METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PRODUCING A REINFORCING PROFILE

Abstract

A method and a device for producing a reinforcing profile from at least one layer (1, 2, 3) cut out of a preimpregnated fibrous web are described, said layer (1, 2, 3) being applied to a mould core (4) determining the profile shape, being retained on the mould core (4) in the application region (6), and being pressed progressively onto the mould core, starting from this application region (6), transversely to the profile longitudinal direction, as far as the profile longitudinal edges. In order to create advantageous production conditions, it is proposed that the layer (1, 2, 3) be pressed incrementally progressively so as to be shaped onto the mould core (4), in the longitudinal direction thereof, with the aid of moulding punches (8) that are arranged offset with respect to one another both in the circumferential direction and in the longitudinal direction of the mould core (4) and are able to be forced in the direction of the moulding faces of the mould core (4).

Claims

1. A method for producing a reinforcing profile from at least one layer, comprising: cutting the at least one layer from a preimpregnated fibrous web; applying the at least one layer to a mould core to determine a shape of the reinforcing profile; retaining the at least one layer on the mould core in an application region; and starting from the application region, pressing the at least one layer against the mould core progressively transversely to a longitudinal direction of the reinforcing profile as far as longitudinal edges of the reinforcing profile, wherein the layer is pressed incrementally progressively so as to be shaped onto the mould core, in a longitudinal direction thereof, using moulding punches which are arranged offset from one another both in a circumferential direction and in the longitudinal direction of the mould core and are able to be forced in a direction of the moulding faces of the mould core.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, for production of a multi-layer reinforcing profile with subsequent layers in addition to a first one of the at least one layer, which is pressed directly against the mould core in a shaping manner, each of the subsequent layers is cut from a preimpregnated fibrous web and placed in an analogous manner on a previously shaped layer, retained in place in an application region and then progressively pressed against a previously moulded layer in a shaping manner from the application region to the longitudinal edge of the profile with the aid of the moulding punches arranged offset from one another both in the circumferential direction and in the longitudinal direction of the mould core.

3. A device for producing a reinforcing profile from a plurality of layers cut from a preimpregnated fibrous web, comprising: a mould core which determines a shape of the reinforcing profile; holding-down devices which retain the layers in place on an application region of the mould core; and a moulding device that presses the layers against mould faces of the mould core in a shaping manner, wherein the moulding device has moulding punches which can be acted upon in a direction of the moulding faces of the mould core and are arranged offset relative to one another both in a longitudinal direction of the mould core and in a circumferential direction of the mould core, and in that the moulding device and the mould core are displaceable stepwise relative to one another in the longitudinal direction of the mould core.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein a step length of a relative displacement of the moulding device and the mould core corresponds at most to a length of the moulding punches measured in the longitudinal direction of the mould core.

5. A device according to claim 3, wherein the moulding punches are optionally exchangeable and are each mounted separately on a carriage that is displaceable transversely to the longitudinal direction of the mould core so as to be pivotable about an axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the mould core.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the moulding punches have adjusting cylinders that form a structural unit pivotably mounted on the carriage.

7. A device according to claim 3, wherein the moulding device is a plurality of holding-down devices.

8. A device according to claim 4, wherein the moulding punches are optionally exchangeable and are each mounted separately on a carriage that is displaceable transversely to the longitudinal direction of the mould core so as to be pivotable about an axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the mould core.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the moulding punches have adjusting cylinders that form a structural unit pivotably mounted on the carriage.

10. A device according to claim 4, wherein the moulding device is a plurality of holding-down devices.

11. A device according to claim 5, wherein the moulding device is a plurality of holding-down devices.

12. A device according to claim 6, wherein the moulding device is a plurality of holding-down devices.

13. A device according to claim 8, wherein the moulding device is a plurality of holding-down devices.

14. A device according to claim 9, wherein the moulding device is a plurality of holding-down devices.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The method according to the invention is explained in more detail on the basis of the drawings, wherein:

[0015] FIG. 1 shows a device according to the invention having a moulding device for producing a reinforcing profile in a section across the mould core,

[0016] FIG. 2 shows this device in a side view in the direction of arrow II and

[0017] FIG. 3 shows a top view of the mould core in the region of the moulding device, of which, however, only the distribution of the loadable moulding punches is indicated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] The device shown for producing a reinforcing profile from usually several layers 1, 2, 3, in the exemplary embodiment a carrier layer 2 and two cover layers 1 and 3, has a mould core 4 which determines the profile shape, e.g. a hat profile, and the longitudinal course of the profile and against whose moulding surfaces the layers 1, 2, 3 cut from preimpregnated fibrous webs are pressed one after the other in a shaping manner, namely with the aid of a moulding device 5. This moulding device 5 comprises, on the one hand, holding-down devices 7 which hold the layers 1, 2, 3 in place on an application region 6 of the mould core 4 and, on the other hand, moulding punches 8 which are aligned with respect to the moulding surfaces of the mould core 4 and are acted upon by actuating drives 9. The moulding punches 8 are arranged offset from each other both in the longitudinal direction of the mould core 4 and in its circumferential direction in order to be able to press the layers 1, 2, 3 step by step one after the other onto the mould core 4 or the last applied layer 1, 2. Due to the extensive profile symmetry, the moulding punches 8 are arranged in pairs on both sides of the application region 6. In order to achieve independent alignment of the moulding punches 8 with respect to the forming surfaces of the mould core 4, the moulding punches 8 can be mounted so as to be freely pivotable to a limited extent or have an elastically flexible support.

[0019] The actuating drives 9 are preferably designed as actuating cylinders forming a structural unit with the moulding punches 8, which are mounted in a carriage 11 so as to be pivotable about an axis 10 formed in the longitudinal direction of the mould core 4 and are pivotably adjustable by means of a pivot drive 12. The carriages 11 themselves are slidably guided in a frame 14 on guides 13 extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the mould core 4 and can be adjusted along the guides 13 by drives 15. Via a joint head 16, for example of a manipulator, the moulding device 5 can be aligned with respect to the longitudinal course of the mould core 4, either to be displaced along the mould core 4 at rest or to be held at rest with respect to the mould core 4 displaceable in the longitudinal direction.

[0020] For the production of a reinforcing profile, after the alignment of the moulding device 5 with respect to the mould core 4 and an alignment of the moulding plungers 8 with respect to the moulding surfaces of the mould core 4, the first layer 1 is placed in alignment on the application region 6 of the mould core 4 and held in place with respect to the mould core 4 by means of the holding-down devices 7, in that the actuating drives 17 for the holding-down devices 7 are actuated accordingly. If, in this initial position, the pair of moulding punches 8 adjoining the application region 6 in the circumferential direction of the mould core 4 is actuated, the moulding punches 8 acted upon by the actuating drives 9 press the layer 1 against the mould core 4 in the transition area from the base to the side walls of the hat profile, wherein the layer 1 resulting from the initial position indicated by dot-dash lines in FIG. 1 is bent in a first deformation step into an intermediate position indicated by a dashed line around the longitudinal edge of the mould core 4 which determines this transition area.

[0021] In FIG. 3, the inlet end 18 of the first layer 1, which has been inserted into the moulding device 5 and is located in the area of the first pair of moulding plungers 8 and has not yet been deformed, is shown in solid lines. The deformation of the inlet end 18, which is held on the application region 6 with the aid of the holding-down devices 7, by the first pair of moulding punches 8 is indicated by dot-dash lines. With each conveying step, the mould core 4 with the first layer 1 is displaced, with the holding-down devices 7 and moulding punches 8 lifted off, by a length which is selected to be smaller than the length of the moulding punches 8 measured in the longitudinal direction of the profile, in order to deform the layer 1 after each conveying step by the first pair of moulding punches, so that the layer 1 is continuously deformed over its length in the region of the circumferential section defined by the first pair of moulding punches under a corresponding application of pressure in successive deformation steps.

[0022] According to the exemplary embodiment shown, the inlet end 18 bent by the first pair of moulding punches around the longitudinal edge of the mould core 4 between the base and the side walls of the hat profile reaches the region of the second pair of moulding punches 8 after three conveying steps corresponding to the arrow 19, as shown in thin dot-dash lines. In this inlet position, the inlet end 18 can be pressed against the side walls of the hat profile defined by the mould core 4 with the aid of the second pair of moulding punches in a second deformation step, as indicated by the thicker dash-dotted outline shape of the inlet end 18.

[0023] Due to the uniform spacing of the pairs of moulding punches from one another in the longitudinal direction of the profile, a further pair of moulding punches 8 of the pairs of moulding punches arranged offset over the circumference of the mould core 4 are used after every three further conveying steps until, with the last pair of moulding punches ending the shaping process, the first layer 1 at the exit of the moulding device 5 has the profile shape specified by the mould core 4.

[0024] With each further conveying step, the fully formed longitudinal section of the first layer 1 is extended until, after a complete pass, a second layer 2 can be applied in an analogous manner to the first layer 1 resting in a form-forming manner against the forming surfaces of the mould core 4. The layer application is repeated up to the last layer 3 before the shaped reinforcing profile can be removed from the mould core 4, optionally after at least partial curing of the preimpregnated fibrous webs.

[0025] Due to the pressure applied to the individual layers 1, 2, 3 by the holding-down devices 7 and the moulding punches 8 when the individual layers 1, 2, 3 are pressed against the mould core 4 or the last applied layer 1, 2, the individual layers 1, 2, 3 can be compacted according to the respective requirements, wherein the thickness of the respective layers can be detected by adjusting the actuating drives 9 or 17. In order to increase the compaction effect, the holding-down devices 7 and the moulding punches 8 can be acted upon by oscillating drives.