FLOW AID FOR AN INFUSION ARRANGEMENT FOR INFILTRATING A RESIN INTO A FIBER MATERIAL

Abstract

A flow aid for an infusion arrangement for infiltrating a resin into a fiber material, wherein at least two different resin-permeable plies, which lie atop one another and are joined to one another in the region of their faces lying atop one another, with one ply being a peel ply which on its exposed face is covered sectionally or over the full area with an adhesive agent, which is covered with a removable protective ply, or which can be activated after the mounting of the flow aid.

Claims

1. A flow aid for an infusion arrangement for infiltrating a resin into a fiber material, comprising at least two different resin-permeable plies, which lie atop one another and are joined to one another in the region of their faces lying atop one another, with one ply being a peel ply which on its exposed face is covered sectionally or over the full area with an adhesive agent, which is covered with a removable protective ply, or which can be activated after the mounting of the flow aid.

2. The flow aid according to claim 1, wherein the further ply is a release film or a three-dimensional ply.

3. The flow aid according to claim 1, wherein three different resin-permeable plies lying atop one another are provided, with a first ply being a three-dimensional ply, with the second ply being a release film joined to the three-dimensional ply in the region of their faces lying atop one another, and with the third ply being the peel ply which is joined to the release film.

4. The flow aid according to claim 1, wherein the activatable adhesive agent can be activated thermally or by pressure.

5. The flow aid according to claim 1, wherein the peel ply is a polymeric textile fabric.

6. The flow aid according to claim 5, wherein the polymeric fabric is made of PE, HDPE, LDPE, PA, PP, PES, PTFE, FEP, ETFE, PFA, PSU, PPS or a polyimide.

7. The flow aid according to claim 2, wherein the three-dimensional ply is a polymeric textile fabric, knitted polymeric structure or polymeric mesh.

8. The flow aid according to claim 7, wherein the polymeric fabric, knitted polymeric structure or polymeric mesh is made of PE, HDPE, LDPE, PA, PP, PES, PTFE, FEP, ETFE, PFA, PSU, PPS or a polyimide.

9. The flow aid according to claim 2, wherein the release film is a polymeric film.

10. The flow aid according to claim 9, wherein the polymeric film is made of PE, HDPE, LDPE, PA, PP, PES, PTFE, FEP, ETFE, PFA, PSU, PPS or a polyimide.

11. The flow aid according to claim 2, wherein the release film is perforated.

12. The flow aid according to claim 1, wherein the flow aid is uniformly trimmed on all sides, or on one or more sides the peel ply extends beyond the one or two further plies and the flow aid is trimmed on the remaining sides.

13. An infusion arrangement comprising a shaping support for accommodating a fiber material to be infiltrated, an envelope for covering the support in a vacuum-tight manner after application or introduction of the fiber material, and a flow aid according to claim 1, which is connected or can be connected to the fiber material via the adhesive layer.

14. A method for infiltrating a fiber material with a resin for producing a fiber composite component by means of an infusion arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the flow aid is applied and fixed via the adhesive agent to the fiber material introduced or applied to the support, and, after a vacuum has been generated in the interior of the infusion arrangement, and/or under superatmospheric pressure, a resin is introduced and is distributed and passed to the fiber material via the flow aid.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0025] In the drawing:

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a perspective schematic representation of a three-dimensional flow aid of the invention,

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a sectional view through the flow aid from FIG. 1,

[0028] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of an infusion arrangement of the invention,

[0029] FIG. 4 shows an arrangement of two flow aids of a second embodiment adjacent to one another,

[0030] FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of a flow aid of the invention in a third embodiment, and

[0031] FIG. 6 shows a schematic representation of a flow aid of the invention in a sixth embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a flow aid 1 of the invention in a first embodiment, serving for infiltrating a resin into a fiber material by means of a corresponding infusion arrangement.

[0033] The flow aid 1 shown in FIG. 1 consists of three different, resin-permeable plies lying atop one another, namely a first ply 2 in the form of a peel ply 3, a second ply 4 in the form of a perforated release film 5, and a third ply 6 in the form of a three-dimensional ply 7. All three plies 2, 4 and 6 are bonded to one another, meaning that between the plies in each case is a very thin adhesive layer comprising as little adhesive material as possible. Bonding here takes place within the faces lying on top of one another, with bonding being possible either over the full area, in other words over the entire length and width, or just locally or pointwise. The aim of this bonding is simply to effect a gentle but sufficient fixing of the three plies 2, 4 and 6 to one another; the flow aid 1 itself, of course, remains permeable to resin.

[0034] The peel ply 3 comprises a suitable polymeric textile fabric, made for example of PE, HDPE, LDPE, PA, PP, PES, PTFE, FEP, ETFE, PFA, PSU, PPS or a polyimide. The release film is preferably a polymeric film, consisting for example of PE, HDPE, LDPE, PA, PP, PES, PTFE, FEP, ETFE, PFA, PSU, PPS or a polyimide. It has perforation openings 8, allowing resin to pass through it. In the case of the peel ply 3, there is no need for such perforations, since that ply, as a fabric, is permeable to resin in any case.

[0035] The three-dimensional ply 7, lastly, is a polymeric fabric, knitted polymeric structure or polymeric mesh, likewise made of PE, HDPE, LDPE, PA, PP, PES, PTFE, FEP, ETFE, PFA, PSU, PPS or a polyimide. As a three-dimensional ply, it is configured such that resin which is introduced, and which is intended to pass through the flow aid 1, is able to flow both in longitudinal and transverse directions within this ply plane, in other words, ultimately, both horizontally and vertically to said plane. The resin flow in the horizontal direction serves for distribution and homogenization; the resin flow in the direction vertical to this then serves for the actual infiltration process, since the resin in that case additionally penetrates the release film 5 or, respectively, its perforation openings 8, and, lastly, penetrates the peel ply 3.

[0036] The peel ply 3, finally, is covered on its underside with an adhesive agent 9; this application of adhesive agent may be made over the entire area, or may likewise be provided only locally or pointwise. This adhesive agent 9 effects the bonding of the flow aid 1 to the fiber material that is to be infiltrated, something which will be addressed again below. The adhesive agent 9 is of course applied in such a way that it does not unimperviously seal the peel ply 3, which is after all still to be permeable for resin. The amount of adhesive applied is calculated so as to maintain sufficient permeability, but nevertheless to allow bonding of the flow aid 1 to the fiber material.

[0037] The adhesive agent 9 may be an adhesive which is adhesive, i.e. tacky, from the start, and which, although not shown here, is lined with a protective film, a silicone paper for example, which is removed before the flow aid 1 in web form is laid. Alternatively to this, the adhesive agent 9 may also be an adhesive agent which is more active thermally or by pressure, and which therefore develops its adhesive, tacky properties only when it has reached sufficient temperature or when there is sufficient pressure.

[0038] The flow aid 1 can be produced with automation as a web material, possibly also wound to form a roll. In that case all that is necessary is for the individual plies first to be coated with the adhesive agent required respectively, or for this adhesive agent to be applied to them, and then for the plies to be brought together and joined to one another. A quantity of adhesive agent of 2-5 g/m2 per layer is sufficient. This can be done automatedly, with the particular advantage that the quantities of adhesive agent used are always precise and consistent in their metering. An advantage of this is that the flow aids which can be produced are standardized, so to speak, and therefore consistently the same. In this case the flow aid 1 is produced in prefabricated form, meaning that the adhesive agent 9 as well is already applied in the plant, and therefore need no longer be applied in situ when the flow aid 1 is being laid up.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a sectional view through the flow aid 1 from FIG. 1, showing the different plies in the form of the peel ply 3, the release film 5 with its perforation openings 8, and the three-dimensional ply 7 in the form of a polymeric fabric, knitted polymeric structure or polymeric mesh. The individual layers of adhesive agent joining the plies to one another are not shown in more detail; only the adhesive layer of the adhesive agent 9 on the underside of the peel ply 3 is shown.

[0040] FIG. 3 in the form of a schematic representation shows an infusion arrangement 10 for producing a fiber composite component. This arrangement comprises firstly a mold 11, in other words a shaping tool, having a dividing plate 12, made of PTFE, for example, which does not enter into an adhesive bond with the resin which comes into contact with it. The fiber material 13 for infiltration is placed onto this plate 12, which is part of the mold 11. The fiber material 13 is lined with a flow aid 1 of the invention, which is shown here only in outline. The flow aid 1 is adhered, i.e. fixed, to the fiber material 13 by way of the adhesive agent 9. The lay-up of the flow aid 1 is therefore a single operation, the laying-up of the flow aid 1 entailing the lay-up of all the plies needed, since the flow aid comprises all of the plies needed and represents a single-piece work agent which is easy to manage. Lay-up may even take place with automation if required.

[0041] Also shown is a vacuum-tight envelope 14 which is fixed on the mold 11 via corresponding adhesive sealing means 15 such as butyl tapes or the like.

[0042] A subatmospheric pressure may be generated within the interior of this infusion arrangement, which comprises, so to speak, an infusion volume, via a suitable vacuum generation apparatus 16, shown here only in outline, whereas the resin to be infiltrated can be introduced, optionally under a slight superatmospheric pressure, by way of a supply apparatus 17, which is likewise represented only schematically. The resin is distributed over the entire length and width via the flow aid 1 and, respectively, the three-dimensional ply 7, and penetrates the flow aid 1 in the direction of the fiber material 13, and then infiltrates it, and so saturates it. After the end of the infiltrating operation, excess resin is drawn off, after which the vacuum-tight envelope 14 can be withdrawn, after which the resin finally cures. Lastly, the flow aid 1 can be removed in parts, with the peel ply 3 remaining on the fiber composite component, or the flow aid can be taken off as a whole, including the peel ply 3.

[0043] FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the flow aid 1 from FIG. 3, which therefore likewise has a three-ply construction, comprising the spacer fabric 3 with the adhesive agent 9, the release film 5, and the three-dimensional ply 7. As the sectional view shows, the spacer fabric 3 protrudes somewhat further on one side of the flow aid 1, with a fabric section 18 whose underside is preferably not covered with adhesive agent 9. The purpose of this fabric section 18 is to allow the spacer fabric 3 to be taken hold of at a later point in time in order to be peeled off. The flow aid 1 is laid in such a way that the adhesive section 18 is not embedded into the resin matrix.

[0044] Similar to the situation in FIG. 1, where all of the sides are uniformly trimmed, the opposite side, as can be seen, is trimmed uniformly; in this case, therefore, all three plies 3, 5 and 7 finish flush.

[0045] Additionally shown is a further flow aid 1, in an end-to-end arrangement, this flow aid being identical in construction. A plurality of flow aids can therefore be positioned adjacently to one another piecewise or on one another, respectively.

[0046] FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of a flow aid 1 of the invention, with the same reference symbols being used for identical components. This flow aid 1 consists merely of two plies, namely the spacer fabric 3 with its layer of the adhesive agent 9 applied on the underside, and also the release film 5 with the perforation openings 8. Shown in dashed form is, here again, the possibility of providing a protruding fabric section 18 to the side of the peel ply 3. In this inventive embodiment, therefore, the flow aid 1 is two-ply. A flow aid of this kind may occasionally be sufficient in itself to produce a fiber composite component, specifically, for example, when there is no need for distribution over a large area.

[0047] Conversely, FIG. 6 shows a schematic representation of a further, only two-ply embodiment of a flow aid 1, which in this case, again, comprises a peel ply 3 with the applied layer of the adhesive agent 9 and also with the protruding fabric section 18, likewise indicated. The second ply provided here is the three-dimensional ply 7 in the form of a three-dimensional polymeric fabric, knitted polymeric structure or polymeric mesh. A two-ply flow aid 1 of this kind is used, for example, when there is no need for a release film not adhering with the resin, because the flow aid 1 is peeled off completely, thus including peel ply 3, after the infiltration procedure.

[0048] While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.