Abstract:
A method of press moulding a moulding material to form a vehicle body panel of fibre- reinforced resin matrix composite material, the vehicle body panel having a front A-surface and a rear B-surface, the method comprising the steps of: i. providing a heated mould tool having a lower mould part (58) and an upper mould part (60), the upper mould part (60) having a first moulding surface (62) for moulding a front A-surface of the vehicle body panel and the lower mould part (58) having a second moulding surface (70) for moulding a rear B-surface of the vehicle body panel; ii. providing a multilaminar panel of moulding material (66) comprising at least one layer of fibres and at least one layer of resin, the multilaminar panel having first and second opposite major surfaces (68, 70), a surface resin layer of the multilaminar panel being at or adjacent to the first major surface; iii. locating the moulding material (66) in the mould tool; iv. closing the mould tool to define a substantially closed mould cavity containing the moulding material (66); v. applying pressure to the moulding material (66) in the mould cavity to configure the moulding material (66) in a fully moulded shape; and vi. substantially fully curing the resin to form a vehicle body panel from the moulding material (66), the vehicle body panel having a front A-surface formed from the first major surface (68) and a rear B-surface formed from the second major surface (70).
Abstract:
A method of press moulding a moulding material to form a moulded part of fibre-reinforced resin matrix composite material, the method comprising the steps of: i. providing a mould tool having a lower mould part (58) and an upper mould part (60), the upper mould part (60) having a first moulding surface (62) for moulding a first moulded surface of the moulded part and the lower mould part (58) having a second moulding surface (64) for moulding a second moulded surface of the moulded part; ii. providing a multilaminar panel of moulding material (66) comprising at least one layer of fibres and at least one layer of resin, the multilaminar panel having first and second opposite major surfaces (68, 70); iii. locating the moulding material (66) in the mould tool; iv. progressively closing the mould tool to define a substantially closed mould cavity (90) containing the moulding material (66), the closing step including: a. a preliminary closing phase to achieve mutual engagement between the lower and upper mould parts (58, 60), b. a secondary closing phase after engagement between the lower and upper mould parts with the mould tool partially closed to define a closed intermediate cavity containing the moulding material (66), the closed intermediate cavity (95) being larger than the moulded part (66) and the first moulding surface (62) of the upper mould part (60) being spaced from the first major surface by a spacing distance, in the secondary phase air being at least partially evacuated from the closed intermediate cavity (95) while the first moulding surface (62) of the upper mould part (60) is spaced from the first major surface (68) to provide a vacuum pressure, and c. a tertiary closing phase after the vacuum pressure has been provided in the closed intermediate cavity (95), the tertiary phase having: I. a first stage prior to both the first moulding surface (62) contacting the first major surface (68) and the second moulding surface (64) contacting the second major surface (70), and II. a second compression stage after both the first moulding surface (62) has contacted the first major surface (68) and the second moulding surface (64) has contacted the second major surface (70), the closure speed of relative movement between the lower and upper mould parts (58, 60) being higher in the first stage than in the second compression stage; v. applying pressure to the moulding material (66) in the mould cavity to configure the moulding material (66) in a fully moulded shape; and vi. substantially fully curing the resin to form a moulded part from the moulding material (66).
Abstract:
A surface material adapted to provide an in mould surface coating of a high cosmetic quality, comprising a layer (14, 54, 104, 156, 204) of a surface resin material (12, 52, 102, 152, 202) and a resin conducting layer. The resin conducting layer comprises a venting structure for venting intra- and interlaminar gases during processing of said surface material. The resin conducting layer further comprises a resin retention structure for keeping said resin material into contact with the mould surface (16, 154).
Abstract:
A method of press moulding a moulding material to form a moulded part of fibre-reinforced resin matrix composite material, the method comprising the steps of: i. providing a mould tool having a lower mould part (58) and an upper mould part (60), the upper mould part (60) having a first moulding surface (62) for moulding a first moulded surface of the moulded part and the lower mould part (58) having a second moulding surface (64) for moulding a second moulded surface of the moulded part; ii. providing a multilaminar panel of moulding material (66) comprising at least one layer of dry fibres and at least one layer of resin, the multilaminar panel having first and second opposite major surfaces (68, 70); iii. locating the moulding material (66) in the mould tool; iv. progressively closing the mould tool to define a substantially closed mould cavity containing the moulding material (66), the closing step having: I. a first stage prior to both the first moulding surface (62) contacting the first major surface (68) and the second moulding surface (64) contacting the second major surface (70) and II. a second compression stage after both the first moulding surface (62) has contacted the first major surface (68) and the second moulding surface (64) has contacted the second major surface (70), the second compression stage causing resin impregnation of the dry fibres,the closure speed of relative movement between the lower and upper mould parts (58, 60) being higher in the first stage than in the second compression stage;v. applying pressure to the moulding material (66) in the mould cavity to configure the moulding material (66) in a fully moulded shape; and vi. substantially fully curing the resin to form a moulded part from the moulding material (66).
Abstract:
A method of press moulding a moulding material to form a moulded part of fibre-reinforced resin matrix composite material, the method comprising the steps of: i. providing a mould tool having a lower mould part (58) and an upper mould part (60), the upper mould part (60) having a first moulding surface (62) for moulding a first moulded surface of the moulded part and the lower mould part (58) having a second moulding surface (64) for moulding a second moulded surface of the moulded part; ii. providing a multilaminar panel of moulding material (66) comprising at least one layer of fibres and at least one layer of resin, the multilaminar panel having first and second opposite major surfaces (68, 70), a surface resin layer of the multilaminar panel being at or adjacent to the first major surface and a dry fibre layer of the multilaminar panel forming the second major surface; iii. locating the moulding material in the mould tool by disposing the second major surface on the second moulding surface of the lower mould part (58), the lower mould part (58) being at an elevated temperature as compared to the temperature of the moulding material (66); iv. closing the mould tool to define a substantially closed mould cavity containing the moulding material (66); v. applying pressure to the moulding material (66) in the mould cavity to configure the moulding material (66) in a fully moulded shape, and after the applying pressure step v the resin in the multilaminar panel fully impregnates the dry fibres; and vi. substantially fully curing the resin to form a moulded part (66) from the moulding material.
Abstract:
A method of press moulding a moulding material to form a moulded part of fibre-reinforced resin matrix composite material, the method comprising the steps of: i. providing a mould tool having a lower mould part (58) and an upper mould part (60), the upper mould part (60) having a first moulding surface (62) for moulding a first moulded surface of the moulded part and the lower mould part (58) having a second moulding surface (64) for moulding a second moulded surface of the moulded part; ii. providing a multilaminar panel of moulding material (66) comprising at least one layer of dry fibres and at least one layer of resin, the multilaminar panel having first and second opposite major surfaces (68, 70); iii. locating the moulding material (66) in the mould tool; iv. closing the mould tool to define a substantially mould cavity containing the moulding material (66), the closing step including a compression stage, in which the first moulding surface (62) contacts the first major surface (68) and the second moulding surface (64) contacts the second major surface (70), the compression stage compressing the moulding material (66) to cause progressive resin impregnation of the dry fibres without increasing the resin pressure to a minimum threshold value to cause excessive resin bleed out from the cavity, optionally to reduce any resin bleed out to no more than 600 of resin per square metre of the moulding material; v. applying pressure to the moulding material (66) in the mould cavity to configure the moulding material (66) in a fully moulded shape; and vi. substantially fully curing the resin to form a moulded part from the moulding material (66).
Abstract:
A method of press moulding a moulding material to form a moulded part of fibre-reinforced resin matrix composite material, the method comprising the steps of: i. providing a mould tool having a lower mould part (58) and an upper mould part (60), the upper mould part (60) having a first moulding surface (62) for moulding a first moulded surface of the moulded part and the lower mould part (58) having a second moulding surface (64) for moulding a second moulded surface of the moulded part; ii. providing a multilaminar panel of moulding material (66) comprising at least one layer of fibres and at least one layer of resin, the multilaminar panel having first and second opposite major surfaces (68, 70), a surface resin layer of the multilaminar panel being at or adjacent to the first major surface; iii. locating the moulding material in the mould tool; iv. closing the mould tool to define a substantially closed mould cavity containing the moulding material, the closing step including the sub-steps of: a. partially closing the mould tool to define a closed intermediate cavity containing the moulding material (66) the closed intermediate cavity being larger than the moulded part and the first moulding surface (62) of the upper mould part (60) being spaced from the first major surface, the upper mould part (60) being at an elevated temperature as compared to the temperature of the moulding material (66); and b. at least partially evacuating air from the closed intermediate cavity while the first moulding surface (62) of the upper mould part (66) is spaced from the first major surface; v. applying pressure to the moulding material (66) in the mould cavity to configure the moulding material (66) in a fully moulded shape; and vi. substantially fully curing the resin to form a moulded part from the moulding material (66).
Abstract:
A method of press moulding a moulding material to form a moulded part of fibre-reinforced resin matrix composite material, the method comprising the steps of: i. locating a moulding material in a mould tool, the moulding material containing fibres, resin and a syntactic layer comprising a polymer matrix and a plurality of hollow bodies distributed within the polymer matrix; ii. permitting the moulding material to drape at least partly under the action of gravity within the mould so as to configure at least part of the draped moulding material in a partly moulded shape; iii. fully closing the mould tool to define a closed mould cavity containing the moulding material; iv. applying pressure to the mould cavity to cause resin to flow and impregnate the fibres and to configure the moulding material in a fully moulded shape; and v. substantially fully curing the resin to form a moulded part from the moulding material.