JP2017177387A - Apparatus and method for producing fiber-reinforced plastic - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus and method for producing a fiber-reinforced plastic, capable of achieving a positioning mechanism in a step of arranging a bulky base material and a thermoplastic resin and a take-out mechanism in a demolding step with a simple apparatus, when a thermoplastic FRP molding is subjected to heat and cool molding and then is molded into a shape (near net shape) having nearly a predetermined size.SOLUTION: An apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced plastic has a pair of upper and lower dies, wherein at least one die is structured so as to be capable of approaching the other die. A groove is provided on a peripheral portion of the at least one of upper and lower dies. A component member for frame, capable of moving in an outer edge direction, is fitted to the inside of the groove; and a thermal expansion object is fitted to an outer edge side of the component member. The component member consists of: a joint portion that is partially joined to the peripheral portion; and a deformable portion that is deformable other than the joint portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a manufacturing apparatus and a manufacturing method for fiber reinforced plastic (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as FRP), and in particular, when a thermoplastic FRP molded product is subjected to heat and cool molding, a bulky base material and a thermoplastic resin. The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for manufacturing a fiber reinforced plastic in which the positioning mechanism in the arrangement step and the take-out mechanism in the demolding step can be realized with a simple device.

  As a manufacturing method of FRP, a reinforced fiber base material and a thermoplastic resin are arranged in a cavity formed from an upper mold and a lower mold, the mold is heated to melt the thermoplastic resin, and the mold is clamped by pressurizing the mold. A heat and cool method using an upper mold and a lower mold is known in which a reinforcing fiber base material is impregnated with a pressurized resin, and the impregnated resin is cooled and solidified to form an FRP molded product having a predetermined thickness. ing.

  As a technique for arranging a base material on a mold, a technique of performing positioning reference marking on both the mold and the base material has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). The technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 is such that a positioning line is marked on a preform made of dry cloth by hand with an oil marker pen, and a reference line pre-marked on a mold is matched with a preform reference line. Can be positioned and arranged in the mold. The technique disclosed in Patent Document 2 uses a filamentous fiber for marking a positioning line of a preform so that the marking can be reliably performed in a more stable state.

  As a technique for demolding an FRP molded product, a technique is known in which a molded product is taken out from the mold using an ejector pin or compressed air provided in the mold. (For example, Patent Document 3) The technique disclosed in Patent Document 3 shortens the demolding time, and even if the molded body is thin or includes a sandwich structure, the design of the molded body The mold can be removed without damaging the surface.

JP 2003-127157 A JP 2006-347133 A JP 2009-202440 A

  As disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, it is necessary to align the reference line by visual inspection or the like in the technique of performing positioning reference marking on both the mold and the base material and aligning the reference line. For this reason, there are problems that it takes a lot of manufacturing time and labor, and that the marking is disturbed if the shape retention of the substrate is poor.

  Further, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 3, it takes a lot of time and labor to clean around the ejector pins, and it is possible to make a heating mechanism, a cooling mechanism, and a demolding mechanism compatible within a limited mold. It was difficult.

  Therefore, the subject of the present invention is, in particular, a positioning mechanism in a process of arranging a bulky base material and a thermoplastic resin when a thermoplastic FRP molded product is heat and cool molded into a shape (near net shape) substantially according to a predetermined dimension. An object of the present invention is to provide a fiber-reinforced plastic manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method in which the take-out mechanism in the demolding process can be established with a simple apparatus.

  In order to achieve the above object, the FRP manufacturing apparatus of the present invention employs the following configuration. That is, a fiber reinforced plastic manufacturing apparatus comprising a pair of upper and lower molds, wherein at least one mold is configured to be close to the other mold, and a groove is provided at a peripheral portion of at least one of the upper and lower molds, Inside the groove, a frame component member movable in the outer edge direction, and a thermal expansion body is inserted on the outer edge side of the frame component member, and the frame component member is inserted into the groove in the peripheral portion. It is a manufacturing apparatus of a fiber reinforced plastic which consists of a part and a deformation | transformation part which can deform | transform other than this insertion part.

  Moreover, in order to achieve the said subject, the manufacturing method of the fiber reinforced plastic of this invention employ | adopts the following structures. That is, a groove structure is provided at the peripheral edge of at least one of a pair of upper and lower molds configured such that at least one mold can be brought close to the other mold, and a frame structure is movable in the outer edge direction inside the groove. A thermal expansion body is inserted on the outer edge side of the member and the frame component member, and the frame component member includes an insertion portion partially inserted in the groove and a deformable portion that can be deformed other than the insertion portion. The reinforcing fiber base material is arranged inside the frame constituent member, the upper and lower molds are brought close to each other, the deformed portion is brought into contact with the peripheral edge portion of the upper and lower molds, and a cavity for positioning the reinforcing fiber base material is formed, This is a method for producing a fiber reinforced plastic, wherein a reinforced fiber base material is impregnated with a matrix resin.

  According to the present invention, when a thermoplastic FRP molded product is heat-and-cool molded to a near net shape, a positioning mechanism in a bulky base material and thermoplastic resin placement process and a take-out mechanism in a demolding process are simplified. It is possible to provide a manufacturing apparatus and a manufacturing method for fiber-reinforced plastic that can be established by the apparatus.

(A) It is the schematic which shows the cross-sectional schematic of the manufacturing apparatus of the fiber reinforced plastic which concerns on one embodiment of this invention, and AA 'sectional drawing of the manufacturing apparatus of the fiber reinforced plastic in (b) (a), respectively. is there. 2A is a schematic perspective view of a deformable frame, a thermal expansion body, and a lower mold, FIG. 2B is a top view, and FIG. 2C is a front view. In the method for producing a fiber-reinforced plastic according to an embodiment of the present invention, (a) a state in which a lower mold, a deformable frame, and a thermal expansion body are prepared before arranging a reinforcing fiber base and a matrix resin, (b) A schematic perspective view showing a state in which the reinforcing fiber base is disposed in the lower mold, (c) a state after molding with the upper mold and the lower mold being brought close to each other, and (d) a state in which the frame is deformed after molding. FIG. In the resin impregnation step of the method for producing a fiber reinforced plastic according to one embodiment of the present invention, (a) a state before temperature increase, (b) a state after resin impregnation after temperature increase, (c) a state after cooling FIG. It is the schematic of the manufacturing apparatus of the fiber reinforced plastic which concerns on another embodiment of this invention, (b) shows the enlarged view of (a).

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are merely examples of desirable embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

  A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1A shows a schematic side view of an FRP manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA ′ of the fiber-reinforced plastic manufacturing apparatus in FIG. Indicates. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the deformable frame, the thermal expansion body, and the mold in the FRP manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 3 shows the position of the deformable frame and mold for each process in the FRP manufacturing method. FIG. 4 shows the positions of the deformable frame, the thermal expansion body, and the mold for each process in the FRP manufacturing method.

  1 and 2, an FRP manufacturing apparatus 8 includes an upper mold 1 having an elevating mechanism 7 and a heating / cooling mechanism 6, a lower mold 4 having a heating / cooling mechanism 6 and a deformable frame 3, and reinforcing fibers. The substrate 2 and the thermal expansion body 9 are used.

  In the present invention, the lifting mechanism 7 is not particularly limited in its mechanism and form as long as the upper mold 1 and the lower mold 4 can be appropriately approached, pressurized, and separated. Among these, in order to exhibit the accuracy of operation and the applied pressure, the power source is preferably a fluid, and is preferably a hydraulic jack. Furthermore, when the area of the mold is large, it is more preferable to employ large area pressurization using a bladder and compressed air in order to reduce the cost of the entire apparatus.

  In the present invention, the heating and cooling mechanism 6 is not particularly limited in its mechanism and form as long as the reinforcing fiber substrate 2 can be appropriately heated and cooled. As the heating mechanism, for example, a heating wire, electromagnetic induction, a high-temperature fluid, a microwave, or the like can be used, and it is preferable to use a heating wire particularly as a simple and safe control device. In addition, as the cooling mechanism, for example, a low-temperature fluid can be used, and it is preferable to use water, particularly because it is easy to handle and has a high cooling capacity.

  In the present invention, the upper mold 1 and the lower mold 4 are not particularly limited in material and form as long as they have necessary strength and rigidity. Among them, in order to improve the accuracy of the molded product and the surface quality of the molded product, the material is desirably a metal, for example, preferably steel, and more preferably Invar from the viewpoint of thermal expansion. preferable.

  A groove is provided on the peripheral edge of at least one of the upper mold 1 and the lower mold 4, and a deformable frame 3 and a thermal expansion body 9 to be described later are inserted into the groove, and thermal expansion is performed on the outer edge side. A body 9 is arranged. The width of the groove is larger than the combined width of the deformable frame 3 and the thermal expansion body 9 at room temperature, and is approximately equal to the combined width of the deformable frame 3 and the thermal expansion body 9 when the temperature is raised. Such a design is preferred. 1 and 2, both the upper die 1 and the lower die 4 are flat and substantially square plates. When the upper die 1 and the lower die 4 are brought close to each other, the upper die 1 and the lower die 4 can be deformed. The cross-sectional shape of the cavity formed from the rectangular frame 3 can be a square. The cross-sectional shape of the cavity is not limited to this shape, and the shape and arrangement of the upper die 1, the lower die 4, the grooves provided in the lower die 4, and the deformable frame 3 are appropriately set according to the desired shape. be able to.

  In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, the deformable frame 3 is composed of an insertion portion 31 partially inserted into a groove in the peripheral portion of the lower mold 4 and a deformable deformable portion 32. Yes.

  The deformable frame 3 is not particularly limited in material and form as long as it has the necessary strength and rigidity. However, the position of the deformable frame 3 is larger than the thickness of the substrate when positioning the substrate. A material that has an appropriate warp so that the highest point of the frame 3 that can be deformed is higher than the thickness of the molded body when the highest point is at a higher position and the highest point of the deformable frame 3 is higher than the thickness of the molded body. Is desirable. As the material, a material that can be deformed so as to be separated from the peripheral portion of the lower die 4 as the upper die 1 and the lower die 4 are separated from each other is preferable. It is more preferable that For example, a leaf spring shape made of metal or a reinforced fiber composite material is preferable because it can be easily deformed according to the repulsive force of the spring. In addition, it is possible to control the warp by temperature using bimetal. The thickness of the deformable frame 3 is preferably equal to or slightly thinner than the thickness of the molded product to be obtained.

  In the present invention, the material and form of the reinforcing fiber base 2 are not particularly limited, but it is preferable to dispose a material that is pre-impregnated with a matrix resin for molding FRP. As the reinforcing fiber constituting the reinforcing fiber substrate, for example, carbon fiber, glass fiber, aramid fiber, Kevlar fiber and the like are preferably used. As the form of the reinforcing fiber, for example, woven fabric, knitted fabric, non-woven fabric, unidirectional base The material can be exemplified. Moreover, it is preferable that the reinforced fiber base material satisfy | fills the fiber orientation and fiber amount previously determined by design. By using the reinforcing fiber base according to the design, the strength and rigidity along the fiber orientation can be expressed more effectively. Moreover, interlayer particles can be dispersed on the surface of the reinforcing fiber base, and thermoplastic yarns can be mixed inside the reinforcing fiber base. Further, as the matrix resin, for example, a thermoplastic resin is preferable, and for example, nylon or PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) resin can be used.

In the present invention, the material and form of the thermal expansion body 9 are not particularly limited as long as the thermal expansion body 9 has a larger coefficient of thermal expansion than that of the mold material. However, it is preferable to use a material having a large linear expansion coefficient. It can also be used. The thermal expansion body suitable for the present invention preferably has a linear expansion coefficient of 1.0 × 10 ⁻⁴ / ° C. or higher, 1.5 × 10 ⁻⁴ / ° C. or higher, 3.0 × 10 ⁻⁴ / ° C. It is more preferable that it is below ℃. In view of thermal expansion characteristics and flexibility, it is particularly preferable to use silicone rubber. In designing the representative length of the thermal expansion body 9, a value such that the value obtained by multiplying the representative length of the thermal expansion body 9 and the linear expansion coefficient is equal to the value obtained by multiplying the representative length of the mold and the linear expansion coefficient is a reference. Value.

  The FRP manufacturing method according to the present invention will be described first while paying attention to deformation of the deformable frame 3.

  First, the lower mold 4 is prepared. As shown to Fig.3 (a), before arrange | positioning the reinforced fiber base material 2, it is preferable that it exists in the position which the deformation | transformation part 32 of the deformable frame 3 lifted. As a reference for positioning the reinforcing fiber base 2, the inner edge of the deformable frame 3 can be used. The deformable frame 3 is warped in the thickness direction of the reinforcing fiber base 2, and when positioning the bulky reinforcing fiber base 2 present at a position away from the surface of the lower mold 4 in the height direction, The inner edge of the deformable frame 3 can be used as a reference position. The deformable frame 3 and the lower mold 4 are desirably subjected to a tense separation process before the reinforcing fiber base 2 is arranged.

  Next, a state where the reinforcing fiber base material 2 is arranged on the lower mold 4 is shown in FIG. When placing the reinforcing fiber base 2 to reduce interference between the gripping tool such as a hand, a clamp or a robot hand and the deformable frame 3, and to facilitate access to the mold of the reinforcing fiber base 2 In addition, it is desirable to match the position of the reinforcing fiber base 2 with the position of the insertion portion 31 of the deformable frame 3. The reinforcing fiber base 2 can be disposed so as to contact the inner edge of the deformable frame 3.

  Further, FIG. 3C shows a state in which the upper die 1 (not shown) is brought close to the lower die 4 to form the reinforcing fiber base 2 and then the upper die 1 is separated. A cavity can be formed by bringing the upper mold 1 close to the lower mold 4 and bringing the deformable portion 32 of the deformable frame 3 into contact with the peripheral edges of the upper mold 3 and the lower mold 4. At this time, the upper mold 1 and the lower mold 4 and the surface of the deformable frame 3 come into contact with each other and stop, whereby the thickness of the molded product can be controlled by the thickness of the deformable frame 3. In addition, the thickness of the deformable frame 3 is slightly reduced with respect to the thickness of the molded product in order to give the reinforcing fiber base 2 sufficient pressurization so as to eliminate the internal voids. It is also possible to do. The offset amount of the thickness can be determined according to the viscosity of the resin used. After forming the cavity by bringing the upper mold 1 close to the lower mold 4, the reinforcing fiber base material can be sufficiently impregnated with the matrix resin by appropriately heating and pressing.

  Finally, FIG. 3D shows a state in which the reinforcing fiber base 2 is removed after molding. A molded product can be obtained by sufficiently impregnating the reinforcing fiber base material with the matrix resin. The upper mold 1 is separated from the lower mold 4 so that the deformable portion 32 of the deformable frame 3 is separated from the periphery of the upper mold 1 and the lower mold 4 and the molded body, and the molded product is removed from the separation point as a starting point. Can be typed.

  Next, the resin impregnation step of the FRP manufacturing method according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 4 while paying attention to the deformation of the thermal expansion body 9.

  The state before the temperature rise is shown in FIG. The upper die 1 (not shown) is brought close to the lower die 4 and the deformable portion 32 of the deformable frame 3 is brought into contact with the peripheral portions of the upper die 3 and the lower die 4 to form a cavity. The reinforcing fiber base material 21 before impregnation exists in the cavity. The groove width at the peripheral edge of the lower mold 4 is larger than the width of the deformable frame 3 and the thermal expansion body 9, and there is a space in the groove. In this embodiment, this space exists between the lower mold 4 and the thermal expansion body 9, but can also exist between the lower mold 4 and the deformable frame 3, and the deformable frame 3. It is also possible to exist between the thermal expansion body 9 and the thermal expansion body 9.

  Subsequently, the state at the time of resin impregnation after the temperature rise is shown in FIG. As the temperature rises, the manufacturing apparatus 8 itself also thermally expands, and the volume of the cavity increases as compared with FIG. The thermal expansion body 9 in the groove provided in the lower mold 4 is also thermally expanded to fill the groove, and by pressing the deformable frame 3 against the inner edge side of the groove, the volume of the cavity can be controlled, The dimensional accuracy of the molded body 5 described later can be increased.

  Finally, the state after cooling is shown in FIG. The difference in linear expansion coefficient between the lower mold 4 and the molded body 5 is caused, and the frame 3 that can deform the molded body 5 is moved to the outer edge.

  As described above, according to the FRP manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method of the present invention, for example, when a thermoplastic FRP molded product is heat-and-cool molded, or an RTM (Resin Transfer Molding) impregnated with a thermosetting resin is cured. ) When molding, positioning in the placement process of the bulky reinforcing fiber base 2 and take-out in the demolding process are greatly improved in molding workability and productivity than before with a simple device configuration, and in a short time Can be manufactured in a while. Here, when the thermosetting resin is impregnated, if the reinforcing fiber base material is impregnated with pressure, the impregnation can be performed in a short time.

  In particular, when a thermoplastic resin is used as the matrix resin, the FRP molded product is taken out by heating and cooling the mold with a temperature control mechanism, so that the FRP molded product can be easily taken out without damaging it. It is possible to accurately arrange the reinforcing fiber base material for performing in a short time.

  On the other hand, it is also possible to form a preform in which the reinforcing fiber base 2 is shaped in advance in a complicated shape before impregnation with the matrix resin. Specifically, the interlayer particles dispersed on the surface of the reinforcing fiber base 2 or the thermoplastic yarn mixed inside the reinforcing fiber base 2 may be pressurized, heated and melted to form a preform. preferable. Such a preform is particularly preferably used for RTM molding.

  Further, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, in the present invention, the positioning mechanism 33 may be provided on the deformable frame 3 and the lower mold 4. In FIG. 5, it is possible to limit the moving direction of the deformable frame 3 by providing the lower mold 4 with the concave positioning mechanism 33 and the deformable frame 3 with the convex positioning mechanism 33. . In the present embodiment, the concavo-convex shape is used, but the form is not particularly limited, and an electromagnetic force, a jig, or the like can be suitably used.

  By using the FRP manufacturing apparatus and the manufacturing method thereof according to the present invention, it can be applied to the manufacture of virtually any FRP molded product, and in particular, can be suitably applied to the manufacture of members such as automobiles that require mass production. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Upper mold | type 2 Reinforcement fiber substrate 21 Reinforcement fiber substrate 22 before impregnation Reinforcement fiber substrate 3 Impregnation 3 Deformable frame 31 Insertion part 32 Deformation part 33 Positioning mechanism 4 Lower mold 5 Molded body 6 Heating and cooling Mechanism 7 Lift mechanism 8 Manufacturing device 9 Thermal expansion body

Claims (14)

A fiber-reinforced plastic manufacturing apparatus comprising a pair of upper and lower molds, wherein at least one mold is configured to be proximate to the other mold, wherein a groove is provided in a peripheral portion of at least one of the upper and lower molds, Inside the groove, a frame component member movable in the outer edge direction, and a thermal expansion body is inserted on the outer edge side of the frame component member, and the frame component member is an insertion partly inserted in the groove An apparatus for producing fiber-reinforced plastic, comprising a portion and a deformable portion that can be deformed other than the insertion portion. The fiber reinforced plastic manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the upper and lower molds are brought close to each other, and the frame constituent member is brought into contact with a peripheral portion of the upper and lower molds to form a cavity. The said deformation | transformation part is a manufacturing apparatus of the fiber reinforced plastics of Claim 1 or 2 which deform | transforms so that it may space apart from the said peripheral part with separating the said up-and-down type | mold. The manufacturing apparatus of the fiber reinforced plastics in any one of Claims 1-3 in which the said frame structural member has a positioning mechanism. The manufacturing apparatus of the fiber reinforced plastics in any one of Claims 1-4 whose said frame structural member is a leaf | plate spring. The manufacturing apparatus of the fiber reinforced plastics in any one of Claims 1-5 whose said frame structural member is a bimetal. The manufacturing apparatus of the fiber reinforced plastics in any one of Claims 1-6 with which the said frame structural member is provided so that the whole peripheral part of at least one type | mold of the said up-and-down type | mold may be enclosed. A pair of upper and lower molds configured such that at least one mold is close to the other mold, a groove is provided at a peripheral portion of at least one mold, and a frame constituent member that is movable in the outer edge direction inside the groove. And a thermal expansion body is inserted on the outer edge side of the frame constituent member, and the frame constituent member is deformable by a portion other than the insertion portion, and an insertion portion partially inserted in the groove of the peripheral edge portion. The reinforcing fiber base is arranged inside the frame component member, the upper and lower molds are brought close to each other, the peripheral part of the upper and lower molds are brought into contact with each other, and the reinforcing fiber base is positioned. A method for producing a fiber-reinforced plastic, wherein a cavity is formed and the reinforcing fiber substrate is impregnated with a matrix resin. The method for producing a fiber reinforced plastic according to claim 8, wherein after impregnating the matrix resin, the upper and lower molds are separated, the deformed part is separated from the peripheral part, and the fiber reinforced plastic is removed. The method for producing a fiber-reinforced plastic according to claim 9, wherein the deformable portion is a bimetal, and the upper and lower molds are preliminarily heated to deform the bimetal and are brought into contact with a peripheral edge portion of the upper and lower molds. The method for producing a fiber-reinforced plastic according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the matrix resin is a thermoplastic resin and is demolded after cooling. The fiber reinforced plastic according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the matrix resin is a thermosetting resin, and the reinforcing fiber base material is impregnated with a pressurized matrix resin and then heated. Manufacturing method. The interlayer particles dispersed on the surface of the reinforcing fiber base or the thermoplastic yarn mixed in the reinforcing fiber base is pressurized, heated and melted to form a preform. The manufacturing method of the fiber reinforced plastic in any one. The manufacturing method of the fiber reinforced plastics in any one of Claims 8-13 which heats and cools with the temperature control mechanism provided in the said up-and-down type | mold.