JP2017094516A - Press-working device of composite sheet material, and press-working method of composite sheet material - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a conveyance device of a composite sheet material which heats a composite sheet material using a thermoplastic resin on a base material in a heating furnace and feeds the heated composite sheet material to a press die that vertically moves in a pressing machine, and has such a new structure as to mount a heated and plasticized composite sheet material on a press die at an accurate position for a short period of time.SOLUTION: A press-working device 1 of a composite sheet material 200 includes a conveyance section 2 on which a first arm 20 that feeds the composite sheet material while supporting the composite sheet material 200 from below is arranged and a holding section 5 on which a second arm 50 that grips the end of the composite sheet material 200 is arranged, has the conveyance section 2, has a heating furnace 3, a pressing machine 4 and the holding section 5 sequentially from the upstream side arranged therein, and has such a structure as to convey the composite sheet material 200, heat and plasticize the conveyed composite sheet material in the heating furnace 3, then hold the resultant composite sheet material by the second arm 50, and retreat the first arm 20 from the pressing machine 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a composite sheet material pressing apparatus and a composite sheet material pressing method.

  Press working is a working method in which a material (composite sheet material) is deformed into a desired shape, and is used in almost all technical fields such as automobiles, aircraft, ships, and industrial machines. Generally, in press processing, a pair of molds, that is, an upper mold and a lower mold, are attached to a press machine via a die set, and the upper mold and lower mold on which the material is set are moved relative to each other to form the material. Mold by applying pressure.

  In recent years, CFRTP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermo Plastics) has attracted attention as a composite sheet material. CFRTP is a composite sheet material using a thermoplastic resin as a base material for wrapping carbon fibers. Thermoplastic resins are characterized in that they can be stored at room temperature, are excellent in mass productivity, can be easily post-processed, and are recyclable compared to thermosetting resins.

  The composite sheet material is a thick plate or a thin plate and has a predetermined shape such as a strip shape. The composite sheet material is heated and plasticized, and then pressed by a press die.

  In order to stably perform high-quality molding, it is most important to minimize the temperature drop until the heated and plasticized composite sheet material is pressed by a press die as much as possible.

For example, there is a method of preheating the die by attaching a heater to the press die and heating the composite sheet material.
However, this method has problems such as a long time until the heat is uniformly transmitted to the composite sheet material and a dimensional error due to thermal expansion of the mold.

Therefore, conventionally, a heating furnace for the composite sheet material is disposed adjacent to the press machine, and an operator transports the heated and plasticized composite sheet material and places it on the press die.
Although this method does not heat the mold excessively, the dimensional accuracy is good, but since the operator carries the composite sheet material that has been heated and plasticized, the working time varies greatly, resulting in the processing quality. There is a problem of variation.

  As a press working method related to a thermoplastic resin sheet material, methods disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 are publicly known.

  In Patent Document 1, a laminated molded body made of a laminate of a sound insulating material made of a high-density thermoplastic sheet material and a sound absorbing material made of a fibrous base material is integrated in a cold press mold. In a method for forming a laminated molded body by press molding to form a laminated molded body, both ends in the longitudinal direction of the thermoplastic sheet material are clamped by a clamping device, and then the thermoplastic sheet material is heated to a predetermined temperature in a heating furnace. The above-mentioned softened thermoplastic sheet material is positioned in a cold press molding die in which a fiber base material that has been softened and heated and softened in advance is set at a predetermined position on the mold surface, and clamped on one end side. The thermoplastic sheet material is held by the device, and the clamp state of the clamping device on the other edge side is released immediately before press molding, and the thermoplastic sheet material and the fibrous base material are integrally press molded. Be molded into a desired shape molded laminate Te, it is described.

  Patent Document 2 relates to a sheet material clamping method used in a molding apparatus for molding a thermoplastic sheet material heated to a predetermined temperature in a heating furnace and softened by an upper and lower molds, and both ends of the thermoplastic sheet material in the running direction. A step of conveying between the upper mold and the lower mold of the molding apparatus after gripping an edge, a process of gripping front and rear edges perpendicular to the traveling direction of the thermoplastic sheet material, And lowering both front and rear edges in the running direction of the thermoplastic sheet material and the front and rear edges perpendicular to the running direction of the thermoplastic sheet material in accordance with the shape.

  Patent Document 3 discloses a carbon fiber-containing resin sheet conveying apparatus that conveys a carbon fiber-containing resin sheet heated in a heating furnace to a press apparatus, and is a liftable slider that moves between the heating furnace and the pressing apparatus. And a sheet holding means mounted on the slider for applying tension by chucking both ends of the carbon fiber-containing resin sheet. The sheet holding means can be mounted on the slider so as to chuck a plurality of carbon fiber-containing resin sheets. A plurality of sets of carbon fiber-containing resin sheets are carried into a heating furnace at the same time or with a time difference and heated, and the heated resin sheets are stacked in the heating furnace. It is described that it is a thing.

JP-A-8-112869 JP 2009-101564 A JP2013-099932A

  However, there are still many unsolved problems in the known press working.

  Since the composite sheet material that has been heated and plasticized is as soft as “wet newspaper”, it is difficult to hold and support.

  Therefore, in the known press working described in Patent Documents 1 to 3, the composite sheet material is clamped and then heated and plasticized.

  However, when the composite sheet material is clamped and then heated and plasticized, temperature unevenness occurs at the clamped portion and other portions, and uniform heating is difficult. Further, since plasticization is performed by heating while clamping, the composite sheet material becomes as soft and slack as “wet newspaper” and hangs down due to the action of gravity. For this reason, the composite sheet material is wrinkled or torn. Further, the conventional technology has a complicated and complicated mechanism such as clamping and raising / lowering the four corners of the composite sheet material.

  Further, as described above, since the worker transports the heated and plasticized composite sheet material and places it on the press die, there is a problem that the variation in the working time becomes large, and as a result, the processing quality varies. is there.

  In view of such circumstances, the inventor of the present application diligently researched and pressed the mold while supporting the composite sheet material that has been softened as much as "wet newspaper" by heating and plasticizing so as not to hang down. And placed on a predetermined position for a short time and accurately placed on the press die, and further, the processing quality has been greatly improved compared to the past with minimal variation in work time. We have developed and commercialized a transport device with a new structure.

  The object of the present invention is to place the composite sheet material that has been heated and plasticized on the press die in a short time and at an accurate position. An object of the present invention is to provide a processing apparatus for a composite sheet material having a new and improved structure.

  The composite sheet material press working apparatus of the present invention is a press working apparatus that heats a composite sheet material using a thermoplastic resin as a base material in a heating furnace and sends it to a press die that moves up and down in the press machine. A transport unit provided with a first arm that feeds the composite sheet material while supporting it, and a gripping unit provided with a second arm that grips an end of the composite sheet material, from the upstream side. The conveyance unit, the heating furnace, the press mold, and the gripping unit are arranged in this order.

  According to the present invention, by heating and plasticizing, the composite sheet material that is as soft as `` wet newspaper '' can be transported to the press mold in a certain time so as not to hang down, and The composite sheet material can be placed on the press die at an accurate position in a short time.

  In the present invention, the first arm conveys the composite sheet material, heats it in the heating furnace and plasticizes the composite sheet material, and then sends the composite sheet material to the press mold. The first arm is retracted from the press mold, and then the second arm is retracted from the press mold and molded with the press mold. To do.

  According to the present invention, it becomes easy to place the composite sheet material, which has been softened as much as “wet newspaper” by heating and plasticizing, on the press die in a reliable and accurate position.

  The composite sheet material has a core material, and a thermoplastic resin is used as a base material. The composite sheet material is a thick plate or a thin plate, and has a predetermined shape such as a strip shape. The core material is made of heat-resistant fiber such as carbon fiber or glass fiber.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the composite sheet material includes a carbon fiber woven fabric wrapped with a thermoplastic resin. That is, the composite sheet material is preferably CFRTP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermo Plastics).

  Carbon fiber has the properties of high strength and very light. Carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastics (CFRTP) uses thermoplastic resin instead of thermosetting resin, so molding time is short and re-molding is possible. Many effects such as reduction of consumption can be expected.

  Examples of the thermoplastic resin material include polypropylene, polyphenylene sulfide, and polyamide. The thermoplastic resin is a material suitable for industrial machines such as automobiles, airplanes, and ships that require weather resistance.

  The first arm is configured to be extendable and movable up and down.

  In the present invention, the first arm includes a mesh and a pair of rod-like members that hold both sides of the mesh, and the mesh supports the composite sheet.

  According to the present invention, it is easy to uniformly heat both surfaces of the composite sheet material while supporting substantially the entire surface of the composite sheet material from below.

  The second arm is configured to be extendable and movable up and down.

  In the present invention, a plurality of clips that open and close in the vertical direction are attached to the tip of the second arm, and after the first arm has advanced, the clip closes and grips the composite sheet material. The clip is opened after the arm is retracted, and the second arm is retracted from the press die.

  According to the present invention, it is easy to prevent the composite sheet material from being displaced when the first arm is retracted from the press mold.

  The present invention is characterized in that the mesh has a cutout for allowing the second arm to escape.

  According to the present invention, the composite sheet material is prevented from being displaced when the first arm is retracted from the press mold while the second arm is gripping the composite sheet material. It becomes easy.

  In the method for pressing a composite sheet material of the present invention, a composite sheet material using a thermoplastic resin as a base material is conveyed by a conveying means, heated by a heating means, and molded by a press die that moves up and down in a press. In the pressing method, the composite sheet material is transported, heated by the heating means, plasticized, sent to the press mold, and the composite sheet material sent to the press mold is used by the gripping means. The holding means is retracted from the press mold, and then the gripping means is retracted from the press mold and molded by the press mold.

  According to the present invention, by heating and plasticizing, the composite sheet material that is as soft as `` wet newspaper '' can be transported to the press mold in a certain time so as not to hang down, and It becomes easy to place the composite sheet material on the press die at an accurate position in a short time.

  The present invention is characterized in that the heating means simultaneously heats the composite sheet material on both sides.

  According to the present invention, since both surfaces of the composite sheet material are uniformly heated, it becomes easy to plasticize uniformly in a short time.

  And since the said conveying means and the said holding means become a structure which can be expanded-contracted and can be moved up and down, the distance of the said press metal mold | die and the said composite sheet material can be set short, The setting interval and setting position can be controlled with high accuracy.

According to the present invention, by heating and plasticizing, the composite sheet material that is as soft as `` wet newspaper '' can be transported to the press mold in a certain time so as not to hang down, and It becomes easy to place the composite sheet material on the press die at an accurate position in a short time.
According to the present invention, the variation in working time can be minimized, and it becomes easy to manufacture a high-quality molded product at a low price.

FIG. 3 is a structural diagram showing a press working apparatus for a composite sheet material 200 according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied from the side surface side, and is a view showing a state in which a material is set on a first arm 20. It is an AA line sectional view in the above-mentioned structure figure. In the said embodiment, it is a figure of the state which conveys the raw material 200 and is heated in the heating furnace 3. FIG. In the said embodiment, it is a figure of the state which conveyed the raw material 200 and was gripped with the 2nd arm 50. FIG. It is an AA line sectional view in the above-mentioned structure figure. In the said embodiment, it is a figure of the state which retracted the 1st arm. It is an AA line sectional view in the above-mentioned structure figure. In the said embodiment, it is a figure of the state which retracted the 2nd arm 50. FIG. In the said embodiment, it is a figure of the state which closes the press die 40 and shape | molds. In the said embodiment, it is a figure which shows the mesh 22 attached to the 1st arm 20, (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view. It is a flowchart which shows the press work procedure of the composite sheet material of embodiment to which this invention is applied.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below.

(Embodiment)
1 to 9 are structural views showing a composite sheet material press working apparatus according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied.
Reference numeral 200 denotes a composite sheet material as a material. Here, the composite sheet material 200 is CFRTP in which a thermoplastic resin wraps a carbon fiber woven fabric. The composite sheet material 200 is a thick plate or a thin plate, and has a strip shape.

  As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 9, the composite sheet material pressing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes a transport unit 2, a heating furnace 3, a press machine 4, and a gripping unit 5 in order from the upstream side. . A first arm 20 that feeds the composite sheet material 200 while supporting the composite sheet material 200 is disposed in the transport unit 2. The first arm 20 includes a mesh 22 and a pair of rod-like members 21 and 21 that hold both sides of the mesh 22, and the mesh 22 supports the composite sheet material 200 (FIG. 2). The heating furnace 3 is provided with a pair of heaters 31 and 32 that simultaneously heat both sides of the composite sheet material 200 (FIG. 1). The press machine 4 is provided with a press die 40 that moves up and down (FIG. 1). The press die 40 includes an upper die 41 and a lower die 42.

  The grip portion 5 is provided with a second arm 50 for gripping the end portion of the composite sheet material 200 (FIGS. 1 and 2). The second arm 50 has a shaft 51 and a plurality of clips 511 attached to the tip of the shaft 50 at predetermined intervals (FIG. 2). The clip 511 is configured to open and close in the vertical direction.

FIG. 10 is a view showing the mesh 22 attached to the first arm 20 in this embodiment, FIG. 10 (a) is a plan view, and FIG. 10 (b) is a side view.
In this example, the mesh 22 is a quadrangular mesh, and a plurality of pins 222 are erected at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the periphery of the mesh 22, and at predetermined intervals in the short direction of the periphery of the mesh 22. A pin 223 is erected. The pin 222 is a guide pin that regulates the position of the composite sheet material 200 so as not to shift in the left-right direction. The pin 223 is a guide pin that regulates the position of the composite sheet material 200 in the forward direction so as not to shift.
The mesh 22 has two cutouts 221 at a predetermined interval on one short side portion. The notch 221 is provided as a relief for the clips 511 and 511 of the second arm 50. Specifically, the notch 221 is provided as a relief of the clips 511 and 511 so that only the composite sheet material 200 is gripped and the mesh 22 is not gripped when the composite sheet material 200 is gripped by the clips 511 and 511.
The material of the mesh 22 is made of a heat-resistant hard material such as stainless steel, iron alloy, or ceramic.
The size of the mesh 22 is set to be one or more times larger than the composite sheet material 200. Thereby, the composite sheet material 200 is heated more evenly.

FIG. 11 is a process flow diagram showing a pressing procedure of the composite sheet material 200 in the composite sheet material pressing apparatus to which the present invention is applied.
As illustrated in FIG. 11, the press working process procedure of this embodiment sets the material 200 on the first arm 20 (step 1), conveys the material 200, and heats it in the heating furnace 3 (step 1). 2) The material 200 is conveyed and gripped by the second arm 50 (step 3), the first arm 20 is retracted (step 4), the second arm 50 is retracted (step 5), and the material 200 is Is formed by the press die 40 (step 6), and the molded product is taken out (step 7).

  In step 1 (S1), in the step of setting the material 200, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the worker waits for the rectangular composite sheet material 200 in the transport unit 2 as a first arm. 20 meshes 22 are set. FIG. 1 is a structural view showing the composite sheet material pressing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment from the side surface side, and shows a state in which the composite sheet material 200 is set on the first arm 20. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the worker sets the composite sheet material 200 at a position surrounded by the pins 222 and the pins 223 erected on the mesh 22.

In step 2 (S <b> 2), as illustrated in FIG. 3, when the composite sheet material 200 is set on the first arm 20, the first arm 20 receives the composite sheet material 200 and receives a pair of rod-shaped members 21. , 21 are extended in the direction indicated by the arrow sign y1 and conveyed to the heating furnace 3. In the heating furnace 3, the composite sheet material 200 is simultaneously heated on both sides by the heaters 31 and 32 disposed in the heating furnace 3 to be plasticized. FIG. 3 is a structural diagram showing the composite sheet material pressing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment from the side surface side, and shows a state in which the composite sheet material 200 is set in the heating furnace 3. The first arm 20 is configured to be extendable and movable up and down.
Here, the upper die 41 and the lower die 42 of the press die 40 are open, the shaft 51 of the second arm 50 extends and moves in the direction indicated by the arrow y5, and the clip 511 opens to open the composite sheet material 200. (Fig. 3) The second arm 50 is configured to be extendable and movable up and down. The clip 511 is subjected to fluororesin processing. As a result, the composite sheet material 200 heated and plasticized can be easily separated by gripping with the clip 511 and released, and a part of the composite sheet material 200 does not adhere to the clip 511.

In step 3 (S3), as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, when the composite sheet material 200 is plasticized by heating, the first arm 20 receives the composite sheet material 200 plasticized by heating. The pair of rod-shaped members 21 and 21 are extended, conveyed in the direction indicated by the arrow sign y1, and sent between the upper mold 41 and the lower mold 42. In the second arm 50, the plurality of clips 511 of the second arm 50 are closed to grip the tip of the composite sheet material 200.
Here, the mesh 22 has notches 221 for releasing the plurality of clips 511 of the second arm 50. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the mesh 22 has two cutouts 221 and 221. FIG. 4 is a structural diagram showing the composite sheet material pressing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment from the side, and the second arm 50 attaches the composite sheet material 200 to the two clips 511 and 511 of the second arm 50. It is in a state of grabbing. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

In step 4 (S4), as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the second arm 50 places the composite sheet material 200 from the placement surface of the mesh 22 onto the press surface of the lower die 42.
The second arm 50 holds the composite sheet material 200 plasticized by heating between the upper mold 41 and the lower mold 42 of the press 4 with the clip 511 of the second arm 50, The one arm 20 retracts the rod-shaped members 21 and 21, extracts the mesh 22, and returns the mesh 22 into the transport unit 2. At this time, the second arm 50 has an arm height, a height at which the composite sheet material 200 does not hit the pin 223, and a pin so that the composite sheet material 200 does not hit the pin 223 erected on the mesh 22. Lift to a position higher than 223. In addition, it is not limited to what changes the position of the 2nd arm 50, The structure which the 1st arm 20 lowers | hangs the position of the mesh 22 may be sufficient. By making the position of the mesh 22 lower than the height of the pin 223, the composite sheet material 200 can be configured not to hit the pin 223.
Here, the mesh 22 is returned to the initial position by the pair of rod-like members 21 and 21 contracting in the direction indicated by the arrow sign y2. FIG. 6 is a structural diagram showing the composite sheet material press working apparatus 1 of the present embodiment from the side surface side. The composite sheet material 200 is gripped by the two clips 511 and 511 of the second arm 50 and is first. It is a figure of the state which retracted the arm 20. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. In the example of FIG. 7, a plurality of pins 422 are erected on the lower mold 42 at predetermined intervals. The pin 422 is a guide pin that regulates the composite sheet material 200 so that the position in the forward direction does not shift.
According to these embodiments, the composite sheet material 200 is not displaced when the first arm 20 is retracted from the press die 40 in a state where the second arm 50 is holding the composite sheet material 200. It becomes easy to make.

  In step 5 (S5), as illustrated in FIG. 8, when the first arm 20 retracts the rod-shaped members 21, 21, the second arm 50 next retracts the shaft 51 to clip 511. , 511 are returned into the holding part 5. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which the second arm 50 is retracted in the present embodiment. Here, the shaft 51 contracts in the direction indicated by the arrow sign y6 and returns to the initial position.

In step 6 (S6), as illustrated in FIG. 9, when the press machine 4 retracts the second arm 50, the press die 40 is closed and the composite sheet material 200 is press-formed. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which the press die 40 is closed and molded in the present embodiment.
In step 7 (S7), the operator takes out the take-out device or molded product 201 from the press die 40 (not shown).

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the composite sheet material 200 which is softened as much as “wet newspaper” by being heated and plasticized is conveyed to the press die 40 in a certain time so as not to hang down. In addition, the composite sheet material 200 can be easily placed on the press die 40 at an accurate position in a short time.
And according to this embodiment, it becomes easy to heat both surfaces of the said composite sheet material 200 uniformly, supporting the said composite sheet material 200 from the lower side substantially the whole surface.

(Example)
Press working was performed using a sheet of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastics (CFRTP) having a thickness of 0.2 mm to 0.3 mm as the composite sheet material. The thermoplastic resin material used as a base material is polypropylene. The heater temperature of the heating furnace was 300 to 350 ° C., and the heating time was 60 to 90 seconds depending on the thickness of the composite sheet material. The press machine is a hydraulic press, and the maximum press pressure is 300 tons. The press mold was pressed without heating. A cover for automobile parts was prototyped. As a result of the trial production, the working time was constant, and high-quality molded products could be manufactured constantly.

  As described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above. A plurality of composite sheet materials can be simultaneously press-formed. The first arm for conveyance may be configured to move to the heating furnace and the press die by moving laterally along the heating furnace and the press machine with a constant length. Thus, it goes without saying that the present invention can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Press processing apparatus of composite sheet material 2 Conveyance part 3 Heating furnace 4 Press machine 5 Grasping part 20 1st arm 21 Rod-shaped member 31, 32 Heater 41 Upper mold | type 42 Lower mold | type 50 2nd arm 51 Shaft 200 Composite sheet material ( Material)

Claims (9)

  A press working apparatus that heats a composite sheet material using a thermoplastic resin as a base material in a heating furnace and sends it to a press die that moves up and down in a press machine, and supports the composite sheet material A transport unit provided with a first arm to be sent, and a grip unit provided with a second arm for gripping an end of the composite sheet material, in order from the upstream side, the transport unit, the heating furnace, and the press A pressing apparatus for a composite sheet material, wherein a mold and the grip portion are arranged.   The first arm transports the composite sheet material, heats it in the heating furnace and plasticizes it, and then sends it to the press die, and the composite sheet material sent to the press die is sent to the second arm. The first arm is retracted from the press mold, and then the second arm is retracted from the press mold and molded with the press mold. The composite sheet material press working apparatus described.   3. The composite sheet material pressing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first arm includes a mesh and a pair of rod-shaped members that hold both sides of the mesh, and the mesh supports the composite sheet. 4. .   A plurality of clips that open and close in the vertical direction are attached to the tip of the second arm. After the first arm has advanced, the clip closes and grips the composite sheet material, and the first arm retracts. The composite sheet material press working apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the clip is opened and the second arm is retracted from the press die.   4. The composite sheet material pressing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the mesh has a notch for allowing the second arm to escape.   The composite sheet material pressing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the composite sheet material includes a carbon fiber woven cloth wrapped with a thermoplastic resin.   A press working method in which a composite sheet material using a thermoplastic resin as a base material is transported by a transport means, heated by a heating means, and molded by a press die that moves up and down in a press machine, wherein the composite sheet material is It is transported and heated by the heating means to be plasticized and then sent to the press mold, the composite sheet material sent to the press mold is gripped by the gripping means, and the transport means is the press mold. A method of pressing a composite sheet material, wherein the gripping means is then retracted from the press die and molded with the press die.   The method of pressing a composite sheet material according to claim 7, wherein the heating means heats the composite sheet material on both sides simultaneously.   The method for pressing a composite sheet material according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the composite sheet material includes a carbon fiber woven cloth wrapped with a thermoplastic resin.

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