KR20180077912A - Complex materials forming system - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a complex material forming device. The disclosed complex material forming device includes: i) a clamping unit including a clamp clamping and unclamping an edge of prepreg and formed to rotate and vertically move the clamp; ii) a forming mold arranging an upper mold and a lower mold in a rotation radius range of the clamp; and iii) a preheating unit installed to move forward and backward between the deformed upper and lower molds, wherein the preheating unit heats the prepreg clamped by the clamp between the upper mold and the lower mold. The clamp includes a heating unit heating the edge of the prepreg. According to the embodiment of the present invention, the complex material forming device can minimize a thermal loss on the move of the prepreg and can simplify a clamping process and a transfer process of a preform forming body and the prepreg.

Description

[0001] COMPLEX MATERIALS FORMING SYSTEM [0002]

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a composite material forming system, and more particularly, to a composite material forming system in which a preform is preheated in a preform forming process, a preform is preformed into a mold, To a molding apparatus.

 2. Description of the Related Art [0002] In recent years, in accordance with the tendency of a car body to be lightweight and high in strength, a car body material such as steel plate such as ultra high tensile steel, non-ferrous metal plate such as aluminum or magnesium, plate material of plastic composite material such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) The number of cases of applying

Since the plastic composite material is excellent in strength, elastic modulus, light weight, and stability, it is widely regarded as one of the main materials in the aviation field and automobile field. In the field of the plastic composite material, As well.

The plastic composite material is produced by impregnating a plastic material into a plastic fiber material and curing the fiber material. For example, the fiber material may be produced by winding a carbon fiber into a winding shape or a fabric shape, and then impregnating the carbon fiber into a plastic resin to cure it.

That is, a plastic composite material can be produced by combining carbon fiber and plastic resin because plastic resin has excellent hardness, but is weak in tensile strength and is easily broken, and carbon fiber has high tensile strength but no bending repulsion.

Plastic composite materials can be manufactured through a preform forming process and a resin transfer molding (RTM) process. In the preform forming step, prepregs, which are molding materials preliminarily impregnated with a matrix resin of a thermoplastic resin, are preheated and softened and then laminated in a plurality of sheets. The laminated prepregs are pressed into a molding die, do. In the resin transfer molding process, a plurality of preforms are placed in a molding die, a thermosetting resin is injected into the molding die, and the mixture is cured to form a composite material molding having a desired shape.

Here, the prepreg is an intermediate substrate for a fiber-reinforced composite material, and means a molding material preliminarily impregnated with a matrix resin of a thermosetting resin to a fiber material (reinforcing fiber).

On the other hand, in the preform forming step, for example, a prepreg is loaded on a conveying means through a clamp, the prepreg is transferred to a preheater through the conveying means, and hot air or infrared (far infrared rays) Preheat the legs.

In the preform forming step, the preheated preheated preform is transferred to a forming die through a transferring means, the prepreg is compressed through a forming die, hot-formed by a preform forming body, and the preform forming body is unloaded through a clamp.

However, in the prior art, the clamping and transferring process is complicated when the prepreg of the raw material is placed on the preheater and the prepreg preheated by the preheater is conveyed to the forming die again. The preheating preheated by the preheater is transferred to the forming die The heat loss of the prepreg occurs during the process of forming the preform, resulting in irregular heat distribution and temperature gradient of the prepreg, resulting in defective molding of the final preform.

The matters described in the background section are intended to enhance the understanding of the background of the invention and may include matters not previously known to those skilled in the art.

The embodiments of the present invention can simplify the clamping and transferring process of the prepreg and the preform in accordance with the preheating of the prepreg and the molding of the preform as a forming mold, And to provide a material forming apparatus.

A composite material forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a clamping unit having a clamp for clamping and unclamping an edge portion of a prepreg, the clamping unit being configured to be movable up and down and rotatable; and ii) A preform unit for heating the prepreg clamped by the clamp between the upper mold and the lower mold, the preform being clamped by the clamp, the mold being disposed between the upper mold and the lower mold, And the clamp may include a heating member for heating an edge portion of the prepreg.

Further, in the composite material forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the preheating unit may include a conveyor unit forming a conveyance path between the conveyance conveyors on the upper and lower sides, And a preheating furnace installed to be movable back and forth along the conveying path by conveying conveyors on the upper and lower sides.

Further, in the composite material forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the conveying path of the conveyor portion may be connected to a center path between the upper mold and the lower mold.

Further, in the composite material forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the preheating furnace may form a preheating space through which the clamps can be inserted and discharged, and a plurality of heaters may be installed in the preheating space.

Further, in the composite material forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the preheating furnace may be advanced between the upper and lower molds of the forming die along the conveying path of the conveyor section, and the clamp may be introduced into the preheating space .

Further, in the composite material forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the preheating furnace is moved backward along the conveying path of the conveyor part between the upper mold and the lower mold of the molding die, and is capable of discharging the clamp from the preheating space have.

Further, in the composite material forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the clamping unit may include a moving unit connected to the clamp and reciprocating the clamp in the up and down direction, and a moving unit connected to the moving unit, And a rotating unit for rotating the rotating member.

Further, in the composite material forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the clamp may be provided with a heating line which supports the edge portion of the prepreg and discharges the heat transmitted from the heating member to the edge portion of the prepreg have.

The composite material forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention includes: i) a clamp which includes first and second grippers for clamping and unclamping both side edges of a prepreg, And a conveying section provided in the frame and forming a conveying path between the upper and lower conveying conveyors, and iv) a conveying section provided in the upper and lower conveying sections, And a preheating furnace provided between the upper mold and the lower mold for moving the prepreg clamped by the clamp between the upper mold and the lower mold, Wherein the first and second grippers are provided with a heating member for heating both side edges of the prepreg Can be installed.

Further, in the composite material forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the clamping unit may include a moving unit connected to the clamp and reciprocating the clamp in the up and down direction, and a moving unit connected to the moving unit, And a rotating unit for rotating the rotating member.

In addition, in the composite material forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first gripper is connected to the moving unit via the connecting rod, and one edge portion of the prepreg can be gripped.

Further, in the composite material forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the second gripper is connected to the first gripper so as to be movable back and forth, and the other edge portion of the prepreg can be gripped.

Further, in the composite material forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the rotating portion may include a first motor fixedly mounted on a bottom of a work area, and a base provided on a driving shaft of the first motor.

In the composite material forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the movable portion may be provided on the base.

Further, in the composite material forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the moving unit may include a second motor fixedly mounted on the base, a lead screw provided on a driving shaft of the second motor, A coupling block that is screwed to the lead screw, and a guider that is fixed to the base and slidably moves the coupling block in a vertical direction.

Further, in the composite material forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, a first operating cylinder may be installed in the first gripper.

Further, in the composite material forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the operating rod of the first operating cylinder may be connected to the second gripper.

Further, in the composite material molding apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the first gripper is connected to the moving unit through a connecting rod, and includes a first gripping body for fixing the first actuating cylinder, A second actuating cylinder disposed on both sides of the gripping body and a second gripping body connected to the actuating rod of the second actuating cylinder under the first gripping body.

Further, in the composite material forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first and second gripping bodies may be provided with the heating member.

Further, in the composite material forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first and second gripping bodies may support one edge portion of the prepreg, and heat transmitted from the heating member may be transmitted to one side of the prepreg And a heating line for emitting the liquid to the edge portion may be provided.

Further, in the composite material forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the second gripper may include a third gripping body connected to a front end of a working rod of the first operating cylinder, and a second gripping body disposed on both sides of the third gripping body And a fourth gripping body connected to the operation rod of the third actuating cylinder at a lower side of the third gripping body.

Further, in the composite material forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the heating member may be installed in the third and fourth gripping bodies.

Further, in the composite material forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the third and fourth gripping bodies support the other edge portion of the prepreg, and heat transmitted from the heating member is transmitted to the prepreg And a heating line for emitting the liquid to the other edge portion may be provided.

Embodiments of the present invention include a rotary type clamping unit to simplify the clamping and transferring process of the prepreg and the preformed body in preheating the prepreg and forming the preformed body as a molding die.

Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, since the prepreg can be preheated through the non-fixed (movable) preheating unit in a state where the prepreg is clamped between the lower mold and the upper mold of the forming die through the clamping unit, The loss can be minimized and defective molding of the final preform molding can be prevented.

In the embodiment of the present invention, when the heating member is mounted on the clamp of the clamping unit, the prepreg is transferred to the forming die, and when the prepreg heated by the preheating unit is loaded on the forming die, Since the edge portion of the leg can be heated, heat loss during movement of the prepreg can be minimized. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, a uniform heat distribution and temperature gradient can be ensured even during the conveyance of the prepreg, so that the hot-moldability of the prepreg can be further improved.

Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, heat generated in the heating members of the first and second grippers is transmitted to the prepreg through the heating line, so that the detachability between the prepreg and the first and second grippers can be improved Therefore, it is possible to secure a more stable material stacking condition.

These drawings are for the purpose of describing an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and therefore the technical idea of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the accompanying drawings.
1 is a view schematically showing a composite material forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a schematic view showing a preheating unit applied to a composite material forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 and 4 are views schematically showing a clamping unit applied to a composite material forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 and 6 are views showing a clamp of a clamping unit applied to a composite material forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7A to 7E are views for explaining the operation of the composite material forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

In order to clearly illustrate the present invention, parts not related to the description are omitted, and the same or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the specification.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

In the following detailed description, the names of components are categorized into the first, second, and so on in order to distinguish them from each other in the same relationship, and are not necessarily limited to the order in the following description.

Throughout the specification, when an element is referred to as "comprising ", it means that it can include other elements as well, without excluding other elements unless specifically stated otherwise.

It should be noted that terms such as " ... unit ", "unit of means "," part of item ", "absence of member ", and the like denote a unit of a comprehensive constitution having at least one function or operation it means.

1 is a view schematically showing a composite material forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a composite material forming apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plastic composite material for manufacturing a plastic composite material through a preform forming process and a resin transfer molding (RTM) Material manufacturing system.

Here, the plastic composite material can be used as a part for assembling a body such as a body panel, for example, in order to reduce the weight of the body. However, the plastic composite material is not limited to those applied to a panel for a vehicle body, and may be applied to various body structures such as a body member, a frame, and the like.

Furthermore, it should be understood that the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the production of plastic composite materials for parts for assembling a vehicle body, and the technical idea of the present invention can be applied to manufacturing plastic composite materials of various kinds and uses have.

The plastic composite material may include a carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), and may further include a fiber reinforced plastic (FRP).

For example, the plastic composite material may be formed of a plate material obtained by laminating a plurality of material layers impregnated with a fiber material (for example, carbon fiber) into plastic resin materials and curing the plastic resin materials.

These plastic composite materials are fiber materials as reinforcement materials, and they are high-tech composite materials that are attracting attention as high-strength, high-elasticity lightweight structural materials, and have excellent properties as lightweight structural materials.

The plastic composite material has excellent strength and elastic modulus as compared with steel material, excellent in repetition fatigue, excellent in dimensional stability due to small thermal expansion coefficient, and excellent in electrical conductivity, corrosion resistance and vibration damping performance.

The composite material forming apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a preform forming process which is a previous process of a resin transfer molding process in a plastic composite material manufacturing system.

The preform forming step is a step of forming a preformed article which is a preform of a plastic composite material. In the preform forming step, a prepreg which is a molding material preliminarily impregnated with a matrix resin of a thermoplastic resin is preheated and softened in a fiber material, and the preheated prepreg is hot-pressed with a die to form a preform.

On the other hand, in the resin transfer molding molding step, the preform molding formed in the preform molding process is placed in a molding die, and a thermosetting resin is injected into the molding die to cure the molding die.

The composite material forming apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is a molding apparatus applied to a preform forming process, preheating and softening a prepreg material (hereinafter, referred to as a prepreg 1 for convenience) , And the preheated prepreg (1) can be formed into a preform molding (2) through a mold.

Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to simplify the clamping and transferring process of the prepreg 1 and the preform molding 2 in accordance with the pre-heating of the prepreg 1 and the molding of the preform molding 2 as a mold, A composite material forming apparatus (100) capable of minimizing heat loss during movement of the prepreg (1).

To this end, the composite material forming apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention basically includes a clamping unit 10, a molding die 50, and a preheating unit 60, which will be described in detail below.

Such components are installed in the process frame 9, which is a bottom of the workshop supporting the components, and may consist of one frame or two or more compartment frames.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the clamping unit 10 clamps and transfers the prepreg 1 to a set position, and the prepreg 1 preheated by the preheating unit 60 is passed through the forming die 50 And is for clamping and transferring the formed preform molding 2 to a predetermined position.

That is, the clamping unit 10 clamps the prepreg 1 loaded on the material supply unit 3, unloads the prepreg 1 from the material supply unit 3, and transfers the preform 1 molded through the molding die 50, And the preform forming body 2 can be loaded on the workpiece take-out part 5.

The clamping unit 10 includes a clamp 11 for clamping and unclamping the edges of the prepreg 1 and the preform formed body 2. The clamp 11 is configured to be movable up and down, and is configured to be rotatable with a predetermined turning radius. The construction of such a clamping unit 10 will be described in detail later.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the forming metal mold 50 is formed by compressing the prepreg 1 preheated by the preheating unit 60 to be described later and molding the preform 1 with the preform 1, 53).

The lower mold 51 is fixed to the process frame 9 with the preheated prepreg 1 being seated thereon. The lower mold 51 has a molding surface on the upper surface corresponding to the shape of the lower end surface of the preform molding 2. The molding surface is formed on the upper surface of the lower mold steel 52 corresponding to the design shape, thickness and area of the preform molding 2. [ The molding surface forms a molding protrusion and a molding groove corresponding to the set shape of the preform molding 2. [

The upper die (53) is provided on the upper side of the lower die (51) so as to reciprocate in the vertical direction through the driving means. The upper mold 53 is moved downward by the driving means and can be combined with the lower mold 51 and can be released from the lower mold 51 by moving upward by the driving means. The upper mold 53 has a molding surface on the lower surface corresponding to the molding top surface shape as the preform molding 2. [ The molding surface is formed on the lower surface of the upper steel 57 corresponding to the design shape, thickness and area of the preform molding 2. [ The molding surface forms molding projections and molding grooves corresponding to the set shape of the preform molding 2. [

Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, the forming die 50 is located close to the clamping unit 10 and is provided with the lower mold 51 and the upper mold 53 in the range of the radius of rotation of the clamp 11, Respectively. Accordingly, the clamp 11 may be positioned between the lower mold 51 and the upper mold 53, which are separated from each other while being rotated while clamping the prepreg 1.

In the embodiment of the present invention, in order to improve the formability of the prepreg 1 by the forming metal mold 50, the preheating unit 60 heats the prepreg 1 to heat the prepreg 1, Thereby softening the plastic resin.

The preheating unit 60 can heat the prepreg 1 clamped by the clamp 11 of the clamping unit 10 between the lower mold 51 and the upper mold 53 of the molding die 50. [ The preheating unit 60 may be configured to move back and forth between the lower mold 51 and the upper mold 53 which are mutually separated.

2 is a schematic view showing a preheating unit applied to a composite material forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2, the preheating unit 60 according to the embodiment of the present invention preheats the prepreg 1 clamped to the clamp 11 between the lower die 51 and the upper die 53, And includes a conveyor section (61) and a preheating furnace (71).

The conveyor section 61 includes a conveyor frame 63 positioned close to the forming die 50 and upper and lower conveying conveyors 65 provided on the conveyor frame 63.

The conveyor frame 63 supports the conveying conveyor 65 and the preheating furnace 71 on the upper and lower sides and includes a bracket, a bar, a rod, a plate, a housing, a case, a block, , Rails, collars, and the like.

However, since the above-described various accessory elements are provided for installing the components to be described below on the conveyor frame 63, in the embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned accessory elements are collectively referred to as a conveyor frame 63 do.

The conveyance conveyors 65 on the upper and lower sides are arranged on the conveyor frame 63 with a predetermined clearance in the up and down direction to form a conveyance path 62 as a clearance therebetween. For example, the conveying conveyor 65 may include a conveyor belt 66 running on an endless track through a plurality of conveyor rollers 64.

The upper and lower conveying conveyors 65 form the conveying path 62 along the longitudinal direction (forward and backward direction) of the conveyor frame 63 therebetween. Since the configuration of the upper and lower conveying conveyors 65 is configured as a known conveyor unit well known in the art, a detailed description of the constitution will be omitted herein.

Here, the conveying path of the conveyor part 61 is connected to the center path 50a between the lower mold 51 and the upper mold 53. [ The center path 50a refers to the placement path of the clamp 11 clamping the prepreg 1 in the lower mold 51 and the upper mold 53. [

The preheating furnace 71 is for heating the prepreg 1 clamped to the clamp 11 of the clamping unit 10 between the lower die 51 and the upper die 53. The preheating furnace 71 is provided such that the clamp 11 clamping the prepreg 1 between the lower mold 51 and the upper mold 53 can be charged and discharged.

The preheating furnace 71 is disposed in the conveying path 62 between the conveying section 61 and the upper and lower conveying conveyors 65 and is conveyed along the conveying path 62 by the conveying conveyor 65 to the shaping mold 50 (Advancing and retracting) between the lower mold 51 and the upper mold 53 of the upper mold 51 and the upper mold 53, respectively.

The preheating furnace 71 includes a preheating furnace body of a box shape whose one end is opened and the other end is closed. The preheating furnace main body is arranged long along the conveying path 62 between the upper and lower conveying conveyors 65 of the conveyor part 61. One end of the preheating furnace 71 can be defined as an open end where the clamp 11 can be inserted and discharged. The preheating furnace 71 has a preheating space 73 through which one end of the clamp 11 can be inserted and discharged.

The preheating furnace 71 as described above is configured such that the clamp 11 clamping the prepreg 1 is positioned between the lower mold 51 and the upper mold 53 of the mold 50, The upper and lower conveying conveyors 65 are moved forward along the conveying path 62 between the lower mold 51 and the upper mold 53 and the clamp 11 can be introduced into the preheating space 73. [

The preheating furnace 71 is moved backward along the conveying path 62 between the lower mold 51 and the upper mold 53 by the conveying conveyors 65 on the upper and lower sides and is moved backward from the preheating space 73 to the clamp 11, .

Further, in the preheating space 73 of the preheating furnace 71, a plurality of heaters 75 are continuously arranged along the conveying path 62. The heaters (75) are installed on the upper and lower surfaces of the preheating furnace (71).

For example, the heater 75 may include a hot air blower that blows hot air into the preheating space 73, or a far-infrared ray irradiator that emits far infrared rays. The heaters 75 can heat the prepreg 1 in the preheating space 73 together with the clamp 11 while being clamped by the clamp 11 at a temperature of 150 to 200 ° C.

The construction of the heater 75 is configured by a well-known hot-air blower or a far-infrared ray irradiator widely known in the art, so that a detailed description of the constitution will be omitted here.

3 and 4 are views schematically showing a clamping unit applied to a composite material forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 and 4, the clamping unit 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the moving unit 31 and the rotary unit 41 together with the clamp 11 as mentioned above, .

The moving part 31 is connected to the clamp 11 and reciprocates the clamp 11 in the vertical direction. The rotating part 41 is connected to the moving part 31 and rotates the moving part 31 to which the clamp 11 is connected.

The moving unit 31 clamps the prepreg 1 of the material supply unit 3 to the clamp 11 and unloads the prepreg 1 from the material supply unit 3 and transfers the clamped prepreg 1 to the clamp 11 The clamp 11 can be reciprocated in the vertical direction when it is unclamped and loaded onto the lower mold 51 of the forming die 50. [

The moving unit 31 clamps the preform molded body 2 obtained by compression molding the prepreg 1 through the lower mold 51 and the upper mold 53 of the forming mold 50 and unloads the preform 1 from the lower mold 51 The clamp 11 can be reciprocated in the vertical direction when the preform molded body 2 clamped to the clamp 11 is unclamped and taken out to the workpiece take-out portion 5.

The rotary part 41 is positioned between the lower mold 51 and the upper mold 53 which are separated from each other by the clamp 11 clamping the prepreg 1 in the material supply part 3 and compressed It is possible to rotate the moving part 31 when positioning the clamp 11 clamped with the molded preform 2 on the workpiece take-out part 5 between the lower mold 51 and the upper mold 53. [

In the moving unit 31 and the rotating unit 41 as described above, the rotating unit 41 includes a first motor 43 fixed to the process frame 9, a driving shaft 45 of the first motor 43, And a base 47 which is installed in the main body. The first motor 43 is vertically disposed on the process frame 9. The base 47 is provided in the form of a plate and is rotated by the driving shaft 45 of the first motor 43.

The moving unit 31 includes a second motor 33, a lead screw 35, a coupling block 37, and a guider 39. The second motor 33 is fixed to the base 47 of the rotation part 41 in a vertical direction. The lead screw 35 is installed on the drive shaft 34 of the second motor 33. The coupling block 37 is connected to the clamp 11 and is screwed to the lead screw 35. The guider 39 is fixed to the base 47 in a vertical direction. The guider 39 engages the coupling block 37 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction. That is, the coupling block 37 is slidably coupled to the guide rail 38 provided on the guider 39 in the vertical direction.

When the second motor 33 rotates in one direction, the lead screw 35 also rotates in one direction, and the engaging block 37 screwed to the lead screw 35 is engaged with the lead screw 35, And moves the clamp 11 upward in the upward direction along the guide rail 38.

In contrast, when the second motor 33 rotates in the other direction, the lead screw 35 also rotates in the other direction, and the engaging block 37 screwed to the lead screw 35 is guided by the guider The clamp 11 is moved upward in the downward direction while being slid down along the guide rails 38 of the guide rails 39.

The rotation unit 41 rotates the base 47 in one direction through the first motor 43 so that the entire moving unit 31 rotates in one direction, The clamp 11 connected to the block 37 can be rotated in one direction.

The clamp 11 according to the embodiment of the present invention clamps the prepreg 1 of the material supply unit 3 with the clamp 11 and unloads the prepreg 1 from the material supply unit 3, ) Can be unclamped and loaded onto the lower mold 51 of the molding die 50. [

The clamp 11 clamps the preform 1 obtained by compression molding the prepreg 1 through the lower mold 51 and the upper mold 53 of the molding die 50 and unloads the preform 1 from the lower mold 51 , The preform forming body 2 can be unclamped and taken out to the workpiece take-out part 5. [

The clamp 11 has a first gripper 15 for gripping one edge of the prepreg 1 and the preform molding 2 and a second gripper 15 for gripping the other edge of the prepreg 1 and the preform molding 2, And a second gripper (17).

The first gripper 15 is connected to the coupling block 37 of the moving part 31 through the connecting rod 13. The second gripper 17 is connected to the first gripper 15 so as to be movable back and forth. The first gripper 15 is provided with a first actuating cylinder 16 and the actuating rod 18 of the first actuating cylinder 16 is connected with the second gripper 17.

Specifically, the first gripper 15 is attached to the first and second gripping bodies 21 and 22 and the second operation cylinder (not shown) to grip one edge of the prepreg 1 and the preform formed body 2 25).

The first gripping body 21 is connected to the engaging block 37 of the moving part 31 through the connecting rod 13 and the first actuating cylinder 16 is fixed to the first gripping body 21 Respectively. On both sides of the first gripping body 21, a second operating cylinder 25 is installed. The second gripping body 22 is connected to the operating rod 26 of the second operating cylinder 25 below the first gripping body 21.

The second gripper 17 is connected to the third and fourth gripping bodies 23 and 24 and the third actuating cylinder 27 for gripping the other edge of the prepreg 1 and the preform- .

The third gripping body 23 is connected to the tip of the operating rod 18 of the first operating cylinder 16. The third operating cylinder 27 is installed on both sides of the third gripping body 23. And the fourth gripping body 24 is connected to the operation rod 27a of the third actuating cylinder 27 on the lower side of the third gripping body 23.

Therefore, in order to clamp the prepreg 1 and the preform formed body 2, the clamp 11 is moved in the downward direction through the moving part 31, The gripper 17 is moved forward in the direction away from the first gripper 15. At the same time, in the embodiment of the present invention, the second gripping body 22 of the first gripper 15 is lowered by the advancing action of the second actuating cylinder 25, and the fourth gripping body (24) is lowered by the advancing operation of the third operating cylinder (27).

In the embodiment of the present invention, in a state where both side edges of the prepreg 1 and the preform molding body 2 are mounted on the first and second grippers 15 and 17, the backward movement of the first operating cylinder 16 The second gripper 17 is moved backward in the direction approaching the first gripper 15. At the same time, in the embodiment of the present invention, the second gripping body 22 of the first gripper 15 is raised by the reverse operation of the second operation cylinder 25, and the fourth gripping body of the second gripper 17 (24) to the reverse operation of the third operating cylinder (27).

Then, the first and second grippers 15 and 17 of the clamp 11 can clamp both edges of the prepreg 1 and the preform formed body 2. In the embodiment of the present invention, when the clamp 11 is moved upward by the moving part 31 and the clamp 11 is rotated through the rotating part 41, the prepreg 1 and the preform molded article 2 ) Can be transferred to another process.

On the other hand, in order to unclamp the prepreg 1 and the preform formed body 2 clamped to the clamp 11, the clamp 11 is moved in the downward direction through the moving part 31, The second gripper 17 advances in the direction away from the first gripper 15 by the forward movement of the second gripper 16. At the same time, in the embodiment of the present invention, the second gripping body 22 of the first gripper 15 is lowered by the advancing action of the second actuating cylinder 25, and the fourth gripping body (24) is lowered by the advancing operation of the third operating cylinder (27).

Then, the first and second grippers 15 and 17 of the clamp 11 can unclamp both edges of the prepreg 1 and the preform formed body 2. Here, in the embodiment of the present invention, when the clamp 11 is moved upward by the moving part 31 and the clamp 11 is rotated through the rotating part 41, the clamp 11 is placed in another process .

5 and 6 are views showing a clamp of a clamping unit applied to a composite material forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 and 6, in the clamp 11 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the first and second grippers 15 and 17 clamp the prepreg 1 on the material supply unit 3 and clamp the prepreg 1 51 and the upper mold 53 and when the prepreg 1 preheated by the preheating unit 60 is loaded on the lower mold 51, And a heating member 28.

The heating member 28 is installed in the first and second gripping bodies 21 and 22 of the first gripper 15 and the third and fourth gripping bodies 23 and 24 of the second gripper 17, 24 respectively.

For example, the heating member 28 may include a heat cartridge installed inside each of the gripping bodies 21, 22, 23, 24. Such a heat cartridge may include a heater rod or a heating coil that generates heat by electrical resistance.

The contact surfaces of the gripping bodies 21, 22, 23 and 24 which contact the opposite side edge portions of the prepreg 1 support the edge portions of the prepreg 1, And a heat generating line 29 for discharging the heat transferred from the heat source 2 to the edge portion of the prepreg 1.

The heating line 29 protrudes from the contact surfaces of the gripping bodies 21, 22, 23 and 24. For example, the heating line 29 may include a plurality of heating protrusions 29a protruding from the contact surfaces of the gripping bodies 21, 22, 23, and 24 as shown in FIG. 6 (a) . The exothermic protrusions 29a are spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval on the contact surfaces of the gripping bodies 21, 22, 23 and 24, and protrude in a hemispherical cross-sectional shape.

The heating line 29 may include a plurality of heating ribs 29b protruding from the contact surfaces of the gripping bodies 21, 22, 23 and 24 as shown in FIG. 6 (b). The heating ribs 29b are oriented on the contact surfaces of the gripping bodies 21, 22, 23 and 24, and protrude in a semicircular cross-sectional shape.

The reason why the heating line 29 is formed on the contact surfaces of the gripping bodies 21, 22, 23 and 24 as described above is that the heat generated in the heating member 28 is easily transferred to the edge portion of the prepreg 1 And to improve the detachability between the prepreg 1 and the gripping bodies 21, 22, 23 and 24.

Hereinafter, the operation of the composite material forming apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings and the accompanying drawings.

7A to 7E are views for explaining the operation of the composite material forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

7A, first, both side edges of the prepreg 1 loaded on the material supply unit 3 are clamped through the first and second grippers 15 and 17 of the clamp 11, do.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the clamp 11 is rotated in one direction through the rotary part 41 and the lower mold 51 and the upper mold 53 of the forming mold 50, .

In this process, power is applied to the heating member 28 of the first and second grippers 15 and 17 to generate heat from the heating member 28, as shown in FIG. 7B, in the embodiment of the present invention.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the heat generated in the heating member 28 is transmitted to the heating lines 29 of the gripping bodies 21, 22, 23 and 24 of the first and second grippers 15 and 17, .

Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, both side edges of the prepreg 1 are clamped through the gripping bodies 21, 22, 23, and 24 of the first and second grippers 15 and 17, It is possible to support the opposite side edge portions of the prepreg 1 through the heating lines 29 of the respective gripping bodies 21, 22, 23 and 24 and to heat the opposite side edge portions thereof.

The preheating furnace 71 of the preheating unit 60 is located in the conveying path 62 between the upper and lower conveying conveyors 65 in a state of being retracted by the conveying sections 65 of the conveyor section 61 have.

In this state, in the embodiment of the present invention, the preheating furnace 71 is moved forward along the conveying path 62 by the conveying conveyors 65 on the upper and lower sides, as shown in Fig. 7C, The clamp 11 is put into the preheating space 73.

In the embodiment of the present invention, hot air or far-infrared rays are radiated through the heaters 75 in the preheating space 73 of the preheating furnace 71, and the preheating space 73 is heated to a predetermined temperature (for example, 200 ° C) to heat (preheat) the prepreg 1 clamped to the clamp 11.

7d, the preheating furnace 71 is moved backward along the conveying path 62 by the upper and lower conveying conveyors 65 of the conveyor section 61, and as shown in Fig. 7a, The preheating furnace 71 is returned to the original position. The clamp 11 clamping the heated prepreg 1 is discharged from the preheating space 73 of the preheating furnace 71 and positioned between the lower mold 51 and the upper mold 53.

In this case, the first and second grippers 15 and 17 of the clamp 11 heat the heat generated from the heating member 28 in the heating line 29 (FIG. 29) while clamping both side edge portions of the prepreg 1 ) On both sides of the prepreg (1).

Then, in the embodiment of the present invention, the prepreg 1 clamped to the clamp 11 is unclamped and loaded on the lower mold 51 of the forming die 50, and the clamp 11 is rotated through the rotating portion 41, And the clamp 11 is positioned on the outer side between the lower die 51 and the upper die 53.

Next, in the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Fig. 7E, the lower mold 51 and the upper mold 53 of the molding die 50 are combined and the prepreg 1 is compressed to mold the preform molding 2. Fig.

The lower mold 51 and the upper mold 53 of the mold 50 are released and the clamp 11 is again rotated in one direction through the rotary part 41 so that the clamp 11 Is positioned between the lower die 51 and the upper die 53. At this time, the power applied to the heating member 28 is cut off.

Then, in the embodiment of the present invention, the preform molding 2 in which the prepreg 1 is compression-molded through the lower mold 51 and the upper mold 53 of the molding die 50 is clamped through the clamp 11, The clamp 11 is unidirectionally rotated through the rotary part 41 and is positioned on the outer side between the lower mold 51 and the upper mold 53. [

Finally, in the embodiment of the present invention, the clamped preform forming body 2 is unclamped to the clamp 11 and taken out to the workpiece take-

According to the composite material forming apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention as described above, since the rotary clamping unit 10 is provided, the prepreg 1 is preheated and the preform 1 is preheated, It is possible to simplify the clamping and transferring process of the prepreg 1 and the preform-formed body 2 in molding the mold 2.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the prepreg 1 is clamped between the lower die 51 and the upper die 53 of the forming die 50 through the clamping unit 10, Since the prepreg 1 can be preheated through the unit 60, the heat loss of the prepreg 1 can be minimized and defective molding of the final preform molding 2 can be prevented.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the heating member 28 is provided on the clamp 11 of the clamping unit 10 to transfer the prepreg 1 to the forming die 50 and to the preheating unit 60 The edge portion of the prepreg 1 can be heated via the heating member 28 when the prepreg 1 preheated by the preform 1 is loaded in the mold 50. Therefore, Can be minimized.

Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, a uniform heat distribution and temperature gradient can be ensured even during the conveyance of the prepreg 1, so that the hot-moldability of the prepreg 1 can be further improved.

Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, the heat generated in the heating member 28 of the first and second grippers 15 and 17 is transmitted to the prepreg 1 through the heating line 29, The detachability between the first gripper 1 and the first gripper 15 and the gripper 15 is improved, so that more stable material stacking conditions can be ensured.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, Other embodiments may easily be proposed by adding, changing, deleting, adding, etc., but this is also within the scope of the present invention.

1 ... prepreg 2 ... preform molding body
3: Material supply part 5:
9 ... process frame 10 ... clamping unit
11 ... Clamp 13 ... Connection rod
15 ... first gripper 16 ... first working cylinder
17 ... second gripper 18, 26, 27a ... operating rod
21 ... first gripping body 22 ... second gripping body
23 ... third gripping body 24 ... fourth gripping body
25 ... second working cylinder 27 ... third working cylinder
28 ... heating member 29 ... heating line
29a ... heating projection 29b ... heating rib
31 ... moving part 33 ... second motor
34, 45 ... drive shaft 35 ... leadscrew
37 ... coupling block 38 ... guide rail
39 ... guider 41 ... rotating part
43 ... first motor 47 ... base
50 ... mold 50a ... center path
51 ... Lower mold 52 ... Lower mold steel
53 ... Upper type 57 ... Upper type steel
60 ... Preheating unit 61 ... Conveyor part
62 ... Feed path 63 ... Conveyor frame
64 ... conveyor roller 65 ... conveyor conveyor
66 ... conveyor belt 71 ... preheating furnace
73 ... Preheating space 75 ... Heater

Claims (20)

A clamping unit having a clamp for clamping and unclamping an edge portion of the prepreg, the clamping unit being configured to be movable up and down and rotated;
A molding die in which an upper mold and a lower mold are arranged in a rotation radius range of the clamp; And
A preheating unit provided between the upper mold and the lower mold and movable forward and backward between the upper mold and the lower mold to heat the prepreg clamped by the clamp between the upper mold and the lower mold;
/ RTI >
Wherein the clamp includes a heating member for heating an edge portion of the prepreg. The method according to claim 1,
The preheating unit includes:
A conveyor section for forming a conveying path between the conveying conveyors on the upper and lower sides,
A preheating furnace provided so as to be able to insert and discharge the clamps and movable forward and backward along the conveying path by the conveying conveyors on the upper and lower sides,
And a plurality of molds. 3. The method of claim 2,
And the conveying path of the conveyor part is connected to a center path between the upper mold and the lower mold. 3. The method of claim 2,
In the preheating furnace,
And a plurality of heaters are installed in the preheating space to form a preheating space in which the clamps can be inserted and discharged. 5. The method of claim 4,
In the preheating furnace,
Wherein the clamping device is advanced between an upper mold and a lower mold of the molding die along a conveying path of the conveyor part, and the clamp is inserted into the preheating space. 6. The method of claim 5,
In the preheating furnace,
Wherein the clamp is moved backward along a conveyance path of the conveyor part between the upper mold and the lower mold of the forming die and the clamp is discharged from the preheating space. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the clamping unit comprises:
A moving unit connected to the clamp and reciprocating the clamp in a vertical direction;
A rotating part connected to the moving part,
And a plurality of molds. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the clamp is provided with a heating line which supports an edge portion of the prepreg and discharges heat transmitted from the heating member to an edge portion of the prepreg. A clamping unit configured to vertically move and rotate the clamp including the first and second grippers for clamping and unclamping both side edges of the prepreg;
A molding die in which an upper mold and a lower mold are arranged in a rotation radius range of the clamp;
A conveyor unit provided in the frame and forming a conveyance path between the conveyance conveyors on the upper and lower sides; And
Wherein the upper and lower conveying conveyors are arranged to move back and forth between the upper and lower molds along the conveying path so as to be able to insert and discharge the clamps and to heat the clamped prepreg between the upper and lower molds Preheating furnace;
/ RTI >
Wherein the first and second grippers are provided with a heating member for heating both side edges of the prepreg. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the clamping unit comprises:
A moving unit connected to the clamp and reciprocating the clamp in a vertical direction;
A rotating part connected to the moving part,
And a plurality of molds. 11. The method of claim 10,
The first gripper is connected to the moving part via a connecting rod, grips one edge portion of the prepreg,
Wherein the second gripper is connected to the first gripper so as to be movable forward and backward, and grips the other edge portion of the prepreg. 11. The method of claim 10,
The rotation unit includes a first motor fixedly mounted on a bottom of the work area, and a base mounted on a drive shaft of the first motor,
And the moving part is provided on the base. 13. The method of claim 12,
The moving unit includes:
A second motor fixed to the base,
A lead screw provided on a drive shaft of the second motor,
A coupling block connected to the clamp and screwed to the lead screw,
And a guider that is fixed to the base and slidably moves the coupling block in a vertical direction,
And a plurality of molds. 11. The method of claim 10,
The first gripper is provided with a first operating cylinder,
And the operating rod of the first operating cylinder is connected to the second gripper. 15. The method of claim 14,
The first gripper
A first gripping body connected to the moving part through a connecting rod, the first gripping body fixing the first actuating cylinder,
A second operating cylinder provided on both sides of the first gripping body,
A second gripping body connected to an operating rod of the second operating cylinder at a lower side of the first gripping body,
And a plurality of molds. 16. The method of claim 15,
And the heating member is installed on the first and second gripping bodies. 17. The method of claim 16,
In the first and second gripping bodies,
And a heating line for supporting one edge portion of the prepreg and discharging heat transmitted from the heating member to one edge portion of the prepreg. 16. The method of claim 15,
Wherein the second gripper comprises:
A third gripping body connected to the working rod end of the first operating cylinder,
A third operating cylinder disposed on both sides of the third gripping body,
A fourth gripping body connected to an operating rod of the third operating cylinder at a lower side of the third gripping body,
And a plurality of molds. 19. The method of claim 18,
And the heating member is installed on the third and fourth gripping bodies. 20. The method of claim 19,
Wherein the third and fourth gripping bodies include:
And a heating line for supporting the other edge portion of the prepreg and discharging the heat transmitted from the heating member to the other edge portion of the prepreg.

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