RU2797519C1 - Method and device for manufacturing composite products from metalpolymer - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: mechanical engineering.

SUBSTANCE: group of inventions relates to methods and devices for manufacturing composite products from metal-polymer by vacuum suction. The method includes forming a sealed bag, evacuating, feeding a filler into a sealed bag from a container using inlet and outlet elements. Moreover, the sealed package is formed as a thin-walled plastic shell mould with sprues and gates, is rigidly fixed in the vacuum chamber, vacuumed, and a vibration effect is applied to the vacuum chamber. After that, the vacuum suction of the metal polymer is carried out into a thin-walled plastic shell mould until the mould is completely filled, then the vibration effect is removed and exposure is carried out until the metal polymer is cured. Next, the shell mould is removed from the vacuum chamber, sprues and gates are removed, and the operating surfaces of the composite product are finished. The device includes a base plate with a clamp, on which a vacuum hood is located, a container for a metal polymer having a lid with a vacuum gauge and connected through an inlet to a sealed bag, as well as a vacuum system including a vacuum pump connected by a line to the inner cavity of the hood. Moreover, the vacuum cap is a vacuum chamber, the lid of which is equipped with a viewing window and a vacuum gauge, and a clamp for a sealed bag is placed at the bottom of the chamber. In this case, the vacuum chamber is coupled to the vacuum system and is rigidly mounted on a base plate placed on the frame, adapted for linear movement in a vertical plane, and the lower face of the base plate is equipped with vibrators.

EFFECT: improved quality of the composite part by completely filling all the mould cavities with a viscous metal polymer, regardless of its geometric shape.

2 cl, 2 dwg

Description

The invention relates to mechanical engineering, in particular, to methods and devices for the manufacture of composite products by vacuum suction. A particular example of use is the manufacture of composite products for various industries, in the form of an integral connection of a polymer shell filled with a metal-polymer compound, as well as in the creation of equipment for implementing the method.

Currently, there are many methods for manufacturing composite products by vacuum infusion methods and devices for their implementation. For example, a method for manufacturing fibrous composites by vacuum infusion and a device for implementing the method according to patent RU2480335C1 dated 02/07/2012 IPC B29C 70/44 authors A.G. Gormashev, A.I. Gaidansky, A.V. Tretyakova, A.V. Ulyanova are known. A method for manufacturing fibrous composites by vacuum infusion from a fibrous preform with a distributing fabric placed in a multi-cavity device, characterized in that the preform with a distributing fabric is placed in the working cavity, a vacuum P1 is created in the vacuum channel connecting the working cavity with the first vacuum source to ensure the supply of resin to the fibrous preform by suction of the resin under vacuum from the supply tank with resin, followed by frontal injection of resin into the preform and impregnation of the preform with resin, and curing of the preform impregnated with resin with the formation of a fibrous composite, while continuously removing air and gaseous inclusions from the working cavity with opposite sides of the preform through the first and second membranes permeable to gaseous inclusions, but not permeable to resin, respectively, into the first and second cavities, interconnected by means of vacuum channels, in which the same vacuum P2 and P3 are created, different from the vacuum P1 in the working cavity , with a second source of vacuum, and due to the difference in the values of rarefaction P1, P2 and P3 in the vacuum channels, transportation and subsequent removal of gaseous inclusions and an excess amount of resin from the area of the working cavity, limited by the preform and permeable to gas, but not permeable to the resin by the second membrane and not containing distributive tissue. In the known method, for its implementation, a reusable expensive preform is used into which the resin is sucked in due to the pressure difference at the inlet and outlet of it.

The disadvantage of this method is that if the manufactured product will have a complex shape, for example, when using topological shape optimization, and it will be filled not with liquid resin, but with a viscous metal-polymer compound, underfilling, air pockets and cavities in the mold may occur, which reduce the quality of the product.

A vacuum infusion installation is known according to patent RU192485 U1 dated 09/18/2019 IPC B29C 70/48, author Nozdrina G.A. The vacuum infusion unit contains a vacuum trap, including a vacuum trap housing, and a vacuum generator connected to it, including a vacuum generator housing, in the form of a vacuum ejector based on the Venturi effect.

The specified design of the installation does not provide for the intensification of the mold filling process in which the product is molded when using viscous thermoplastics, for example, metal polymers, which will lead to incomplete filling of the mold and the rejection of the final product.

The closest to the claimed method, which is adopted in this application as a prototype, is a method and device for the manufacture of a composite product according to patent RU2748461 C2 dated 05/25/2021 IPC B29C 70/70, authors Bazhenov V.A., Nozdrina G.A. A method for manufacturing a composite product in the form of a permanent connection of a reinforcing material with a binder by vacuum infusion, for which a vacuum ejector is used, connected to a sealed package based on a reinforcing material and a binder container. The package is formed and sealed, the package is evacuated by the gas-dynamic method using a vacuum ejector. For evacuation and supply of the binder into the package, elements are used for the removal and supply of the binder, the pressure in the package is changed by a gas-dynamic method. Withstand the package impregnated with a binder until a composite product is obtained.

The disadvantage of this method is the low quality of the product in the case of using a form with thin and slotted channels, and the binder is a viscous thermoplastic, such as a metal polymer. An increase in the pressure difference at the inlet and outlet of the mold and, in general, an increase in the depth of vacuum will lead to the boiling of the thermoplastic and the rejection of the product.

The closest analogue to the claimed device, which is adopted as a prototype of the device, is an installation for the manufacture of products from a compound under vacuum according to patent RU 2061593 C1 dated 10.06.1996 IPC B29C 31/04, 39/42, authors Mikheev M.M., Simonova N .M Installation for manufacturing products from compound under vacuum, contains a base plate for setting the mold, a pouring cylinder with a piston, a vertically located container for raw materials, a driving mixing body and a vacuum system. The container for the feedstock is made up of separate containers for the compound and the hardener, installed in a common oil jacket. The pouring cylinder is installed vertically under the base plate, and the raw material container and the mixing element are mounted on the base plate by means of a rotary turret, and the mixing element is installed with the possibility of vertical movement before entering the cavity of the filling cylinder, and the vacuum system is made with a connection under the filling cylinder piston.

The disadvantage of the installation is the impossibility of obtaining a high quality product. This is due to the fact that the operation of the installation uses the principle of vacuum suction of the compound into the mold with its lower supply, which, with a complex design of the mold, will not ensure its complete filling with a viscous compound - a metal polymer.

With the essential features of the method coincides with the following set of features of the prototype: the formation of a sealed package, evacuation, the supply of filler in a sealed bag from the tank using the elements of supply and removal.

The essential features of the device coincide with the following set of features of the prototype: a base plate with a clamp, on which a vacuum cap is located, a container for a metal polymer having a lid with a vacuum gauge and connected through an inlet to a sealed package, as well as a vacuum system including a vacuum pump connected by a line to an internal cap cavity.

The problem to be solved by the invention and the device for its implementation is to improve the quality of the composite part by completely filling all the mold cavities with a viscous metal polymer, regardless of its geometric shape. This is achieved due to the presence of a vibrational effect on the evacuated mold during its filling by suction of the metal polymer, which ensures increased fluidity of the metal polymer and guaranteed filling of the mold cavities.

The problem is solved due to the fact that the method of manufacturing composite products from a metal polymer includes forming a sealed package, evacuating, supplying filler to a sealed package from a container using inlet and outlet elements. In the proposed solution, the hermetic package is formed in the form of a thin-walled shell plastic mold with bulges and sprues. Next, a thin-walled shell plastic form is rigidly fixed in a vacuum chamber, evacuated and a vibration effect is applied to the vacuum chamber. After that, the vacuum suction of the metal polymer into a thin-walled plastic shell mold is carried out until the mold is completely filled. Then the vibration effect is removed and exposure is carried out until the metal polymer is cured. Next, the shell mold is removed from the vacuum chamber, sprues and vents are removed. Finishing processing of working surfaces of a composite product is made.

The formation of a sealed package in the form of a thin plastic shell mold allows the liquid metal polymer to be shaped into a future product, and the thin-walled plastic shell mold has a sprue and vents that allow the metal polymer to be lowered into the mold and control the filling of the mold by visual control by the presence or absence of the metal polymer in the vents.

Rigid fixation of a thin-walled plastic shell mold in a vacuum chamber makes it possible to hold the mold in a given orientation and transmit a vibrational effect to it.

Vacuuming the mold and imposing a vibrational effect on the vacuum chamber makes it possible to create a vacuum inside the mold allowing the metal polymer to be sucked into it, and the vibrational effect intensifies the process of pouring the mold with the metal polymer, as it increases its fluidity.

Removal of sprues and sprues after curing of the metal polymer makes it possible to give the workpiece the shape of a finished product.

Finishing the working surfaces of a composite product, which is a thin-walled plastic shell mold filled with a metal polymer, is necessary in order to remove the plastic shell mold layer from the working surfaces and ensure mating with other parts of the assembly along a solid metal-polymer surface.

The device for manufacturing composite products from a metal-polymer includes a base plate with a clamp, on which a vacuum cap is located, a container for a metal-polymer having a lid with a vacuum gauge and connected to a sealed bag through an inlet, as well as a vacuum system including a vacuum pump connected by a line to the internal cavity of the cap . In the proposed solution, the vacuum bell is a vacuum chamber, the lid of which is equipped with a viewing window and a vacuum gauge. The clamp for the sealed bag is located at the bottom of the chamber. The vacuum chamber is connected to the vacuum system and is rigidly mounted on a base plate placed on the frame, with the possibility of linear movement in a vertical plane. The lower face of the base plate is equipped with vibrators.

The execution of the vacuum cap in the form of a vacuum chamber, the lid of which is equipped with a viewing window and a vacuum gauge, allows you to create a volume in which a sealed bag can be placed for its vacuum, and the provision of the lid with a viewing window allows you to visually control the filling of the sealed bag with a metal polymer. The vacuum gauge allows you to control the level of pressure in the vacuum chamber.

Placing a clamp for a sealed bag on the bottom of the chamber allows you to orient it in the required way with respect to the viewing window and the metal polymer supply.

The connection of the vacuum chamber with the vacuum system and its rigid installation on the base plate placed on the frame, with the possibility of linear movement in the vertical plane, makes it possible to ensure the transfer of the vibration effect from the base plate to the vacuum chamber and the hermetic package installed in it.

The supply of the bottom edge of the base plate with vibrators is necessary to generate vibrations in the entire system.

The essence of the method and device is illustrated by graphic material.

In FIG. 1. shows a device for the manufacture of composite products from a metal polymer with a cross section of a vacuum chamber; in fig. 2 - shows a cross section of a vacuum chamber with a thin-walled shell plastic form of the product installed in it.

The claimed method is implemented on a device for the manufacture of composite products from a metal polymer, the design of which is shown in Fig. 1 and 2.

A device for the manufacture of composite products from a metal polymer consists of a metal frame 1, which is a rectangular frame 2 of a metal profile. At the corners of the frame 2, metal racks 3 with holes are fixed perpendicular to it. A vacuum pump 4 is fixed on the frame 2. The base plate 5 is a flat metal structure, on the lower edge of which rods 6 are rigidly fixed and located coaxially with the racks 3 of the frame 1. The rods 6 and springs 7 are coaxially mounted with the possibility of vertical movement in the holes of the racks 3, and provide centering of the base plate 5 relative to the uprights 3. On the upper face of the base plate 5, a vacuum chamber 8 is rigidly fixed, at the bottom of which a clamp 9 is permanently fixed, in which a 3D printed form 10 is attached, having bulges 11 and a sprue 12. From above, the vacuum chamber 8 is closed cover 13 with a seal 14, a viewing window 15 and a vacuum gauge 16. In the walls of the vacuum chamber at its bottom, two holes are made into which fittings 17 are installed, one of which is connected from the outside with a valve 18 connecting the internal cavity of the vacuum chamber 8 using a vacuum line 19 with a vacuum pump 4. Another fitting 17 inside the vacuum chamber 8 is connected by an inlet 20 to the sprue 12 of the mold 10, and outside with a tap 18 is connected by an inlet 20 to the tap 18 of the container 21 for the metal polymer. On the side of the rods 6, the base plate 5 is provided with vibrators 22 rigidly fixed on it.

The method for manufacturing composite products from a metal polymer is implemented on the device described above as follows.

Preliminary, using one of the known 3D printing methods, a thin-walled plastic shell mold 10 of the product is made with the protrusions 11 and gate 12 provided in it. 17, from the outside, by means of a supply line 20 and taps 18, connected to a container 21 in which there is a liquid metal-polymer composition. The container 21 can be either a simple volumetric vessel or one of the known devices for mixing and dosing two-component compounds, such as metal polymers. Vacuum chamber 8 is closed from above by cover 13.

The vacuum pump 4 is turned on, which, through the vacuum line 19, is connected to the valve 18, which in turn is connected through the fitting 17 to the vacuum chamber 8 and pumps air out of the vacuum chamber 8, creating a vacuum in it up to 400 Pa (to the level of boiling of the metal polymer). In this case, the cover 13 due to the seal 14 is tightly pressed against the open end of the vacuum chamber 8. The vacuum level is controlled by visual control of the readings of the vacuum gauge 16. Upon reaching the specified vacuum level in the vacuum chamber 8, the valve 18 connects the vacuum chamber 8 with the vacuum line 19 is blocked, and the vacuum pump 4 is switched off.

The vibrators 22 are turned on, as a result of which the base plate 5, under the action of vibration excitation from the vibrators 22, gravity on the one hand and the energy of the springs 7 on the other, begins to vibrate, making translational movements relative to the frame 1, being centered by the rods 6 coaxially relative to the racks 3. Vibrating base plate 5 due to its rigid connection with the vacuum chamber 8 transmits vibration to it, and it, in turn, to the clamp 9 fixed at its bottom, which in turn transmits the vibration to the form 10 installed in it.

In the process of vibrating the mold 10, the valve 18 installed on the tank 21 with liquid metal polymer and the valve 18 installed on the fitting 17 of the vacuum chamber 8 connected to each other by the inlet 20 opens. The liquid metal polymer from the container 21 under the action of the vacuum formed in the vacuum chamber 8 and, accordingly, in the form 10 is sucked into the form 10 filling it, while due to the presence of vibration in the form, the liquid metal polymer has greater fluidity, which allows filling all the cavities and undercuts of the form 10 formed including both the geometric design of the product itself and the technological features of the layer-by-layer manufacturing of mold 10 using 3D printing methods. The control of the filling of the mold 10 with liquid metal polymer is carried out by visual control of the filling of the bulges 11 of the mold 10 with liquid metal polymer, carried out through the viewing window 15 in the cover 13.

After the appearance of the liquid metal polymer in the upstream 11, by closing the taps 18 on the vacuum chamber 8 and the container 21, through which the liquid metal polymer is supplied, the supply of the liquid metal polymer to the mold is stopped, and the vibrators 22 are turned off. The eyeliner 20 connecting the container 21 with the vacuum chamber 8 is disconnected from the tap 18.

Further, the container 21 can be connected to the next device, with another mold 10 to repeat the cycle of filling the mold 10 with liquid metal polymer, or it can be chemically cleaned of liquid metal polymer residues.

After curing of the metal polymer in the form 10, by opening the valve 18 connecting the vacuum chamber 8 with the vacuum line 19, atmospheric pressure is set in the vacuum chamber 8, the cover 13 is removed. The inner conduit 20 connecting the fitting 17 to the sprue 12 is removed and chemically cleaned before the next use. A composite product consisting of a plastic shell mold 10 and a metal-polymer filling is removed from the clamp 9. Next, the sprue 12 and the sprue 11 are mechanically removed. Thus, a composite product is obtained consisting of a plastic shell and a metal-polymer filler.

The fitting 17 and the valve 18 through which the metal polymer was supplied are cleaned chemically (for example, using a special solvent) from the metal polymer residues in them. The device can then be reused.

Thus, the high quality of the composite product is ensured due to the guaranteed filling of the cavities of the plastic shell mold with a liquid metal polymer, regardless of its geometric parameters and the roughness of the inner surface. This makes it possible to obtain a composite metal-polymer product with a high density of the internal structure.

Claims (2)

1. A method for manufacturing composite products from a metal polymer, including forming a sealed bag, evacuating, supplying a filler to a sealed bag from a container using inlet and outlet elements, characterized in that the sealed bag is formed in the form of a thin-walled plastic shell mold with vents and sprues, is rigidly fixed in a vacuum chamber, evacuated, a vibration effect is applied to the vacuum chamber, after which the vacuum suction of the metal polymer is carried out into a thin-walled shell plastic mold until the mold is completely filled, then the vibration effect is removed and exposure is carried out until the metal polymer is cured, then the shell mold is removed from the vacuum chamber, the sprues are removed and swell, finishing processing of the working surfaces of the composite product is carried out. 2. A device for the manufacture of composite products from a metal polymer, including a base plate with a clamp, on which a vacuum cap is located, a container for a metal polymer having a lid with a vacuum gauge and connected to a sealed package through an inlet, as well as a vacuum system, including a vacuum pump connected by a line to the inner cavity of the cap, characterized in that the vacuum cap is a vacuum chamber, the cover of which is equipped with a viewing window and a vacuum gauge, and a clamp for a sealed bag is placed at the bottom of the chamber, while the vacuum chamber is associated with a vacuum system and is rigidly mounted on a base plate placed on frame, with the possibility of linear movement in a vertical plane, and the lower face of the base plate is equipped with vibrators.

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