the upper cooling plate 3 and a lower heating plate 6 provided in contact with the lower cooling plate 4, and in this state, the fiber-reinforced resin material is press-molded while being heated/compressed;

(3) A cooling step of stopping supply of the thermal energy to the upper mold 1 and the lower mold 2 after a lapse of a required heating/compression treatment time, supplying a cooling medium (known as cold water or oil) to the upper cooling plate 3 and the lower cooling plate 4, and cooling the upper mold 1, the lower mold 2, and the fiber-reinforced resin material 14a to a required temperature;

(4) And a molded product taking-out step of releasing the pressure applied to the upper unit 100 and the lower unit 200 at the time point when the fiber-reinforced resin material 14a is cooled to a desired temperature, opening the upper mold 1 and the lower mold 2, and taking out the fiber-reinforced resin material molded product 14.

Further, before the pressing step of pressing the fiber-reinforced resin material 14a by the upper die 1 and the lower die 2 in a state where the thermal energy is transferred to and supplied to the upper die 1 and the lower die 2, the method may further include: a preliminary heating step of preliminarily heating the temperature of the upper mold 1, or a preliminary heating step of heating the resin impregnated in the fiber-reinforced resin material to a temperature slightly higher than the glass transition point or the melting point of the resin, if necessary.

The method is characterized by further comprising a heating plate withdrawing step of separating the upper cooling plate 3 and the lower cooling plate 4 from the upper heating plate 5 and the lower heating plate 6, respectively, and releasing the thermal bonding when the supply of the heat energy to the upper mold 1 and the lower mold 2 is stopped.

According to the embodiment described above, the configuration is such that: the heating plate is retreated from the die unit before the cooling process is started, so that the cooling time of the die during press working can be greatly shortened, and high-cycle mass production can be realized.

Description of the reference numerals

1 … upper die; 1a … cavity; 2 … lower die; 2a … core; 3 …;4 … lower cooling plate; 5 …;6 … lower hot plate; 7 (a to d) … upper side unit pins; 8 (a-d) … upper side pin grooves; 9 (a-d) … lower side unit pins; 10 (a-d) … lower pin grooves; 11 (a-d) … upper side unit springs; 12 (a-d) … lower side unit springs; 13 … base; 14 … a fiber-reinforced resin processed product (molded product); 14a … fiber reinforced resin material; 15 … attachment screws; 16 … and the upper mold; 17 … and the lower die; 18 …;20 … upper cooling mechanism (upper cooling plate); 21 … lower cooling mechanism (lower cooling plate); 22 … upper heating mechanism (upper heating plate); 23 … lower heating mechanism (lower heating plate); 24. 25 … cooling medium flow paths (serpentine pipes); 26. 27 … heating mechanism (cartridge heater or high frequency power supply); 28 … cooling medium source/opening/closing mechanism; 30 … recovery mechanism; 100 … upper side unit; 200 … lower side unit.

Claims

1. A device for producing a molded article of a fiber-reinforced resin material, which is press-molded using a pair of upper and lower molds comprising an upper mold having a cavity and a lower mold having a core,

the device for producing a molded article of a fiber-reinforced resin material comprises:

an upper cooling plate which is disposed on a surface of the upper mold on a side opposite to the cavity and includes a cooling mechanism;

a lower cooling plate which is arranged on a surface of the lower mold on a side opposite to the core and is provided with a cooling mechanism;

an upper heating plate which is detachably disposed on a surface of the upper cooling plate opposite to an upper die contact surface and which is provided with a heating mechanism;

a lower heating plate which is detachably disposed on the opposite side of the lower mold disposition surface of the lower cooling plate and which is provided with a heating mechanism;

an upper unit spring connecting the upper heating plate and the upper cooling plate; and

a lower unit spring connecting the lower heating plate and the lower cooling plate,

the structure is as follows: the heating plate and the cooling plate are thermally joined by contraction of the upper unit spring and the lower unit spring when the fiber reinforced resin material is pressed by the upper die and the lower die, and the heating plate and the cooling plate are separated from each other while the fiber reinforced resin material is kept in a compressed state by the upper die and the lower die by extension of the upper unit spring and the lower unit spring when the fiber reinforced resin material is cooled after being heated,

further, the upper heating plate and the upper cooling plate are connected by an upper unit pin whose extraction from the upper cooling plate is restricted,

the lower heating plate and the lower cooling plate are connected by a lower unit pin that suppresses lateral deviation of the lower heating plate and the lower cooling plate,

when the interval between the upper heating plate and the upper cooling plate is set as D1 and the distance between the upper surface of the upper unit pin and the back surface of the upper heating plate is set as D1, D1 is not less than D1,

when the interval between the lower heating plate and the lower cooling plate is set to be D2, and the distance between the lower surface of the lower side unit pin and the back surface of the lower heating plate is set to be D2, D2 is not more than D2.

2. The apparatus for producing a molded article of a fiber-reinforced resin material according to claim 1,

the heating mechanism for supplying heat energy to the upper die and the lower die is as follows: a cartridge heater or a high frequency power source filled in a cavity, wherein the cavity is provided with: and the heating plates are respectively arranged on the upper die and the lower die.

3. The apparatus for producing a molded article of a fiber-reinforced resin material according to claim 2,

the cooling mechanism of each cooling plate for respectively cooling the upper die and the lower die is as follows: and cold water or oil flowing through the serpentine tubes embedded in the cooling plates.

4. A method for producing a molded article of a fiber-reinforced resin material, which is press-molded using an upper mold having a cavity and a lower mold having a core,

the upper mold is configured as an upper unit by an upper cooling plate joined to and disposed on a back surface opposite to the cavity, and an upper heating plate disposed in thermal contact so as to be able to approach or separate from the upper cooling plate,

the lower mold constitutes a lower unit by a lower cooling plate joined and disposed on a side opposite to the core, that is, a back surface, and a lower heating plate disposed in thermal contact so as to be able to approach or separate from the lower cooling plate,

a heating plate retracting step of releasing thermal bonding between the upper heating plate and the lower heating plate and the upper cooling plate and the lower cooling plate, respectively, and maintaining compression of the fiber-reinforced resin material by the upper mold and the lower mold when supply of thermal energy to the upper mold and the lower mold is stopped after a lapse of a required heating/compression process time;

a cooling step of stopping supply of the thermal energy to the upper mold and the lower mold, supplying a cooling medium to the upper cooling plate and the lower cooling plate, and cooling the upper mold, the lower mold, and the fiber-reinforced resin material to a predetermined temperature; and

a molded article taking-out step of releasing the pressing of the upper unit and the lower unit at a point of time when the fiber-reinforced resin material is cooled to a desired temperature, opening the upper mold and the lower mold, and taking out the fiber-reinforced resin material molded article,

the upper heating plate and the upper cooling plate are connected by an upper side unit pin whose extraction from the upper cooling plate is restricted,