Patent Application
20150314494
This invention relates to the technical field of compression moulding for manufacturing thin components, or reinforced plastic shells, from blanks. A composite material called “SMC”, the abbreviation for “sheet moulding compound” or “sheet moulding composite” is typically used. SMC is particularly suitable for moulding large parts.
It may be for example a sheet consisting of thermosetting resin, generally of polyester, vinylester or epoxy type, but possibly another type of thermosetting resin, which impregnates for example fibres of glass or of other reinforcement (e.g. with 20 to 30% by weight of reinforcement), often with fillers and/or a catalyst (hardener).
The blank is compression moulded under heat and pressure in a closed mould, generally by moving a mobile element of the mould relative to a fixed element of the mould, these elements being typically made of steel.
However, this method has a well-known disadvantage: due to the relative displacement when hot of these various elements, it is difficult to leave a sufficiently low functional clearance between the mobile element and the fixed element of the mould to ensure a seal between these two elements, due in particular to the mould assembly constraints, which involve, in the current state of the art, providing a non-zero assembly clearance at ambient temperature, which also allows the relative movement of the mould elements, without jamming. This assembly clearance remains substantially the same when the mould is heated to the moulding temperature, typically about 150° C. The larger the parts to be moulded, the greater the clearance.
This results in infiltration of resin between the fixed and mobile elements of the mould during moulding, which leads to the presence of burrs on the moulded parts, typically in a plane parallel to the mould closing direction, very generally vertical. These burrs, apart from the corresponding loss of material, generate high costs during the subsequent deburring operation, which requires significant time for the operator in charge of this operation.
A proposal has also already been made to produce compression moulds comprising mobile sealing parts, or mobile shims, different from the main mobile element of the mould, arranged in one or more housings formed in a fixed element of the mould. This technical option does not solve the problem satisfactorily, however, since these shims must also be assembled with an assembly and operating clearance generating burrs.
The invention aims to overcome these disadvantages and allow compression moulding to manufacture as-moulded parts with very limited or no burrs.
To this end, the invention relates in particular to a mobile shim for compression mould for manufacturing a reinforced plastic part by moulding under a predetermined maximum moulding pressure, the mould comprising a moulding element, this mobile shim being displaceable in translation parallel to a mould closing direction, said mobile shim having a moulding surface intended to come into continuous contact, during moulding, with a moulding surface on the moulding element,
characterised in that this mobile shim comprises over at least part of its thickness, in a direction perpendicular to the mould closing direction, at least one determined configuration component, said high expansion component comprising one or more high expansion materials, this high expansion material having a mean coefficient of expansion sufficient so that the clearance between the shim and the moulding element is zero at least when, during moulding, this high expansion component is heated to at least a moulding temperature TM between 115° C. and 170° C., this high expansion material having in addition a mean Young's modulus at the moulding temperature ECHD, less than 20 000 MPa,
and in that the configuration of the high expansion component and the one or more high expansion materials forming this component are selected so that when the shim is assembled in the mould and the high expansion component is heated from an ambient temperature of 23° C. to said moulding temperature, the expansion of this component generates at a sealing region between the shim and the moulding element a compression stress in a direction perpendicular to the mould closing direction, or increases the compression stress if it exists at ambient temperature, the compression stress being sufficient, when the high expansion component is at the moulding temperature, to guarantee sealing during moulding between said mobile shim and the moulding element, the temperature TM being considered at a mean level of the sealing region.
The invention can therefore be used to make a satisfactory seal when hot (at the moulding temperature).
Two options are possible to implement assembly when cold (typically at ambient temperature or below 50° C.):
Either a non-zero assembly clearance when cold is provided (for example, between about 0.005 mm and about 0.20 mm; In this case, the expansion of the high expansion component made of one or more high expansion materials cancels the initial assembly clearance when cold, and also generates a compression stress when hot (at the moulding temperature, between 115° C. and 170° C. and often very close to 150° C.), this stress being sufficient to obtain a satisfactory seal between the moulding element and the shim, so that the burrs at the mobile shim/moulding element junction are very generally non-existent, or at least very reduced and in this case easy to deburr, thereby leading to considerable savings in time and material.
The one or more high expansion materials and the component configuration are selected to eliminate burrs over substantially the entire mobile shim/moulding element junction line.
Either a zero assembly clearance when cold is provided: The mobile shim is then typically assembled with a compression stress when cold, generally relatively low. The assembly can be achieved by compressing the high expansion component during assembly, the shim, typically comprising a chamfer, being introduced under stress in its housing arranged in the moulding element. Another possibility is to cool the high expansion component and/or the mobile shim below the temperature of the moulding element prior to assembly, or alternatively to preheat the moulding element above the temperature of the shim. In this case of assembly with zero clearance, the expansion of the high expansion component (greater than that of the moulding element) leads to an increase in the compression stress when hot (at the moulding temperature), this stress being sufficient to obtain a satisfactory seal with the moulding element.
Another characteristic of the shim according to the invention is the use of a high expansion component made of one or more high expansion materials, and having a mean Young's modulus (or mean modulus of elasticity) of less than 40 000 MPa, and preferably less than 20 000 MPa under the moulding conditions. This mean Young's modulus is therefore about 5 times and preferably about 10 times less than that of steel, typically close to substantially 200 000 MPa. This ensures that the shim has considerable elasticity, sufficient to compensate for and absorb manufacturing dimensional variations without generating any risk of jamming between the mobile shim and the moulding element.
The term “mean coefficient of expansion” applies in particular when the high expansion component is made from several different high expansion materials. It must be understood as being the coefficient of expansion of a single material which, if the high expansion component was made of this material, would lead to the same expansion of the component.
Similarly, the term “mean Young's modulus” must be understood as being the Young's modulus of a single material which, if the high expansion component was made of this material, would lead to the same elasticity of the component.
The one or more high expansion materials are typically selected and the high expansion component configured in relation with other parameters: thickness of this high expansion component in the shim, mean coefficient of expansion of the moulding element (at a given mean level of the sealing region in the mould closing direction, the mould being closed). A high expansion component comprising several layers each made of a different high expansion material may also be used, for example.
Typically, the shim has no specific means for changing its temperature (such as an electric heater, channels for circulating a heating and/or cooling fluid, for example to change and/or control the temperature of the shim). The seal between the mobile shim and the moulding element is in fact produced by differential expansion, without the need to change the temperature of the shim by means specific to this shim.
Alternatively, the shim may comprise its own means for changing its temperature, for reasons related to moulding, but not to sealing, and in this case, the component of determined configuration, or high expansion component comprises no such means, which are unnecessary for this element.
Preferably, a high expansion component comprising one or more high expansion materials is used, each material comprising a continuous solid phase made of a plastic material, and wherein ECHD is between 900 MPa and 7500 MPa. This imparts high elasticity relative to the shim, to absorb the dimensional variations between the shim and its housing corresponding to conventional manufacturing tolerances.
Examples of such materials, whose continuous solid phase is typically substantially or mainly organic (i.e. mainly consisting of the elements C, H, O, N, but which may also include heteroatoms of elements such as for example S or F) are provided below.
Typically, the high expansion component is subjected to a compression stress in a direction perpendicular to the mould closing direction of between 4 MPa and 40 MPa, and preferably of between 6 MPa and 25 MPa when this component is heated to the moulding temperature. Typically, a compression stress generating only negligible creep of the component material under the moulding conditions is selected.
Preferably the mean coefficient of expansion λCHD between 23° C. and 150° C. of the high expansion component is at least 50%, and preferably at least 100% greater than the mean coefficient of expansion λEM of the moulding element at the mean level of the sealing region. This coefficient can be measured in a plane perpendicular to the mould closing direction, at a mean level of the sealing region on the moulding element (half-sum of the highest and lowest levels in this sealing region in the mould closing direction).
The term “clearance” must be understood as being the mean distance between a mobile shim and the moulding element, at the sealing region. This clearance, zero at the moulding temperature, may be non-zero at other lower temperatures.
The term “coefficient of expansion” is sometimes called the Coefficient of Linear Thermal Expansion (CLTE) of the solid material considered.
Typically, the moulding surface of the moulding element is formed on a steel substrate comprising at least 70% iron, and the mean coefficient of expansion λCHD of the high expansion component between 23° C. and 150° C. is between 22×10−6 et 120×10−6 m/(m·K).
Advantageously, the high expansion component extends over a constant thickness Ep in a direction perpendicular to the mould closing direction, such that:
0.02×10−3<Ep(λCHD−λEM)×127<0.25×10−3; preferably:
0.05×10−3<Ep(λCHD−λEM)×127<0.20×10−3, and very preferably:
0.08×10−3<Ep(λCHD−λEM)×b 127<0.12×10−3.
The term (λCHD−λEM) is representative of a differential coefficient of expansion between the high expansion component and the moulding element. The number 127 corresponds to the difference in temperature between 150° C. and 23° C. Note, however, that the temperature of the high expansion component may be slightly different from that of the moulding element. Similarly, the temperature may vary very slightly inside the high expansion component or inside the moulding element. In this case, we consider the mean temperature at a mean level of the sealing region.
The height of the sealing region is generally between 20 mm and 60 mm, and preferably between 25 mm and 50 mm in the mould closing direction.
The height of the component is generally between 40 mm and 120 mm in the mould closing direction, and preferably between 50 mm and 110 mm.
Preferably, the height of the component is greater than that of the sealing region, preferably at least 1.5 times greater than this height, for example between 1.7 and 5 times this height. This arrangement is especially useful when the component is not in direct contact with the moulding element, direct contact being made for example by a steel element. In this case, a moderate compression stress can be used on the component, less than a significant creep stress of the high expansion material, while exerting a high stress at the sealing region between the shim and the moulding element.
Preferably, said high expansion component comprises at least 65% by weight, preferably at least 90% by weight, and very preferably 100% by weight of one or more polymers from the group consisting of polyetheretherketone, known as PEEK, polyimide, known as PI, polyamide-imide, known as PAI, and polyphenylene sulphide, known as PPS. These materials are in fact technical plastics having both a very high mean coefficient of expansion with respect to steel and very good mechanical properties at temperatures close to 150° C.
The Young's modulus of these high expansion materials is typically much less than 10 000 MPa, and typically much less than that of steel, imparting high elasticity to the shim/moulding element assembly.
Very preferably, said high expansion component comprises at least 65 by weight, preferably at least 90% by weight, and preferably 100% by weight of PEEK and/or PAI, these plastic materials having both a very high mean coefficient of expansion with respect to steel and excellent mechanical properties at temperatures close to 150° C.
Generally, a single layer of a high expansion material, or several different layers of high expansion materials, can be used to make the high expansion component.
The high expansion component typically comprises an assembly clearance at ambient temperature, in the mould closing direction, allowing the high expansion material to expand in this direction at the moulding temperature.
The ambient temperature can be conventionally defined as being equal to 23° C. Assembly may however also be carried out at different temperatures and/or with different temperatures for the mobile shim and the moulding element.
The shim, or an end part of the shim, may include the high expansion component throughout its entire thickness. The thickness of a shim or shim part corresponds in this case to the minimum thickness of the shim or shim part in a direction perpendicular to the mould closing direction (typically the minimum thickness between two flat faces of this shim or shim part, parallel to the mould closing direction.
Advantageously, however, the shim comprises over at least part of its thickness (which may apply to only part of the shim, for example an upper end) in a direction perpendicular to the mould closing direction, a first part made of a material of hardness greater than that of any material in the high expansion component, and a second part made of the high expansion component, the first part comprising the moulding surface of the mobile shim, while the second part does not comprise a moulding surface.
Preferably, the shim also comprises a third part made of a material of hardness greater than that of any material in the high expansion component, the second part being sandwiched between the first part and the third part.
Consequently, the first part of the shim, typically made of steel, is in sliding contact with the moulding element, also typically made of steel, and with the product to be moulded which may have highly abrasive or highly chemically aggressive characteristics. The second part of the shim, comprising the component with the most fragile high expansion material, is therefore protected from these harsh operating conditions. With the presence of the third part, the relatively fragile second part is no longer subjected at all to the mechanical frictional stresses during displacement of the mobile shim.
The invention also relates to a compression mould for manufacturing a reinforced plastic part by moulding under a predetermined maximum moulding pressure, comprising a moulding element, characterised in that it comprises at least one mobile shim as previously defined.
Typically, the clearance between the shim and the moulding element at the ambient temperature of 23° C. lies in the range [0 mm; 0.2 mm].
Advantageously, the force exerted by the shim on the moulding element at the sealing region, when the moulding element is heated to the moulding temperature, is equal to at least 6 times, and preferably at least 10 times the force exerted on the shim by the pressure of a moulding material on the moulding surface (36) on the shim, at the predetermined maximum moulding pressure, typically between 8 MPa and 25 MPa.
Preferably, all the mobile shims of the mould comprise a high expansion component through at least part of their thickness. Consequently, the moulding surface of the moulding element is delimited and surrounded at its periphery by a moulding surface formed by the union of a plurality of elementary moulding surfaces each formed by the moulding surface of a mobile shim, each of the mobile shims being as previously defined.
This typically eliminates burrs at all junctions between the mobile shims and the moulding element.
The invention also relates to a compression moulding method characterised in that a mould as previously described is used.
Typically the method comprises at least the following steps: assembling the mould at one or more temperatures less than 50° C., each mobile shim being inserted into a housing formed in the moulding element,
preheating the mould to a moulding temperature greater than 110° C., for example between 115° C. and 170° C.,
moulding at least one part at a moulding temperature,
demoulding the part at a demoulding temperature greater than 115° C., and preferably greater than or equal to 95% of the moulding temperature, in particular by opening the mould and displacing each of the mobile shims, preferably to place them in a moulding start position, without each of these mobile shims coming completely out of its housing,
moulding at least one other part without cooling the mould below 115° C.
This method allows the mould to be assembled at ambient temperature or at a temperature less than 50° C., with a non-zero functional assembly clearance, for example between 0.005 mm and 0.2 mm, then to obtain zero clearance when hot. It also allows the mould to be assembled directly with a zero assembly clearance at ambient temperature or at a temperature less than 50° C., by taking advantage of the elasticity of the component in the shim.
This elasticity also allows displacement of the shim(s) (repetitive sliding with respect to the moulding element) at the moulding temperature, due to the fact that the shims do not come out of their housings. Furthermore, this elasticity considerably reduces the risks of jamming.
Finally, the invention relates to a motor vehicle part, for example an opening panel (box, tailgate skin, side door or bonnet liner), a floor, a roof panel, a structural part (roof stiffener, A, B or C pillar, wing bracket, battery tray), a technical front, or a wing, made of a material of the type comprising a thermosetting resin, and a reinforcement, this reinforcement comprising, for example, beads or fibres of a material from the group consisting of glass, carbon, aramid or polyethylene, this part being made by a method comprising a moulding step as previously mentioned according to claim 18 or 19, and comprises an outer surface having a surface continuity substantially free of mechanical finish marks made by sanding and/or grinding and/or cutting and/or milling. The absence of angular points (surface discontinuities) avoids local stress concentrations, for example due to vibrations. It also improves the chemical resistance, for example to corrosion, this being further increased in the case of a part coated after moulding, such as a painted part. The discontinuities are areas of fragility in the coating.
The surface condition is therefore typically that of an as-moulded surface and not that of a mechanically-finished surface.
For a lorry, the part may be a bumper, radiator grille, door extension, footstep, corner panel trim, a boot (for tools or luggage), a roof extension or deflector, a strip.
The invention will be better understood on reading the accompanying figures, which are given solely by way of example and not limiting in any way, in which:
We now refer to
The upper part 20 of each mobile shim therefore comprises a steel thickness, belonging to the part 12 of the shim, and a thickness made of PEEK, a high thermal expansion material, forming the high expansion component.
Lastly,
When assembling the mobile shim when cold, for example at a conventional ambient temperature of 23° C., the mobile shim 10 is inserted into its housing of the moulding element 4 thanks to a functional assembly clearance, for example 0.1 mm.
As a variant, a shim assembled with zero clearance can be used, for example by cooling the shim to 5° C. and/or by preheating if necessary the moulding element, for example to 45° C. In this case, a slight compression stress can be implemented in the material of the high expansion component, and between the shim and the moulding element if, or when, the shim and the mould return to a uniform ambient temperature of 23° C.
When heating the entire mould to reach the moulding temperature, close to 150° C., the upper part 20 of the shim expands more than the steel housing of the moulding element 4, since the high expansion component 14 is made of PEEK, a material whose coefficient of expansion is very high compared with that of steel. As a result, the clearance between the mobile shim 10 and the moulding element 4 at the part 20 of this mobile shim is reduced or, in case of zero initial clearance, the shim compression increases.
The PEEK thickness is advantageously calculated so that at the moulding temperature, the clearance between the shim and the moulding element is zero, and so that the force exerted by the shim on the moulding element is 10 times greater than the pressure force exerted on the shim by the moulding material, at the maximum moulding pressure.
Very generally, the thickness of the high expansion material(s) forming the high expansion component is adapted to obtain the required compression stress on the shim. The thickness of the high expansion material(s) may vary typically between 8 mm and 60 mm, and preferably between 12 mm and 40 mm.
For example, as regards the expansion between the ambient temperature and the moulding temperature, it is possible to have a shim assembled with zero clearance, a substantially zero compression, a theoretical expansion of the mobile shim of 0.24 mm (across the thickness), an expansion of the shim housing of 0.1 mm, and therefore a shim compression corresponding to a thickness reduction of 0.14 mm, absorbed by the PEEK.
On
We now refer to
We now refer to
a first steel part 26, in sealed contact at the moulding temperature with the moulding element 4 at a sealing region 27 which extends over the part of the height of the first part 26 which is in contact with the moulding element 4. In particular, there is sealed contact at the junction point J on
a second part 28 formed by a PEEK high expansion component (or by a stack of several high expansion materials),
a third steel part 30 (extending in the upper part 20 of the mobile shim 10).
The shim 10 also comprises a lower steel part 31, integral with the third part 30.
These three parts 26, 28, and 30 are assembled by screws 32, the second PEEK part 28 being sandwiched between the first and third parts 26 and 30. Consequently, the PEEK high expansion component, which is mechanically more fragile than steel, is not subject to any frictional stresses during translational displacement of the mobile shim 10. Furthermore, it is not in contact with the product to be moulded, which forms the moulded part 24, this product possibly being abrasive or having high chemical reactivity.
The screws 32 are typically assembled when cold with a clearance allowing subsequent differential expansion, at the second part 28, between the PEEK of this second part 28 and the material of the screws, typically steel. This clearance may also be calibrated using spring washers, such as Belleville washers, which will be assembled with low or zero stress, and placed under stress when hot due to the expansion of the PEEK.
In other embodiments, the screw head may be in the high expansion material, with the thread remaining in a steel part.
The mould of
We now refer to
In the embodiment of
The invention is not limited to the embodiments described and other embodiments will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art. In particular it is possible to use jointly or as a substitute for the technical characteristics outlined above, any technical characteristic known in the state of the art, provided that there is no incompatibility with the implementation of the invention. In particular, high expansion materials other than PEEK may be used for the implementation of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1262102 | Dec 2012 | FR | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/FR2013/053080 | 12/13/2013 | WO | 00 |
