Production Method for a Composite Fiber Component, Composite Fiber Component, Testing Method for a Composite Fiber Component, Computer Program, Machine-Readable Storage Medium and Apparatus

Abstract

A method for producing a composite fiber component, in which a sensor apparatus having a flexible circuit carrier and/or a sensor module, in particular a micromechanical acceleration sensor module, is integrated, includes loading a tool for producing the composite fiber component with textile layers and the sensor apparatus; closing, in particular air-tight sealing, of the loaded tool and compressing the textile layers and the sensor apparatus; introducing a liquid matrix, in particular a resin, in particular a pure resin, into the sealed tool to produce the composite fiber component; detecting, in particular in real time, an acceleration relative to the introducing and/or sealing by means of the sensor apparatus and/or the sensor module of the sensor apparatus; and deriving and/or evaluating a process parameter of the production method depending on the detected acceleration.

Claims

1. A method for producing a fiber composite component, in which a sensor device having at least one of a flexible circuit carrier and a sensor module is integrated, the method comprising: loading a tool for producing the fiber composite component with textile layers and the sensor device; closing the loaded tool and compressing the textile layers and the sensor device; introducing a liquid matrix into the closed tool for producing the fiber composite component; detecting an acceleration in relation to the introducing of the liquid matrix and/or the closing of the loaded tool with the sensor device and/or the sensor module of the sensor device; and deriving and/or evaluating a process parameter of the production method depending on the detected acceleration.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the loading of the tool comprises: inserting the at least one of the sensor device and the flexible circuit carrier between the textile layers; positioning the at least one of the sensor device and the flexible circuit carrier; and fixing the at least one of the sensor device and the flexible circuit carrier.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising: opening the tool after introducing the liquid matrix, wherein the detecting of the acceleration and the deriving and/or evaluating of the process parameter are also effected in relation to the opening of the tool.

4. A fiber composite component, comprising: a sensor device integrated in the fiber composite component, the sensor device including at least one of a flexible circuit carrier and a sensor module, wherein the fiber composite component is produced by loading a tool for producing the fiber composite component with textile layers and the sensor device; closing the loaded tool and compressing the textile layers and the sensor device; introducing a liquid matrix into the closed tool for producing the fiber composite component detecting an acceleration in relation to the introducing of the liquid matrix and/or the closing of the loaded tool with the sensor device and/or the sensor module of the sensor device; and deriving and/or evaluating a process parameter of the production method depending on the detected acceleration.

5. A method for testing a fiber composite component in which a sensor device with at least one of a flexible circuit carrier and a sensor module is integrated, the method comprising: detecting an acceleration with the sensor device and/or the sensor module of the sensor device; and determining a degree of curing of the fiber composite component depending on the detected acceleration.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: comparing the detected acceleration with a reference acceleration, wherein the determining of the degree of curing includes determining degree of curing is determined based on the comparison.

7. A computer program configured to execute the method according to claim 5.

8. A machine-readable storage medium comprising: at least one memory on which the computer program of claim 7 is stored.

9. A device configured to execute the method according to claim 5.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor module is a micromechanical acceleration sensor module.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the closing of the loaded tool includes closing the loaded tool in an airtight manner.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the introducing of the liquid matrix includes introducing a resin into the closed tool.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the introducing of the liquid matrix includes introducing a pure resin into the closed tool.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting of the acceleration includes detecting the acceleration in real time.

15. The method according to claim 2, wherein the positioning of the at least one of the sensor device and the flexible circuit carrier includes positioning the at least one of the sensor device and the flexible circuit carrier in relation to the textile layers and/or the tool.

16. The fiber composite component according to claim 4, wherein the sensor module is a micromechanical acceleration sensor module.

17. The method according to claim 5, wherein the sensor module is a micromechanical acceleration sensor module.

18. The method according to claim 5, wherein the method is performed during curing the fiber composite component during production of the fiber composite component.

19. The method according to claim 5, wherein the detecting of the acceleration includes detecting the acceleration in response to application of a predetermined impulse applied to the fiber composite component and/or a tool for producing the fiver composite component.

Description

DRAWINGS

[0057] Further features and advantages of the aspects of the present invention are explained below on the basis of embodiments with reference to the figures.

[0058] In the figures:

[0059] FIGS. 1a, b show schematic illustrations of a process step during the production of a fiber composite component according to the present invention (view into the interior of the tool/section through the tool);

[0060] FIGS. 2a-c show schematic illustrations of a tool for producing a fiber composite component according to the present invention (view into the interior of the tool/section through the tool);

[0061] FIG. 3 shows a flow diagram of a production method according to the present invention;

[0062] FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram of a test method according to the present invention.

[0063] FIG. 1a shows a schematic illustration of a process step during the production of a fiber composite component according to the present invention. The illustration shows a process step during production in a Liquid Composite Molding (LCM) method of a fiber composite component comprising a sensor device 1 with a flexible circuit carrier 3 and/or a sensor module 4, said sensor device being arranged in the fiber composite component.

[0064] The process step illustrates the start of the melt flow (matrix flow) 10.

[0065] The upper part of the illustrated view is a plan view of the tool 30 (view into the interior of the tool/section through the tool). The lower part is a side view of the tool 30 on the sectional axis A-A.

[0066] A signal profile 6 of the sensor device 1 or of the acceleration detected by the sensor module 4 is plotted schematically alongside the views of the tool 30. Normal production noise can be gathered from the signal profile 6.

[0067] FIG. 1b shows a schematic illustration of a process step during the production of a fiber composite component according to the present invention. The process step illustrates the point in time of the melt flow (matrix flow) 10 arriving at the sensor module 4.

[0068] The upper part of the illustrated view is a plan view of the tool 30. The lower part is a side view of the tool 30 on the sectional axis A-A.

[0069] A signal profile 6 of the sensor device 1 or of the acceleration detected by the sensor module 4 is plotted schematically alongside the views of the tool 30. An excursion is clearly discernible in the signal profile 6. The excursion is caused by the melt flow (matrix flow) 10 impinging on the sensor module 4.

[0070] By way of the type and in particular the intensity of the excursion, it is possible to deduce the process parameters used in the method step and to evaluate them. By way of example, the propagation of the flow front or the mold filling or the degree of curing of the fiber composite component can be derived from the excursion.

[0071] FIG. 2a shows a schematic illustration of a tool 30 (view into the interior of the tool/section through the tool) for producing a fiber composite component 2 according to the present invention. The tool 30 illustrated is fashioned in such a way that in order to produce a fiber composite component 2, the textile fibers or the textile semifinished product (textile layers) 5a, 5b and the sensor device 1 having a flexible circuit carrier 3 with a number of sensor modules 4 are inserted into the tool 30. The sensor device 1 is inserted between an arbitrary number of upper textile layers 5b and an arbitrary number of lower textile layers 5a. By means of the tool 30 illustrated, it is possible, in particular in the step of injecting the matrix, to mold a zone composed of pure matrix, preferably a pure resin zone, around the sensor modules and/or connecting units.

[0072] The step of integrating (as the sum of all the method steps) can simultaneously be the near net shape production of the component.

[0073] FIG. 2b shows a schematic illustration of one embodiment of a tool 30 for producing a fiber composite component 2 according to the present invention. In accordance with this embodiment, the tool 30 has prefabricated cutouts 31 for the sensor modules 4 and/or connecting units arranged on the flexible circuit carrier 3.

[0074] FIG. 2c shows a schematic illustration of a further embodiment of a tool for producing a fiber composite component 2 according to the present invention. In accordance with this embodiment, the upper half 30a of the tool has cavities 32 corresponding to the sensor modules 4 and/or connecting units arranged on the flexible circuit carrier 3. According to this embodiment of the tool 30, it is possible to arrange an arbitrary number of textile layers 5a below the flexible circuit carrier 3 and to arrange a number of textile layers 5b above the on the flexible circuit carrier 3 provided that they can still be draped above the sensor module 4 situated on the circuit carrier 3.

[0075] FIG. 3 shows a flow diagram of a production method 300 according to the present invention.

[0076] The production method 300 is suitable for producing a fiber composite component in which a sensor device 1 with a flexible circuit carrier 3 and/or a sensor module 4 is arranged or integrated.

[0077] The method 300 comprises the following steps illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0078] In step 301, a tool 30 for producing the fiber composite component is loaded with textile fibers or a textile semifinished product (textile layers) 5a, 5b and the sensor device 1.

[0079] In step 302, the loaded tool is closed and the textile layers 5a, 5b and the sensor device 1 are compressed.

[0080] The tool 30 can be closed in an airtight manner.

[0081] In step 303, a liquid matrix 10 is introduced into the closed tool 30 for producing the fiber composite component.

[0082] The matrix 10 can be a resin. The resin can be a pure resin.

[0083] Step 304 involves detecting an acceleration 6 in relation to introducing in 303 and/or closing the tool 302 by means of the sensor device 1 or the sensor module 4 of the sensor device 1.

[0084] The detecting 304 can be effected in real time.

[0085] In step 305, the process parameters of the production method 300 are derived, evaluated and optimized depending on the detected acceleration 6.

[0086] The steps of loading 301, closing 302 and introducing 303 have a mandatory order corresponding to the order presented. The steps of detecting 304 and deriving, evaluating and optimizing 305 can be effected in parallel with the other steps 301-303 of the method 300. These steps 304, 305 can be effected multiply or regularly or permanently or continuously during the production method 300.

[0087] FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram of a test method according to the present invention.

[0088] The test method can be effected during the curing in the tool in the context of the production of a fiber composite component according to the present invention. The fiber composite component has a sensor device 1 with one or a plurality of flexible circuit carriers 3 and/or one or a plurality of sensor modules 4. The fiber composite component may have been produced or be produced according to the production method 400 according to the present invention.

[0089] In step 401, an acceleration 6 is detected by means of the sensor device 1 or the sensor module 4 of the sensor device 1.

[0090] The detecting 401 can be effected in reaction to a predetermined impulse being applied to the fiber composite component to be tested and/or to a tool 30 for producing a fiber composite component having the fiber composite component to be tested.

[0091] In step 402, a degree of curing of the fiber composite component to be tested is determined depending on the detected acceleration 6.