DE102021203656A1 - Process for producing a three-dimensional component from a fiber composite and motor vehicle with a component produced using this process - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing a three-dimensional component from a fiber composite. In the method for producing a three-dimensional component (11) from a fiber composite, several fiber material elements (2) are provided, each of which has an essentially two-dimensional shape and at least one first geometric dimension M1 have, which essentially corresponds to the geometric dimension of the component (11) to be produced at the position of the relevant fiber material element (2). Furthermore, the fiber material elements (2) are arranged in layers one on top of the other and fixed in their positions and alignments relative to one another, resulting in a three-dimensional layered structure (10). The three-dimensional layer structure (10) is connected to a matrix material, so that a three-dimensional component (11) made of fiber composite material results after the matrix material has hardened. The invention also relates to a motor vehicle.

Description

The invention relates to a method for producing a three-dimensional component from a fiber composite and a motor vehicle which has at least one component produced according to the method for producing a three-dimensional component from a fiber composite.

For the production of fibre-reinforced plastic components, it is known to provide interconnected layer arrangements of fiber material as so-called preforms, which are then infiltrated with a matrix material and, after the matrix material has hardened, produce the component or a semi-finished product from which the plastic component is produced by post-processing. However, the structure of the layer arrangement or the fiber material stack and in particular the geometric shape is associated with a considerable technological effort. For this purpose, trimming processes are known in particular, with which a final shape of the component or semi-finished product to be produced is produced.

Usually, layers of fiber material are arranged as a woven fabric or non-crimp fabric in the desired configuration with regard to fiber orientation and layer length over a large area and then connected in a holding tool by activating a binder, for example. After the binder has hardened, the resulting large-area semi-finished product is cut to size. The fiber material is often deposited in layers in an automated manner, for example on a so-called deposit table. Several fiber material elements can be laid down at the same time, for example by unrolling from rolls arranged next to one another.

Alternatively, the so-called "tape laying" can be used to provide fiber material in strip form. The fixing of the fiber material elements can be done by means of negative pressure on the storage table. Furthermore, it is known to weld the fiber material elements with thermoplastic strips and thereby additionally fix them. Despite the automation of the processes described, the processes of unrolling, depositing, stacking and cutting take up a relatively large amount of time. Due to technological difficulties in laying down and fixing the individual fiber material elements, only essentially two-dimensional and rather flat components have so far been manufactured with this procedure.

the DE 10 2013 104 609 A1 discloses a method for producing semi-finished fiber products for the production of fiber composite components, the individual semi-finished fiber products being formed from a large number of fiber strips. A fiber laying device with a laying head for laying fiber strips in a fiber laying area according to a nesting arrangement is used for this. A nesting program is understood to mean a program running on a computer that determines a nesting arrangement of the semi-finished fiber products to be produced in the fiber laying area. The nesting program determines the position and/or orientation of the semi-finished fiber products in the fiber laying area, so that several semi-finished fiber products can be produced by depositing the fiber strips in the fiber laying area. The nesting program also determines an optimal arrangement of the fiber strips. In this way, a material-saving production of the semi-finished fiber products is to be achieved. In an advantageous embodiment mentioned here, the entire width of the laid out fiber material is used in order to be able to produce as many semi-finished products as possible with the desired contour by subsequent trimming. The intention here is to produce an essentially two-dimensional structure which can also be rolled up after the individual layers have been pre-fixed.

The object of the invention is to provide a method for producing a three-dimensional component from a fiber composite, with which corresponding components of high quality can be produced in a simple, time-saving and material-saving manner.

This object is achieved by the method according to the invention for producing a three-dimensional component from a fiber composite according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the method for producing a three-dimensional component from a fiber composite are specified in dependent claims 2-7.

In addition, a motor vehicle is made available which has at least one component produced according to the method according to the invention for producing a three-dimensional component from a fiber composite.

Subclaim 10 defines an advantageous embodiment of the manufactured component.

A first aspect of the invention is a method for producing a three-dimensional component from a fiber composite, in which several fiber material elements are provided, each of which has an essentially two-dimensional shape and at least one first geometric dimension M1, which essentially and in particular exactly corresponds to the geometric dimension of the component to be produced corresponds to the position of the relevant fiber material element. The fiber material elements are layered one on top of the other wise arranged and fixed in their positions and alignments to each other, resulting in a three-dimensional layered structure. The three-dimensional layer structure is connected to a matrix material, so that after the matrix material has hardened, a three-dimensional component made of fiber composite material results.

A component can also be understood here as a semi-finished product from which the finished component, which can be used in particular on a motor vehicle, is produced from further processing. A respective fiber material element is a textile made from fibers in the form of a non-crimp fabric, or also a woven fabric, knitted fabric, knitted fabric, braid, stitched fabric or a non-woven fabric.

The first geometric dimension is in particular the width of the layer structure or of the component to be produced from it. The width is a geometric dimension that is significantly smaller than the length of the component to be manufactured. This means that the width of the fiber material element is that width which the component to be produced has at the height position, determined perpendicularly to the planes formed by the fiber material elements, at which the relevant fiber material element is located.

Accordingly, the method according to the invention allows three-dimensional layer structures and fiber composite components to be produced from them, which already have the desired final dimension or target dimension at least in the first geometric dimension, so that the component does not have to be trimmed subsequently to set this first geometric dimension.

In an advantageous embodiment it is provided that the matrix material is a duroplastic. Accordingly, the component produced is a fiber-reinforced plastic component. The fibers are preferably glass or may be a combination of glass and other fibers such as carbon or aramid fibers.

The fiber material elements can be fixed as several layers on top of one another by means of an adhesive, such as spray adhesive, and/or vacuum. When using negative pressure, a pressure difference to atmospheric pressure is used to fix the fiber material elements in the so-called "tape laying" on a storage table. To realize the negative pressure or the pressure difference, a suction device can be used, which generates the negative pressure between the surface of the deposit table and the fiber material elements lying on the deposit table through flow channels in the deposit table.

Alternatively or additionally, needles integrated in the storage table, application of adhesive, sewing the fiber material elements together or application and activation of a binding agent can be used to fix the fiber material elements on the surface of the storage table and/or to each other.

As a result, the use of a thermoplastic for fixing the fiber material elements can be omitted and the resulting preforms or layered structures can be completely further processed with a thermoset.

When activated, e.g. by heat, the binder material enables the individual fiber layers of the superimposed fiber strips to be fixed in place. Such a binder material can, for example, be a physically and/or chemically hardening adhesive or a yarn that is sewn to the fiber material layers, or can also be applied between the individual layers as a powder, fleece or foil.

To position the fiber material elements, it can be provided that they are laid down by unrolling a strip-shaped fiber material.

This strip-shaped fiber material is rolled up on a roll and the strip-shaped fiber material is provided by unrolling it from the roll. The strip-shaped fiber material can be cut or separated in some other way after it has been unwound to a length that essentially corresponds to the desired length of the component.

In particular, the method can be carried out in such a way that a second geometric dimension M2 of the three-dimensional layered structure of the fiber material elements, which is defined perpendicularly to the planes of extent of the essentially two-dimensional fiber material elements, has the following ratio in relation to the first geometric dimension M1: M2/M1> 0.1

In other words, the second geometric dimension essentially corresponds to the height of the component to be produced in its installation position. When using the method according to the invention for the production of leaf springs, the second geometric measure is thus the height or thickness of the leaf spring.

In particular, the ratio M2/M1 can be >0.5.

The number of layers that are realized by the fiber material elements depends gig on the height and fiber volume content of the component, which depend on the desired component properties. The number of layers can be at least 20, for example. If higher strength is desired, a number of layers of at least 37 is not excluded.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, it is provided that the fiber material elements each have a third geometric dimension M3 along a direction running perpendicularly to the first geometric dimension M1, which is to be measured in the plane of extent of a respective, essentially two-dimensional fiber material element, and a plurality of fiber material elements have different third geometric dimensions M3.

In particular, this third geometric dimension can be the length of a respective fiber material element, so that different fiber material elements can have different lengths.

The method can be carried out in such a way that the fiber material elements are deposited as endless material and then cut to length after deposition. Alternatively, it is also possible to lay down the fiber material elements with a prefabricated length, so that no further trimming process has to be carried out to adjust the length.

In order to save time, the layered arrangement of the fiber material elements can be automated. In particular, an automatic device or a robot can be used for this purpose, the component of which is at least one roller for depositing the ribbon-shaped fiber material by unrolling it from the roller. The band material on the roll can already have the width of the component to be produced.

It is not excluded that the fiber material elements are also fixed in place and/or the matrix material is applied or applied to the layer structure realized by the fiber material elements in an automated manner.

In particular, several such rollers arranged next to one another can be used, so that several layer arrangements can be built up in parallel in terms of time.

Fibers of laid fiber material elements can have different orientations. In this case, the fibers of a single fiber material element can have different orientations in relation to one another, and/or fibers of a plurality of fiber material elements can also have different orientations in relation to one another. An embodiment is also not ruled out in which the fibers of a single fiber material element have the same orientation in relation to one another, but the fibers of another fiber material element of the same layered structure have a different orientation.

The method according to the invention thus enables automated construction and a significant reduction in the production times of 3D fiber stacks with at least one geometric dimension in the final component geometry.

In addition, it is not necessary to use a thermoplastic to fix the individual layers, so that the layered structures produced can be completely further processed with a thermoset.

A further aspect of the present invention is a motor vehicle, in particular a passenger car, which has at least one component produced according to the method according to the invention for producing a three-dimensional component from a fiber composite.

In particular, this component can be a leaf spring for the suspension of at least one motor vehicle wheel.

The invention is explained below with reference to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

• 1: den Verfahrensschritt des Abrollens von bandförmigem Fasermaterial in Ansicht von der Seite, und
• 2: mehrere abgelegte Fasermaterialelemente auf einem Ablagetisch in Ansicht von oben.

Show it

• 1 : the process step of unrolling strip-shaped fibrous material seen from the side, and
• 2 : several deposited fiber material elements on a depositing table seen from above.

Out of 1 the process of depositing strip-shaped fiber material 1 can be seen. The strip-shaped fiber material 1 is unwound from a roll 20, which moves along a movement direction 22 in an unwinding movement 21, and is thereby deposited on a storage table. After a separating process (not shown here), in particular a cutting process, in the strip-shaped fiber material 1, a fiber material element 2 is produced with a defined third geometric dimension M3, which corresponds to the length of the fiber material element 2 here. The resulting fiber material element 2 is placed on a storage table 30 . This process is repeated a number of times, so that a number of fiber material elements 2 form a three-dimensional layered structure 10 on the placement table 30 .

It's from the in 1 shown embodiment that not all fiber material elements 2 have to have the same third geometric dimension M3 or the same length. Upper, longer fiber material elements 2 can bend downward due to the force of gravity to the side of the edges of fiber material elements 2 located underneath.

After the application or introduction of the matrix material (not shown here), in particular a duroplastic, the three-dimensional component 11 to be produced or a semi-finished product for processing the component 11 is produced from the three-dimensional layer structure 10 .

It is also over 1 It can be seen that a second geometric dimension M2 of the three-dimensional layer structure 10 or of the component 11 produced from it is relatively large, so that the layer structure 10 or the component 11 produced from it is actually designed three-dimensionally.

It is necessary for this to arrange a corresponding number of fiber material elements 2 in layers one above the other. In this arrangement, the fiber material elements 2 are fixed to one another, such as by means of negative pressure on the storage table 30 and/or by mechanical or chemical fixing of the fiber material elements 2 to one another, such as by means of needles, sewing, gluing or adding and activating a binder.

2 1 shows that a plurality of fiber material elements 2 can be placed on the storage table 30 at the same time by means of a plurality of rollers 20 . The rollers 20 work essentially parallel to one another.

In addition, individual fibers 3 of the fiber material elements 2 can be seen here, which are aligned parallel to one another.

The first geometric dimension M1 shown here, which corresponds to the width of a respective fiber material element 2, is also the width of the strip-shaped fiber material 1 on the roll 20 and also the width of the three-dimensional layered structure 10 to be produced and of the component 11 to be produced.

Correspondingly, it is no longer necessary to cut the width of the component 11 in order to produce it, so that production time can be saved, as can fiber material as a whole. In this way, an elongate, three-dimensional fiber composite component can be produced in a simple, time-saving and material-efficient manner, such as a leaf spring of a passenger car.

Reference List

1

ribbon-like fiber material

2

fiber material element

3

fiber

10

three-dimensional layer structure

11

component

20

role

21

rolling movement

22

direction of movement

30

storage table

M1

first geometric measure

M2

second geometric measure

M3

third geometric measure

QUOTES INCLUDED IN DESCRIPTION

This list of documents cited by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent Literature Cited

• DE 102013104609 A1 [0005]

Claims (10)

Method for producing a three-dimensional component (11) from a fiber composite, in which - several fiber material elements (2) are provided, each of which has an essentially two-dimensional shape and at least one first geometric dimension M1, which essentially corresponds to the geometric dimension of the component (11) to be produced at the position of the relevant fiber material element (2), - the fiber material elements (2) are arranged in layers one on top of the other and are fixed in their positions and alignments relative to one another, resulting in a three-dimensional layered structure (10), and - The three-dimensional layer structure (10) is connected to a matrix material, so that after the matrix material has hardened, a three-dimensional component (11) made of fiber composite material results. Process for producing a three-dimensional component from a fiber composite claim 1 , characterized in that the matrix material is a thermoset. Method for producing a three-dimensional component from a fiber composite according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fiber material elements (2) are fixed as a plurality of layers one above the other by means of adhesive and/or vacuum. Method for producing a three-dimensional component from a fiber composite according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fiber material elements (2) are laid down by unrolling a strip-shaped fiber material (1). Method for producing a three-dimensional component from a fiber composite according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a second geometric dimension M2 of the three-dimensional layer structure (10) of the fiber material elements (2), which defines perpendicular to the planes of extent of the essentially two-dimensional fiber material elements (2). is in relation to the first geometric measure M1 in the following relationship: M2/M1>0.1. Method for producing a three-dimensional component from a fiber composite according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fiber material elements (2) each have a third geometric dimension M3 along a direction running perpendicularly to the first geometric dimension M1, which is in the plane of extension of a respective, im Substantially two-dimensional fiber material element (2) is to be measured, and several fiber material elements (2) have different third geometric dimensions M3. Method for producing a three-dimensional component from a fiber composite according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the layered arrangement of the fiber material elements (2) is automated. Method for producing a three-dimensional component from a fiber composite according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that fibers (3) of fiber material elements (2) have different orientations. Motor vehicle, in particular passenger car, comprising at least one according to the method for producing a three-dimensional component from a fiber composite according to one of Claims 1 - 8th manufactured component (11). motor vehicle after claim 9 , characterized in that the component (11) is a leaf spring for the suspension of at least one motor vehicle wheel.

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