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Prepreg Moulding? Cannon Ergos Knows How!
T H E H I G H- P R O D U C T I V I T Y PERFORMANCES PROMISED BY THE SUPPLIERS OF TODAY ' S INNOVATIVE PREPREGS CAN BE OBTAINED ONLY BY USING THE RIGHT PROCESS AND THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT. CANNON ERGOS PROVIDES THEM BOTH ALREADY, TO L E A D I N G M A N U FA C T U R E R S O F COMPOSITES IN EUROPE, CHINA AND USA.
A new generation of resins for Prepregs – the mats of Carbon fibre already pre-impregnated with Epoxy resins, to be used with the compression moulding technology to produce Composite parts – provides faster cycle times than those obtained with conventional methods. Their use, with an industrial process adapt for the mass-production of lightweight parts for the automotive industry, usually involves a two-step manufacturing approach:
· A preforming operation of the flat Prepreg sheet, to drape it in an almost final shape, ready to be precision moulded.
· A moulding process in a fast-acting press equipped with hot moulds and sufficient closing pressure.
This solution guarantees the best final moulding results when using an innovative product as a modern Prepreg is.
Prepreg Preformer: Efficient and Fast The Prepreg sheets utilized in this process must be softened, heating them, and duly shaped to size in a dedicated preformer press. Sometimes the desired preform features a deep draw, requiring special attention during the forming operation: the sheet of Carbon fibre should not be stretched too much – otherwise it can break or leave ample zones of too thin material – and should be able to generate a wrinkle-free preform, to avoid aesthetic and mechanical problems in the finished part.
The automatic Cannon preformer can work from either rolls to make conventional parts or pre-assembled sandwiches made from different fibres pre-cut in irregular shapes. A customised energy-efficient heating station brings the fibre temperature up to 80-90 ° C in less than a minute, optimising the entire cycle time. Once pre-heated, the Prepreg is firmly handled by two sets of Smart Grippers mounted on a shuttling support. These handling devices are built with a powerful grip – each one features more than 150 kg of traction force – and each of them can be individually controlled with independent movements on the three axes: movements and opening sequence can be easily programmed during the forming cycle to guarantee maximum repeatability even with deep-draw parts.
The equipment designed to Preform and Compression mould Prepreg materials features special technical characteristics, peculiar to this processing method.
A special unrolling equipment has been designed specifically for this type of Carbon-based materials.
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