JP2022130853A - Device and method for forming material - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a material formation device that can monitor flaws generated in a material being formed, directly and in real time.SOLUTION: The present invention includes: an irradiation unit 11 for irradiating a material 21 with radiation; a detection unit 12 for detecting radiation that passed through the material 21 being formed; and a control unit 40. The control unit 40 monitors flows in the material 21 on the basis of information from the detection unit 12 when the material 21 is being formed. The irradiation unit 11, the detection unit 12, and the material 21 being formed are set relatively movable along a predetermined direction of the material 21 being formed and around a predetermined direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a material forming apparatus and a method of forming a material.

In recent years, along with the expansion of application needs for composite materials, the integral molding of parts with complex shapes has been studied. However, in integral molding, internal flaws such as voids and porosity frequently occur. For this reason, it takes time and money to search for optimum molding conditions (for example, pressure conditions and temperature conditions), and high-quality parts cannot be developed quickly.
In addition, depending on the material, the allowable range of molding conditions where internal flaws are unlikely to occur is narrow, and molding conditions must be corrected for each storage period and storage condition of the material, resulting in diversified molding conditions and reduced productivity.

For example, in Patent Document 1, in resin molding (RTM), the ratio of the resin flow permeability coefficient between both gaps in the mold and the other central portion is determined by simulation in advance, and this ratio is within a predetermined allowable range. Disclosed is a control method that corrects pressure and temperature by setting in advance the amount of pressure reduction for resin injection when exceeding , as multiple case reference data, and comparing the actual flow pattern with the preset reference data. It is

JP-A-2003-039479

However, the control method described in Patent Literature 1 only compares the ratio of transmission coefficients obtained by simulation in advance, and does not directly detect the presence or absence of internal flaws.

The present disclosure has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a material molding apparatus and a material molding method that can directly and in real time monitor flaws generated inside a material being molded. intended to provide

In order to solve the above problems, the material molding apparatus and material molding method of the present disclosure employ the following means.
That is, a material molding apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes an irradiation unit that irradiates a material with radiation, a detection unit that detects the radiation transmitted through the material being molded, and a control unit, and the control unit monitors flaws inside the material based on information from the detector during molding of the material.

Further, a method for molding a material according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a step of irradiating a material with radiation in an irradiation unit, a step of detecting radiation irradiated from the irradiation unit and transmitted through the material with a detection unit, and and monitoring flaws within the material based on information from the detector during molding of the material.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to directly and in real time monitor flaws generated inside the material being molded.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a material molding device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along the section line II-II shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram of a material forming apparatus according to another example; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing changes in the heat generation range of the heater accompanying movement of the irradiating section and the detecting section; It is a figure which shows the movement of an irradiation part and a detection part accompanying the detection of a heater.

A material molding apparatus and a material molding method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration diagram of a material forming apparatus 1 in which a material 21 being formed is installed. FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view along section line II--II in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, a material molding apparatus 1 is an apparatus used, for example, when autoclave molding a composite material.
The material forming apparatus 1 has an irradiation section 11 , a detection section 12 , a control section 40 , an autoclave (container) 31 and a heater (heating section) 35 .

Also, the material 21 is accommodated inside the autoclave 31 . The material 21 is, for example, a composite material. In this case the material 21 is enclosed in a vacuum bag 32 . Also, the material 21 is placed on the jig 36 together with the vacuum bag 32 .
The term "material" as used herein means the state before the completion of molding, and is distinguished from the state after the completion of molding.

One end of a suction nozzle 33 is connected to the vacuum bag 32 . A vacuum pump 34 is connected to the other end of the suction nozzle 33 . Thereby, the inside of the vacuum bag 32 can be evacuated.

The irradiation unit 11 is a device that can irradiate radiation such as X-rays. The irradiation unit 11 irradiates the material 21 being molded with radiation.
The detection unit 12 is a device that detects radiation emitted from the irradiation unit 11 .
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the irradiation unit 11 and the detection unit 12 are arranged at positions facing each other with the material 21 being molded interposed therebetween. With this arrangement, the detector 12 will detect radiation transmitted through the material 21 being formed.

The control unit 40 image-processes the information on the radiation dose detected by the detection unit 12 to image the cross section of the material 21 being molded. The imaged tomogram is visually confirmed by the operator or automatically recognized by the control unit 40 . As a result, it is possible to directly and in real time monitor flaws (hereinafter referred to as "internal flaws") generated inside the material 21 being molded. Then, when an internal flaw is detected, it is possible to change the molding condition to one in which the internal flaw is less likely to occur, or to change the molding condition to one in which the internal flaw disappears. Examples of molding conditions that can be changed are described later.
Internal flaws include, for example, voids, porosities, cracks, and delamination.

Here, the control unit 40 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a computer-readable storage medium, and the like.
A series of processes for realizing various functions is stored in a storage medium or the like in the form of a program, for example, and the CPU reads out this program to a RAM or the like, and executes information processing and arithmetic processing. As a result, various functions are realized.
The program may be pre-installed in a ROM or other storage medium, provided in a state stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or delivered via wired or wireless communication means. etc. may be applied.
Computer-readable storage media include magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, semiconductor memories, and the like.

Autoclave 31 is a pressure vessel that contains material 21 .
The irradiation unit 11 and the detection unit 12 are positioned outside the autoclave 31 . That is, the inside (cross section) of the material 21 being molded is monitored from the outside of the autoclave 31 by the irradiation unit 11 , the detection unit 12 and the control unit 40 . For this reason, it is preferable that the furnace wall of the autoclave 31 be made of a material that easily transmits radiation. Examples of materials that allow radiation to easily pass through include aluminum alloys and reinforced plastics.

The autoclave 31 is configured so that pressurized inert gas (eg, nitrogen) can be supplied and discharged. Thereby, the pressure inside the autoclave 31 (that is, the pressure applied to the material 21) can be arbitrarily adjusted. The pressure is determined and adjusted by the controller 40 .

Each heater 35 has a heating wire and a power source. The heater 35 is provided inside the autoclave 31 with a heating wire portion that generates heat. Thereby, the ambient temperature around the material 21 can be arbitrarily adjusted. The temperature is determined and adjusted by the controller 40 . Also, the output of the heater 35 according to the temperature is determined and adjusted by the controller 40 .
The temperature is obtained by a thermometer (not shown), such as a thermocouple. Further, the acquired temperature is, for example, the internal temperature of the autoclave 31, the surface temperature of the jig 36, or the like.

In the material molding apparatus 1 configured as described above, the irradiation unit 11, the detection unit 12, and the material 21 being molded are relatively movable along and around the predetermined direction of the material 21. It is This allows detection of internal flaws throughout the material 21 being molded.

Examples of the configuration for relatively moving the irradiation unit 11, the detection unit 12, and the material 21 being molded include the following.

First, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the jig 36 on which the material 21 is placed is constructed so as to be able to travel on rails 37 in a predetermined direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 1). Also, the irradiation unit 11 and the detection unit 12 are configured so as not to move in a predetermined direction. As a result, the irradiation unit 11 and the detection unit 12 and the material 21 being molded move relative to each other along the predetermined direction of the material 21 . The jig 36 does not necessarily have to be moved in the predetermined direction by running on the rails 37, and may be moved in the predetermined direction by, for example, a linear slider or conveyor.
As shown in FIG. 2, the irradiation unit 11 and the detection unit 12 are configured to rotate around the material 21, the jig 36 and the rail 37 in a predetermined direction. At this time, the irradiation unit 11 and the detection unit 12 maintain a positional relationship of facing each other. Moreover, the material 21 is configured so as not to rotate around a predetermined direction. As a result, the irradiation unit 11 and the detection unit 12 and the material 21 being molded relatively move around the predetermined direction of the material 21 .

Here, instead of rotating the irradiation unit 11 and the detection unit 12 around a predetermined direction, as shown in FIG. good too.

Further, instead of moving the jig 36 on which the material 21 is placed along a predetermined direction, as shown in FIG. You may
In this case, it is preferable to configure so that the heat generation range of the heater 35 can be moved in accordance with the movement of the irradiation unit 11 and the detection unit 12 . The movement of the heat generation range is performed, for example, by moving the position of the point of contact between the hot wire and the power supply. Accordingly, appropriate positions can be heated according to the movement of the irradiation unit 11 and the detection unit 12 .

As shown in FIG. 5, when the control unit 40 detects that a member other than the material 21 (for example, a heavy metal such as a heat ray of the heater 35) enters the radiation emitted from the irradiation unit 11, The irradiation unit 11 and the detection unit 12 are moved so as to change the irradiation angle of radiation. As a result, it is possible to prevent, for example, the heat rays of the heater 35 from being reflected in the tomographic image, so that the accuracy of detecting internal flaws can be improved.

As a result of monitoring the interior of the material 21 using the material molding apparatus 1 as described above, if internal flaws are detected in the material 21, the molding conditions are changed as described above. The "molding conditions" referred to here are, for example, the internal pressure and atmospheric temperature of the autoclave 31 .

For example, when voids are detected, the pressure condition can be changed such that the pressure inside the autoclave 31 is reduced to exhaust the voids, and then pressurized to crush the voids.
Further, by slowing down the heating rate inside the autoclave 31, it is possible to set a temperature condition in which voids are less likely to occur.
By controlling the molding conditions as described above, it is possible to change the molding conditions so that voids are less likely to occur, or to change the molding conditions to eliminate voids.

The pressure and temperature are examples of molding conditions, and if there are other conditions that can be changed, they may be changed.

[Modification]
In the above description, the material molding device 1 used for autoclave molding is taken as an example, but the basic configuration of the material molding device 1 (the irradiation unit 11, the detection unit 12, and the control unit 40) is , oven molding (de-autoclave molding), RTM (Resin Transfer Molding), and other molding methods that use pressure or heat. Moreover, the material is not limited to a composite material, and may be, for example, a resin or a ceramic.

For example, in the case of RTM, a mold is provided into which a resin (melted by heating) as the material 21 is injected. The mold is provided with a plurality of ports (supply ports) through which resin is supplied. When voids are detected as a result of monitoring using a tomographic image, by adjusting the flow rate of the resin injected from each port, the fluidity condition of the resin can be set such that the voids disappear. In addition to the flow rate, the pressure and temperature of the resin to be injected may be adjusted. Of course, the temperature of the resin can also be changed by the heater 35 .

In the case of injection molding, for example, a mold is provided into which resin (melted by heating) or ceramic powder as the material 21 is fed. This mold is provided with a plurality of gates (supply ports) through which resin or ceramic powder is supplied. If voids are detected as a result of monitoring with tomographic images, the flow rate of the resin or ceramic powder supplied from each gate is adjusted to set the fluidity conditions of the resin or ceramic powder to eliminate the voids. be able to. In addition to the flow rate, the pressure and temperature of the resin or ceramic powder to be fed may be adjusted.

In any of the molding methods described above, it is possible to directly monitor flaws inside the material 21 in real time by imaging the tomography together with the mold.

This embodiment has the following effects.
According to the material molding apparatus 1, it includes an irradiation unit 11 that irradiates the material 21 with radiation, a detection unit 12 that detects the radiation transmitted through the material being molded, and a control unit 40. The control unit 40 controls the material Since flaws inside the material 21 are monitored based on information from the detection unit 12 during molding of the material 21, flaws (for example, voids, porosity, etc.) generated inside the material 21 during molding can be detected directly. And it can be detected in real time. As a result, for example, based on the detection result, it is possible to change the molding condition to one that makes it difficult for internal flaws to occur, or to change the molding condition to one that eliminates internal flaws.
The molding conditions are, for example, pressure conditions, temperature conditions, fluidity conditions of materials, and the like.

In addition, since the irradiation unit 11, the detection unit 12, and the material 21 being molded are relatively movable along and around the predetermined direction of the material 21 being molded, Internal flaws in all directions of the material 21 can be detected.

In addition, since the heat generation range of the heating unit is movable in a predetermined direction, it is possible to heat an appropriate position according to the relative movement of the material being molded.

Further, when the control unit detects a member other than the material 21 being molded, the position of the irradiating unit 11 is changed so that the irradiation angle of the radiation changes. Even if it overlaps on the irradiated radiation, it is possible to avoid it and irradiate radiation. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of detecting internal flaws.

Further, according to the method of molding the material 21, the irradiation unit 11 irradiates the material with radiation, the detection unit 12 detects the radiation irradiated from the irradiation unit 11 and transmitted through the material, and during the molding of the material , and a step of monitoring flaws inside the material 21 based on information from the detection unit 12, so that flaws (for example, voids, porosities, etc.) generated inside the material 21 during molding can be directly detected. And it can be detected in real time. As a result, it is possible to optimize the molding conditions based on the detection results, and it is possible to mold the material under molding conditions that make it difficult for internal flaws to occur or to eliminate internal flaws.

For example, the present embodiment described above can be understood as follows.
That is, a material molding apparatus (1) according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes an irradiation unit (11) that irradiates a material (21) with radiation, and a detection unit (12) that detects the radiation transmitted through the material being molded. and a control unit (40), wherein the control unit monitors flaws inside the material based on information from the detection unit during molding of the material.

According to the material molding apparatus according to this aspect, it includes an irradiation unit that irradiates a material with radiation, a detection unit that detects the radiation that has passed through the material being molded, and a control unit. Since the flaws inside the material are monitored based on the information from the detection unit, flaws (such as voids and porosity) generated inside the material during molding can be detected directly and in real time. be able to. As a result, for example, based on the detection result, it is possible to change the molding condition to one that makes it difficult for internal flaws to occur, or to change the molding condition to one that eliminates internal flaws.
It should be noted that the monitoring of internal flaws is performed, for example, by imaging a tomogram using radiation.

Further, in the material molding apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure, the irradiation unit and the detection unit and the material being molded are arranged along a predetermined direction of the material being molded and around the predetermined direction. are considered to be physically movable.

According to the material molding apparatus according to this aspect, the irradiation unit, the detection unit, and the material being molded are relatively movable along and around the predetermined direction of the material being molded. Therefore, internal flaws can be detected throughout the material being molded.

Further, the material molding apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a container (31) that contains the material being molded and whose internal pressure is adjustable, and the control unit controls the Controlling the pressure inside the container based on the information.

According to the material molding apparatus according to this aspect, the container containing the material being molded is provided and the internal pressure is adjustable, and the control unit controls the internal pressure of the container based on the information from the detection unit. is controlled, it is possible to mold the material under pressure conditions in which internal flaws are less likely to occur, or to mold the material under pressure conditions in which flaws inside the material disappear.

Further, a material molding apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a mold to which the material is supplied via a plurality of supply ports, and the control unit controls each of the supply ports based on information from the detection unit. At least one of flow rate, pressure and temperature of the supplied material is controlled.

According to the material molding apparatus according to this aspect, the mold is provided with materials supplied through a plurality of supply ports, and the control unit controls the flow rate of the material supplied from each supply port based on information from the detection unit, Since at least one of pressure and temperature is controlled, it is possible to mold the material under material conditions that eliminate flaws inside the material.

Further, the material molding apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a heating section (35) that heats the ambient temperature around the material being molded, and the control section controls the Controls the output of the heating section.

According to the material molding apparatus according to this aspect, the heating unit is provided for heating the ambient temperature around the material being molded, and the control unit controls the output of the heating unit based on information from the detection unit. It is possible to mold the material under temperature conditions in which internal flaws are less likely to occur, or to mold the material under temperature conditions in which internal flaws disappear.

Further, in the material molding apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the heating section is configured such that the heat generation range is movable in a predetermined direction.

According to the material forming apparatus according to this aspect, the heating section is movable in the predetermined direction in the heat generation range, so that an appropriate position can be heated according to the relative movement of the material being formed. .

Further, in the material molding apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure, when detecting a member other than the material being molded, the control unit changes the position of the irradiation unit so that the irradiation angle of radiation changes.

According to the material molding apparatus according to this aspect, when a member other than the material being molded is detected, the control unit changes the position of the irradiation unit so that the irradiation angle of the radiation changes. Even if the obstacle overlaps with the irradiated radiation, the radiation can be emitted while avoiding the obstacle. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of detecting internal flaws.

Further, a method for molding a material according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a step of irradiating a material with radiation in an irradiation unit, a step of detecting radiation irradiated from the irradiation unit and transmitted through the material with a detection unit, and and monitoring flaws within the material based on information from the detector during molding of the material.

According to the method of molding a material according to this aspect, the step of irradiating the material with radiation in the irradiation unit, the step of detecting the radiation irradiated from the irradiation unit and transmitted through the material with the detection unit, and the detection during the molding of the material and monitoring flaws inside the material based on information from the part, so that flaws (such as voids and porosity) generated inside the material during molding are detected directly and in real time. can do. As a result, it is possible to optimize the molding conditions based on the detection results, and it is possible to mold the material under molding conditions that make it difficult for internal flaws to occur or to eliminate internal flaws.

1 material molding device 11 irradiation unit 12 detection unit 21 material 31 autoclave (container)
32 vacuum bag 33 suction nozzle 34 vacuum pump 35 heater (heating unit)
36 jig 37 rail 40 control unit

Claims (8)

an irradiation unit that irradiates a material with radiation;
a detection unit that detects radiation transmitted through the material being molded;
a control unit;
with
The control unit monitors flaws inside the material based on the information from the detection unit during molding of the material. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the irradiation unit, the detection unit, and the material being molded are relatively movable along and around the predetermined direction of the material being molded. Material forming equipment. A container containing the material being molded and having an adjustable internal pressure,
The material molding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control section controls the pressure inside the container based on the information from the detection section. A mold to which the material is supplied through a plurality of supply ports,
3. The material molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls at least one of flow rate, pressure and temperature of the material supplied from each supply port based on information from the detection unit. . A heating unit that heats the ambient temperature around the material being molded,
The material forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control section controls the output of the heating section based on information from the detection section. 6. A material molding apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said heating unit has a heat generating range movable in a predetermined direction. 7. The material molding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein when detecting a member other than the material being molded, the control unit changes the position of the irradiation unit so that the irradiation angle of the radiation changes. a step of irradiating the material with radiation in an irradiation unit;
a step of detecting radiation emitted from the irradiation unit and transmitted through the material by a detection unit;
monitoring flaws inside the material based on information from the detector during molding of the material;
A method of forming a material containing

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