Abstract:
A method for molding a composite structure includes the steps of infusing a fabric with a resin to form a ply of composite material, transferring the ply of composite material to a preheat station, and preheating the ply of composite material to a temperature that renders the composite material more drapable, but is less than a temperature that causes the resin in the material to initiate polymerization. The ply of composite material is then transferred to a press station where it is heated to a temperature that causes the resin to initiate polymerization, whereby the curing time for the composite material is substantially less than the curing time of a fabric that is infused with an epoxy resin.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    The device relates to a method and apparatus for rapid molding composite parts in which part shapes are cut from a pre-impregnated continuous fiber reinforced material to form a charge, the charge is held in tension while it is preheated to a certain temperature, and the preheated charge is placed in a forming and curing tool where tension is applied to the charge while the heated tool halves are closed and the part is rapidly cured. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The cost effective production of parts for the automotive industry is dependent on efficient repeatable manufacturing processes that deliver quality parts at a high volume. In order to meet cost and quality demands in the automotive market, it is necessary to constantly re-invent manufacturing technologies. Additionally the global automotive market is seeking “light-weighting” materials and manufacturing technologies that enable mass and weight reduction to improve fuel efficiencies. The composites (fiber reinforced materials) industry has a long history in supplying automotive parts primarily for lower volume vehicles such as the Chevrolet Corvette and Dodge Viper. However, traditional composite processes such as Sheet Molding Compound (SMC) and Long Fiber Thermoplastic (LFT) utilize discontinuous fibers that significantly reduce the strength and stiffness of the materials. Processes such as Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) can utilize a continuous (dry) fiber, but RTM processes have historically failed to support the quality and manufacturing efficiencies demanded by automotive OEM&#39;s. Long cycle times, high labor content, and high scrap and rework costs are typical when attempting rapid cycle RTM processes. Continuous fiber materials offer the highest level of light-weighting capability available to the automotive industry. Although utilized extensively by the aerospace industry for their light-weighting benefits, continuous fiber materials have realized few applications in the automotive industry due to slow and labor intensive manufacturing processes. To utilize continuous fiber technology beyond the automotive industries niche market volumes, and meet the auto industry&#39;s part quality and cycle efficiencies requirements, new manufacturing methods and mechanisms are required. Continuous fiber reinforcements such as glass, carbon or other reinforcements that are pre-impregnated with a thermoset or in some cases a thermoplastic polymer are known as prepreg. In order to achieve the desired strength and stiffness, a number of prepreg plies are often stacked together to form a “charge”. The fibers are oriented in the direction of the structural load the part will experience in use and under crash conditions. Once the charge is assembled, maintaining the proper alignment and orientation of the fibers during handling and the subsequent multiple processing steps to produce the final part requires a unique and innovative material and manufacturing solution. 
         [0003]    It would accordingly be desirable to provide a method and apparatus for producing composite parts that would enable the plies and fibers of a charge to be maintained in the proper orientation and in alignment with one another prior to the charge being delivered into a forming and curing tool. 
         [0004]    It would also be desirable to utilize a method and apparatus for producing composite parts that would enable the plies and fibers of a charge to be maintained in the proper orientation after the charge is placed into a forming and curing tool and the mold halves are closed onto the charge. 
         [0005]    It would further be desirable to utilize a method and apparatus for producing thermoset composite parts that would shorten the cycle time required to cure the resin in a part in a forming and curing tool. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIGS. 1A and 1B  are plan views of an automated facility for manufacturing composite parts. 
           [0007]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  are side views of the automated facility of  FIGS. 1A and 1B . 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  shows a ply of material cut from a continuous fabric of composite material with the fibers running in a first direction. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  shows a ply of material cut from a continuous fabric of composite material with the fibers running in a second direction. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  shows the steps of a process for manufacturing a composite part using a thermoset resin. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  shows the steps of a process for manufacturing a composite part using a thermoplastic resin. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0012]    Fiber reinforcement(s) are impregnated with either a thermoset or thermoplastic resin to form a prepreg material. The prepreg may comprise reinforcing fiber such as glass, carbon, or other fibers commonly used in composite structures, or a combination thereof, as known to those skilled in the art. The prepreg may also be reinforced with Basalt, natural or other fibers. The resin may comprise a single resin that may be a thermosetting resin of a vinyl ester. A thermosetting resin such as a vinyl ester provides the following advantages: the resin is solid at room temperature, the resin has a shelf life of ten months, and the resin has a rapid cure time in the mold. A thermosetting, vinyl ester resin that cures, or polymerizes, at approximately 300° F. enables the rapid cycle efficiencies similar to a thermoplastic polymerprocess. The prepreg material may be wound onto a roll for storage at room temperature, and later handling in a manufacturing process. 
         [0013]    As shown in  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B,  2 A and  2 B, an automated line for the production of composite parts is generally designated by the reference numeral  10 . The prepreg material  12  may be delivered from a roll  13  as a broadgood to a cutting station  15  where the prepreg may be cut into net or near net shaped pieces that may be combined to form finished parts. The cutting station  15  may be used to cut the composite material  12  from the roll  13  into plies having shapes that may be similar to the final shape of a part. The cutting station  15  may cut several plies of the composite material  12  to the same shape. As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the prepreg material  12  may be cut so that the fibers  16  in each cut piece  17  and  18  are oriented in the desired direction in order to impart the required strength characteristics to the finished part. The cutting station  15  may also be used to make selective relief cuts  19  in the plies of composite material  12  to enable the material  12  to be molded into a final shape without exerting excess stress on the fibers in the plies. The width and thickness of the composite prepreg material  12  may be determined by the overall “string” dimensions of the part geometry being considered for production. 
         [0014]    The cut pieces  17  and  18  may be transferred to a pre-consolidation station  21  until the desired number of fabric layers or plies are assembled. The plies may be consolidated to form a charge  22 , and individual charges  22  may be transferred to a stacking station  25  for later processing. The pre-consolidation of cut pieces  17  and  18  into charges  22  may be achieved by stacking the individual plies on top of one another, since the tack properties of the vinyl resin will enable the individual plies  17  and  18  to adhere to one another. The pre-consolidation may also be achieved by applying a light pressure in the range of 1-300 PSI to a stack of plies. The wide range of consolidation pressures is driven by the nature of the specific polymer, formulation and fiber volume fraction selected for the specific application and end use requirements. For example, a low tack epoxy material will have a higher consolidation pressure in the range of 200-300 PSI, and a high tack vinyl ester will have a lower consolidation pressure in the range of 1-50 PSI. Additionally a high fiber loaded composite will have a higher consolidation pressure in the range of 150-200 PSI, while a low fiber loaded material will have a lower consolidation pressure in the range of 100-150 PSI. Transfer of the cut pieces from the cutting station  15  to the pre-consolidation station  21 , and from the pre-consolidation station to the stacking station  25 , and to other stations downstream from the stacking station, may be performed by a robot  27  which may be mounted on rails  28 , or other material handling device, or the transfer may be performed manually, without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. 
         [0015]    Individual charges  22  from the stacking station  25  may be taken to a loading station  29  where they are loaded into a cassette  31 . The cassette  31  surrounds the charge  22  and allows secure automated handling and positioning of the charge through subsequent steps of the process. The cassette  31  may have sets of discrete grippers  32  that engage the charge  22  on two opposite ends, or around the entire periphery of the charge  22 , and pull on the charge to place the charge in tension. The grippers  32  may be used to hold the plies and fibers  16  of a charge  22  in the proper orientation and in alignment with one another prior to the charge being placed into a forming and curing tool downstream from the loading station  29 . The tension may be from 0.1 lb to 10 lbs, and more particularly from 3-10 lbs. In one embodiment, the tension of 2 lbs was employed. The tension exerted by the grippers  32  may vary across the surface of the charge  22  depending on the final shape of the part. 
         [0016]    The charge  22  in the tension cassette  31  may then be transferred to a preheating station  30  where it is pre-heated in a preheating oven  35  to a preheat temperature between 100° to 500° F. while it is being held in tension by the grippers  32 . The wide process temperature range is determined by the polymer selected and the temperature range at which the polymer experiences a phase change thus enabling high drapability or formability of the next step of the process. For example, a polymer can be formulated to soften at a temperature of 140° F. or the same polymer can be formulated to soften at 200° F. The performance specifications for the formed part will determine the specific formulation. Typically a high glass transition temperature material will have a higher process temperature than the same polymer with a lower glass transition temperature due to the cross link density of the system. The pre-heating oven  35  may use quartz or radiant heating elements  37  that may be individually controlled to create heating zones within the oven  35  in order to heat selected sections of the charge to control drapability. 
         [0017]    Pre-heating the prepreg while the material is held in the tension cassette  31  increases the formability and drapability of the charge  22  so that the composite material will more readily conform to the final shape of the molded part in the downstream form and cure tool  41  without disturbing the orientation and placement of the fibers  16  in the individual layers or plies  17  and  18 . Pre-heating the charge  22  prior to molding will also change the thermosetting resin from a solid to a liquid state, thus minimizing the influence of the resin&#39;s viscosity on the drapability of the layered composite material during the molding process. In one embodiment, the pre-heating oven  35  may be used to increase the temperature of the thermoset prepreg charge to a preheat temperature of 150° F. The pre-heating also reduces the cure time of the end product in the form and cure tool  41  since the time required to increase the temperature of the charge  22  to initiate the polymerization phase will be less than if the material was introduced into the form and cure tool  41  at ambient temperature. The preheat temperature is not high enough to initiate the free radical initiation/polymerization phase of the polymer in the vinyl ester resin. After pre-heating, the grippers  32  in the cassette  31  may continue to hold the charge  22  in tension while the charge is transferred to the form and cure tool  41 . An indexing conveyor  34  may be used to transfer the cassette  31  with the charge  22  from the loading station  29  to the preheat station  30  and from the preheat station  30  to a press station  40 . 
         [0018]    The pre-heated charge  22  may then be transferred from the preheat station  30  to the press station  40  where it may be placed into a heated form and cure tool  41 . The form and cure tool  41  may comprise a press  44  with opposed platens  42  and matched metal dies  43 . For a thermoset polymer the temperature of the metal dies  43  may be set or ramped up to 350° F., and more particularly 225-300° F. to initiate the polymerization phase of the resin in the charge  22 . Once the charge  22  is placed in the form and cure tool  41  and the metal dies  43  close on the charge  22 , the tension grippers  32  may release the charge  22  so that it can be molded by the metal dies  43  into its final shape. The cassette  31  and the tension grippers  32  may then be returned to the stacking station  25  to pick up the next charge. Pressure on the charge  22  in the form and cure tool  41  is adjustable from 10 PSI to 1000 PSI, and more particularly from 100-300 PSI. The forming pressure will vary based on the polymer selected and the fiber volume fraction. The average forming and curing cycle time of a charge  22  in the form and cure tool  41  may be between 30 and 300 seconds, and in one embodiment, the time of the charge  22  in the form and cure tool  41  was 60 seconds. The cure time of the polymer is influenced by the polymer, the polymer formulation and the form and process tooling temperature. In comparison, a charge of composite material comprising an epoxy thermosetting resin of the same size and weight typically requires a cycle time of at least 10 minutes. 
         [0019]    The tension grippers  32  in the cassette  31  minimize wrinkling of the composite material during the form and cure cycle and maintain the desired orientation of the fibers  16  in each ply during the formation of complex three dimensional parts. Instead of being part of a separate cassette  31  as shown, the tension grippers  32  may be integrated into the form and cure tool  41 . The manufacturing process can be used, for example, to form relatively large, high volume automobile parts, such as floor pans, roofs, hoods, deck lids, and lift gates. 
         [0020]      FIG. 5  shows the steps of the process  50  for manufacturing a composite part using the apparatus as described above. In step  51 , glass or carbon fiber reinforcement may be infused with a thermosetting resin of a vinyl ester to create a prepreg. In step  52 , the prepreg material may be cut into net or near net shape pieces. In step  53 , the cut prepreg pieces may be stacked and pre-consolidated to form a charge. In step  54 , the charges may be stacked at a stacking station. In step  55 , the charges may be loaded at a loading station into grippers on a cassette, and the grippers may be used to exert a tension on the charge. In step  56 , the loaded cassette may be transferred into a pre-heat oven. In step  57 , the tensioned charge may be preheated in the pre-heat oven. For a thermoset polymer, the preheat temperature is high enough to increase the drapability of the charge, but low enough so that polymerization is not initiated. In step  58 , the preheated charge in the tension cassette may be transferred into a form and cure tool that is set or ramped up to 250-350° F. In step  59 , the forming and cure tool may be closed, and the tension cassette releases the charge and returns to the loading station to engage a new charge. In step  60 , the forming and curing tool may be used to heat the thermoset charge to between 250° F. and 350° F. under 10-1000 PSI, and more particularly under 100-300 PSI to form and cure the part. In step  61 , the cured part may be removed from the forming and curing tool. The forming and curing cycle time may be as little as sixty seconds. The rapid cycle time in the forming and curing tool in step  60  is enabled by a combination of the use of the vinyl ester resin in step  51  and preheating the charge in step  57  to the preheat temperature prior to placing it in the forming and curing tool. The cycle time for prior art processes for forming a similar part using an epoxy type prepreg polymer is ten minutes or more. 
         [0021]    The process described above may also be applied to prepreg that is infused with thermoplastic resin according to the process  70  as shown in  FIG. 6 . In step  71 , glass or carbon fiber reinforcement may be infused with a thermoplastic resin to create a prepreg. In step  72 , the prepreg material may be cut into net or near net shape pieces. In step  73 , the cut prepreg pieces may be stacked and pre-consolidated using heat to form a charge. In step  74 , the charges may be stacked at a stacking station. In step  75 , a charge may be loaded at a loading station into grippers on a cassette, and the grippers may be used to exert a tension on the charge. In step  76 , the loaded cassette may be transferred into a pre-heat oven. In step  77 , the tensioned charge may be preheated in the pre-heat oven. For a thermoplastic prepreg material the preheat temperature is typically within the melt profile of the polymer that is being used. In step  78 , the preheated charge in the tension cassette may be transferred into a form and cure tool that is set to 70° F-120° F. In step  79 , the form and cure tool may be closed, and the tension cassette may be returned to the loading station to engage a new charge. In step  80 , the form and cure tool may be brought to a temperature of 70° F-120° F. to form and cure the part. In step  81 , the cured part may be removed from the form and cure tool. As in the process using a thermoset resin, when using the thermoplastic resin, the tension grippers minimize wrinkling of the composite material during the form and cure cycle and maintain the desired orientation of the fibers in each ply during the formation of complex three dimensional parts. 
         [0022]    Having thus described the device, various modification and alterations will occur to those skilled in the art, which modification and alterations will be within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.