RU175155U1 - FORMING EQUIPMENT FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PARTS FROM REINFORCED POLYMERIC COMPOSITE MATERIAL BY THE METHOD OF IMPREGNATION OF THE REINFORCING MATERIAL BY THE BINDING, HARDENING WHEN HEATING, UNDER PRESSURE - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to devices for manufacturing parts from a reinforced polymer composite material by impregnating a reinforcing material with a binder, cured by heating, under pressure, in particular by the RTM method. Shaping tooling for manufacturing parts from reinforced polymer composite material by impregnating the reinforcing material with a binder that cures when heated under pressure, consisting of two detachable parts - the lower part 1 and the upper cover 2, which, when closed, form a chamber for the reinforcing material 3 and a chamber for the binder 4, connected to each other by a channel 6, characterized in that the chamber for the binder 4 further comprises a compartment 5 for thermally expanding material, separated from it by an elastic membrane 7, wherein the impregnation pressure is generated due to an abrupt increase in thermally expanding material when it reaches the melting point. As a thermally expanding material, petroleum or synthetic ceresin is used. This device makes it possible to create a reliable automated process for manufacturing parts from composite materials. The advantage of this device lies in the simplicity of the design, in the absence of the need to use additional equipment and the ability to produce parts from polymer composite materials in an automatic mode. 1 s.p. f-ly, 2 ill.

Description

The utility model relates to devices for manufacturing parts from a reinforced polymer composite material by impregnating a reinforcing material with a binder, cured by heating, under pressure, in particular by the RTM method. The RTM method allows to obtain parts from polymer composite materials of varying complexity with high accuracy and a high volume content of reinforcing fibers due to the impregnation of the dry reinforcing material with a binder.

The RTM process is carried out as follows: the reinforcing material in the form of a dry preform is placed in a rigid mold consisting of two shells. Next, the mold is sealed and closed. After that, air is pumped out of the mold, the equipment is heated to the desired temperature, and a binder is injected under excessive pressure. After the reinforcing material is completely impregnated with the binder, the snap is heated to the polymerization temperature of the resin and maintained until the binder is completely cured. After curing is completed, the product obtained is taken out of the mold. As a result of this process, high quality composite parts are obtained. After completion of the process, the mold is cleaned of binder residues and can be used for re-manufacturing of parts.

Parts made of composite materials are used in aviation, astronautics, automotive engineering and other industries. Thus, many composite parts can be fabricated by the RTM method.

The problem in the production of composite products using the RTM method is the need to use sophisticated high-tech equipment. However, even expensive equipment does not fully automate the manufacturing process of products using this method. Therefore, the problem of automation of the RTM method is still relevant. Difficulties with automation arise due to the fact that RTM technology consists of many processes, including the evacuation of a binder, the evacuation of a reinforcing material, the supply of a binder at overpressure, and so on. At each of these stages, the mold and reservoir for the binder should remain airtight. When trying to automate the process, there are many problems with tightness, contamination of the equipment with a binder, which leads to an increase in the number of consumables used, which in turn leads to an increase in the cost of manufactured products.

Closest to the claimed technical solution is the device described in the patent of the Russian Federation No. 2423237 (V29C 70/48, publ. 12/20/2009, bull. No. 1).

SUBSTANCE: group of inventions relates to a device for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced composite component using a resin transfer molding method, to a system including said device, as well as to a method for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced composite component, in particular, to a resin transfer molding method. The device contains a basic element of the mold. In the base element, there is provided a working chamber for receiving a semi-finished product, and a storage chamber for receiving resin, comprising a resin-filled bag with an opening provided with a sieve. Also in the base element there is a transfer line connecting the working chamber with the hole in the storage chamber. In this case, the base element is made in the form of one part, and the storage chamber is designed so that the resin-filled bag can be introduced into the storage chamber.

The method includes introducing a semi-finished product into the working chamber of the device one at a time and supplying resinous material to the storage chamber of the device. In this case, the storage bag filled with resin is introduced into the storage chamber. The method also includes transferring the resinous material through the transfer line to the semi-finished product by supplying compressed air to the storage chamber and / or by pumping the working chamber.

This device is taken as a prototype.

The task of automating the technical process is solved by the fact that the chamber for the binder is made inside the mold for laying reinforcing material. Pressure for injection of the binder is created by air. This technical solution allows you to do without special feeding lines for the binder, and therefore reduces the amount of consumables. Also, the method provides for automatic loading of the container with a binder and timely shut-off of the binder exit from the mold during injection.

The disadvantage of the prototype is the need to use additional equipment to implement the process of manufacturing parts from polymer composite materials by impregnating a reinforcing material under pressure, namely additional equipment to create pressure with air. This equipment must supply air when the mold reaches the required temperature for feeding the binder. This task should be solved either by additional control equipment, or manually.

The technical result, which is claimed by the claimed utility model, is to create a device for the manufacture of parts from polymer composite materials by impregnating the reinforcing material with a binder under pressure, which would allow for a simple process to obtain products in automatic mode without the use of additional equipment to create pressure.

The technical result is achieved by the fact that in a forming tool for manufacturing parts from a reinforced polymer composite material by impregnating the reinforcing material with a binder that cures when heated, under pressure, consisting of two detachable parts - the lower part and the upper cover, which, when closed, form a chamber for the reinforcing material and a binder chamber connected to each other by a channel, it is new that the binder chamber further comprises a compartment for thermally expanding material and, separated from it by an elastic membrane, wherein the impregnation pressure is generated due to an abrupt increase in thermally expanding material when it reaches the melting point. As a thermally expanding substance, petroleum or synthetic ceresin can be used.

The essence of the utility model is shown in FIG. 1 and 2.

Here: 1 - the lower part; 2 - cover; 3 - a chamber for laying reinforcing material; 4 - camera for a binder; 5 - compartment for thermally expanding material; 6 - channel for the binder; 7 - membrane; 8 - valve for closing the binder; 9 - a binder; 10 - reinforcing material.

In FIG. 1 shows the inventive forming equipment for the manufacture of parts from a reinforced polymer composite material by impregnating the reinforcing material with a binder, cured by heating, under pressure.

In the inventive forming tool, a cover 2 and a lower part 1 are provided. When closed, they form two chambers: a chamber 3 for a reinforcing material and a chamber 4 for a binder, and the chamber 4 contains a compartment 5 in which a substance having a spasmodic expansion effect upon melting is placed, the chamber 3 and 4 are connected by a channel 6, and the compartment 5 is separated from the chamber 4 by an elastic membrane 7.

The principle of operation is as follows. Reinforcing material is placed in chamber 3; a binder is collected in chamber 4. Then, the cover 2 is lowered onto the lower part 1 of the snap and the snap is heated to the melting temperature of a thermally expanding substance located in compartment 5. When heated, the substance expands and puts pressure on the membrane 7, which in turn pushes the binder from the chamber 4 through the channel 6 into the chamber 3 s reinforcing material. After the binder has impregnated the reinforcing material (as evidenced by the exit of the binder from the snap), the valve 8 is closed. Further, according to the technological mode, the equipment is heated to a temperature at which the binder is cured, aged for a time determined by the technological mode and cooled to room temperature. Then, the finished part is removed from the tooling from the polymer composite material.

In FIG. 2 shows a fixture with a binder 9 and stacked dry reinforcing material 10.

This device makes it possible to create a reliable automated process for manufacturing parts from composite materials.

The advantage of this device lies in the simplicity of the design, in the absence of the need to use additional equipment and the ability to produce parts from polymer composite materials in an automatic mode.

Claims (2)

1. Forming equipment for the manufacture of parts from a reinforced polymer composite material by impregnating the reinforcing material with a binder, cured by heating, under pressure, consisting of two detachable parts - the lower part and the upper cover, which, when closed, form a chamber for the reinforcing material and a chamber for the binder, connected with each other by a channel, characterized in that the chamber for the binder further comprises a compartment for thermally expanding material, separated from it by an elastic membrane, impregnation pressure is created by the abrupt increase in the volume of thermally expanding material when it reaches the melting point. 2. Shaping equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that oil or synthetic ceresin is used as a thermally expanding material.

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