JPH06206220A - Method and apparatus for continuously shaping glass fiber preform - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To efficiently perform the continuous shaping of a glass fiber preform by heating a glass fiber mat to pass the same through a screen like mold having a gap of which the shape is same to that of the cross section of the preform and subsequently passing cooling air through the mold and the mat. CONSTITUTION:At first, a glass fiber mat 1 is continuously drawn into a heating part 2 to be heated by the heating air from a hot air generator 3. At this time, in the heating part 2, heating air is passed through the respective screens of both upper and low molds 7, 8 arranged in an outer frame 6 to melt the binder of the glass fiber mat and the glass fiber mat is deformed into the shape of the gap between both upper and lower molds 7, 8. The glass fiber mat deformed into the shape of a preform is subsequently drawn into a cooling part 4 to be cooled. At this time, cooling air is passed through the respective screens of both upper and lower molds 7, 8 in the same way as the heating air to solidify the binder to form an L-shape preform 5. By this method, the glass fiber mat 1 is continuously shaped inexpensively and efficiently.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a glass fiber mat preform shaping method and a shaping apparatus used for molding glass fiber reinforced plastics.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The following methods are known as glass fiber preforming methods. A. On the screen for preform, a string-like roving without twist is cut into a length of 2 to 5 cm, and while the cut reinforcing material such as glass fiber is accumulated, a liquid binder is sprayed and dried by heating. A method of giving preservative properties and preforming. B. Using a continuous fiber mat with a heat-softenable binder, holding the end of the continuous fiber mat by a flat support frame,
Put this in a heating furnace to heat soften the binder of the mat,
In that state, it is taken out of the furnace, quickly placed between the upper and lower molds, and preformed using a cooled press. C. A method of preforming by stitching a glass fiber mat cut into a developed shape.

[0003]

In the method A, the step of spraying the cut glass fiber and the liquid binder and the heating and drying step, the method B, the heating step and the cooling press step, and the method C. Since the cutting process and the stitching process are performed in batches in
Productivity is poor. Further, the method A requires a heating furnace for drying the liquid binder, and the method B requires high pressure during preform shaping because continuous fibers are used, resulting in excessive capital investment. There is a drawback. It is an object of the present invention to provide a continuous shaping method and a continuous shaping apparatus for a glass fiber preform that solves the above-mentioned drawbacks.

[0004]

Means for Solving the Problems As a result of intensive studies, the present inventors have found that a glass fiber mat is used, and molding of a preform excellent in productivity can be continuously performed with a small capital investment. Thus, the present invention has been reached. The present invention heats a glass fiber mat continuously supplied and then passes through a screen-shaped or mesh-shaped mold having a gap having the same shape as the cross section of the obtained preform, and at the same time, the mold and the glass fiber mat. A continuous shaping method of a glass fiber preform in which cooling air is passed through, as well as a heating portion of the glass fiber mat and a cooling portion ahead of the glass fiber mat in the advancing direction of the glass fiber mat continuously supplied, and at least a cooling portion. Relates to a continuous shaping device for a glass fiber preform, which comprises a screen-shaped or mesh-shaped mold having a gap having the same shape as the cross section of the obtained preform, through which the glass fiber mat passes.

The shaped glass fiber mat is not particularly limited as long as it is a mat formed by a heat-softening binder, such as continuous strand mat (continuous fiber) and chopped strand mat (discontinuous fiber). .
However, when shaping a narrow preform, it is preferable to use continuous fibers having high tensile strength. When the glass fiber mat to be shaped is composed of multiple layers, a few of the glass fiber mats may be glass fiber mats formed of a heat-softening binder, and are preferably arranged on the surface layer.

The heating of the glass fiber mat is carried out in the heating part (inside the mold) consisting of a mold having a preform-shaped gap, or in the heating part outside the mold. As a heating method performed in the mold, a screen-shaped or mesh-shaped mold is used, and heating air is passed through the mold and the glass fiber mat, piping is provided in the mold, and heated air, steam, hot water, etc. are circulated. There is a method in which the mold is heated or the mold is heated by a heater and the glass fiber mat passing through the gap is heated by heat transfer. In the present invention, the screen shape means a plate having a large number of through holes, and the mesh shape means that a mesh is formed like a wire mesh. The screen-shaped or mesh-shaped mold may be any material as long as it can withstand the repulsive force in the thickness direction of the glass fiber mat at the time of shaping, and a punching metal type, an FRP type or the like can be used. When piping is provided in the mold, a thermal spraying type, an electroforming type, a metal machining type or the like, which has excellent heat conduction and a large heat capacity, can be used.

In the case of heating outside the mold, a method of passing heated air through the glass fiber mat, heating the glass fiber mat by radiative heat transfer by electromagnetic waves such as far infrared rays, and the like. The heating temperature of the glass fiber mat varies depending on the kind of the binder of the glass fiber mat, but is usually the softening point or higher or the melting point or higher of the binder. When the glass fiber mat is heated, the binder softens, and when the glass fiber mat passes through the mold, it is transformed into a preform shape by the pressure of the mold. When the heating is carried out in the mold, it becomes a preform upon heating, and the binder is solidified and fixed by the cooling in the next step. Also,
If heating is done outside the mold, it will be deformed and fixed in the preform shape during cooling.

As a mold having a preform-shaped gap which serves as a cooling part, a screen-shaped or mesh-shaped mold similar to the case of the heating part is used. Cooling of the glass fiber mat is performed by passing cooling air through the mold and the glass fiber mat. This mold is similar to the case of the heating part described above.
Any material can be used as long as it can withstand the repulsive force in the thickness direction of the glass fiber mat during shaping, and punching metal type, FRP type and the like can be used. The cooling temperature of the glass fiber mat varies depending on the kind of the binder of the glass fiber mat, but is usually the softening point or lower or the melting point or lower of the binder.

[0009]

EXAMPLES Examples of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a continuous shaping apparatus for glass fiber preforms according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a glass fiber mat is heated in a mold. 1 is a glass fiber chopped strand mat (made by Fuji Fiber Glass Co., Ltd., GP-450-
08A), 2 is a heating unit for melting the thermosoftening binder, 3 is a hot air generator used for heating 2 and 4 is a cooling unit for solidifying the thermosoftening binder, and 5 is an L-shaped shape The shaped preform is shown. FIG. 2 is a view showing a cross section of a screen type having a gap having the same shape as the cross section of the preform in the heating section 2 or the cooling section 4 of FIG. 1 and performing heating or cooling. 6 is an iron outer frame for securing a flow path of heated air (160 ° C.) or cooling air (room temperature), and 7 is an upper mold having a screen in a portion for obtaining a preform. 8 is a lower mold having a screen in a portion for obtaining a preform, and 9 is a spacer having a thickness of 5 mm corresponding to the thickness of the preform. Both the upper and lower screens have an aperture ratio of 25% formed by forming a large number of through holes each having a diameter of 4 mm on an iron plate with a pitch of 7 mm.

The glass fiber mat 1 is continuously drawn into the heating section 2, and the air heated by the hot air generator 3 is the screen of the upper mold 7, the glass fiber mat 1 and the lower mold 8 as shown by the arrow.
The glass fiber mat 1 is sandwiched between the upper mold 7 and the lower mold 8 and deformed into the shape of the gap between the upper mold 7 and the lower mold 8 by passing through the screen of FIG. Next, the glass fiber mat 1 deformed into the shape of the preform is drawn into the cooling unit 4, and passes through the screen of the upper mold 7, the glass fiber mat 1 and the screen of the lower mold 8 as in the case where the cooling air is heated air. The binder is solidified to obtain an L-shaped preform.

[0011]

Since the preform shaping method of the present invention is a continuous molding method, the preform can be efficiently produced with high productivity. The production does not require expensive equipment such as a press or a drying oven, and the mold used for the preform needs only to be a material that can withstand the repulsive force in the thickness direction of the glass fiber mat, so there is little equipment investment. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a continuous shaping apparatus for glass fiber preforms in an example of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a cross section of a heating unit or a cooling unit in the continuous shaping apparatus of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Glass fiber mat, 2 ... Heating part, 3 ... Hot air generator,
4 ... Cooling part, 5 ... Preform, 6 ... Outer frame, 7 ... Upper mold,
8 ... Lower mold, 9 ... Spacer

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Masato Wakisaka, 1010 Ippongi, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture, within Hitachi Kasei Unit Co., Ltd. (72) Kiyoshi Yoshida, 1010 Ippongki, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture, within Hitachi Kasei Unit Co., Ltd.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A glass fiber mat that is continuously supplied is heated and then passed through a screen-shaped or mesh-shaped mold having a gap having the same shape as the cross section of the obtained preform, and at the same time, the mold and the glass fiber. A continuous shaping method for a glass fiber preform, characterized in that cooling air is passed through the mat. 2. A preform obtained by comprising a heating part of the glass fiber mat and a cooling part ahead of the glass fiber mat in the advancing direction of the glass fiber mat continuously supplied, and the glass fiber mat passes through at least the cooling part. Continuous shaping device for glass fiber preforms, which comprises a screen-shaped or mesh-shaped mold having a gap having the same shape as the cross section of the above.