METHOD FOR PRODUCING A FIBROUS COMPOSITE MATERIAL COMPONENT

Abstract

A method for producing a fibrous composite material component, in particular for a vehicle. According to the method, at least one dry woven fabric layer is initially provided, wherein the woven fabric layer includes carbon fibers. A binder is then applied to the woven fabric layer. Further, the woven fabric layer is reshaped into a preform layer, wherein the binder is activated during the reshaping and the woven fabric is stabilized in the reshaped shape. The preform layer is then applied to further woven fabric layers in order to strengthen the shape. The connection of the preform layer and the further woven fabric layers thus results in a preform, which is inserted into a molding tool for carrying out an RTM process. Then, the RTM process is carried out in order to obtain a fibrous composite material component.

Claims

1. A method for producing a fibrous composite material component comprising the following steps: providing at least one dry woven fabric layer, applying binder to the dry woven fabric layer, reforming the dry woven fabric layer into a preform layer, wherein the binder is activated and stabilizes the woven fabric, applying the preform layer to further woven fabric layers, inserting the preform into a molding tool for carrying out a resin-transfer-molding (RTM) process, and carrying out the RTM process.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the binder to be applied to the woven fabric layer is in powder form.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the binder comprises thermoplastic constituents and bisphenol A.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the binder comprises thermosetting constituents.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the binder is applied in grammages from 7 g/m.sup.2 to 100 g/m.sup.2.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reforming of the woven fabric layer into a preform layer is carried out under increased pressure and/or increased temperature.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in a further method step, the woven fabric layer is cut to a desired contour.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, for applying the preform layer to further woven fabric layers, an adhesive is applied to the preform layer or at least one of the woven fabric layers.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reforming of the woven fabric layer is carried out only locally.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the woven fabric layer comprises at least carbon fibers.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In the following, advantageous aspects and embodiments of the invention will be explained in further detail with reference to the accompanying figure. It shows:

[0025] FIG. 1 depicts a flow chart for the sequence of the method according to aspects of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] The flow chart according to FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic sequence of the method according to aspects of the invention for producing a visible carbon component. First, a dry, i.e. non-saturated, woven fabric layer is provided, wherein the woven fabric is made of carbon fibers and is initially flexible. A binder is then applied to the woven fabric layer, and the woven fabric layer is reshaped.

[0027] For this purpose, the woven fabric layer is inserted into a molding tool, which presses the woven fabric layer into a mold corresponding to the end component under pressure. Further, the temperature in the molding tool is increased so that the binder is activated. By activating the binder, it remains in the corresponding mold even after removal of the preform layer now made from the woven fabric layer. The shaping by the molding tool or even only the activation of the binder can take place only locally on the woven fabric layer. Thus, for example, only regions that have a certain radius in the final shape, which make the formation of a shape-stable preform necessary, can be formed. A local activation of the binder can be achieved by a local temperature supply or a local application of the binder. The forming process, including activation of the binder, thus produces a shape-stable preform layer from a shape-flexible woven fabric layer. The preform layer is stabilized to the extent that no blurring occurs during a downstream RTM process and can thus preferably serve as the visible layer.

[0028] Due to the fact that a preform layer generally does not have the necessary thickness and stability for a component, the preform layer is subsequently applied to further woven fabric layers. Depending on the desired thickness, different numbers of woven fabric layers can be joined together. The woven fabric layers can already have been assembled in order to form a so-called laid structure or can be individually connected to the preform. They serve to support the preform layer, wherein it must be ensured that the further woven fabric layers to be applied to the preform layer are only applied from one side, so that the preform layer continues to form the visible layer of the end component. This can be referred to as back-covering, because the preform layer is only reinforced by the woven fabric layers from the back and the front side, i.e. the side that is intended to function as the visible layer is not covered.

[0029] Due to the connection of the preform layer with the further woven fabric layers, a finished porous preform is thus created, which serves as a fibrous semi-finished product for the RTM process. The preform is thus inserted into the molding tool of the RTM process in order to create the finished component, and the RTM process is carried out. Due to the porosity of the preform, it can well connect to the resin injected during the RTM process, wherein, due to the dimensional stability of the preform layer, a blurring can be prevented. Possible aftertreatment is carried out as required, as is already known from the prior art for RTM processes.

[0030] The method according to aspects of the invention thus offers a possibility for producing a high-quality visible carbon component, wherein the disadvantages identified in the prior art are successfully eliminated.