Development of Press Molding Preform Design and Fabrication Method with Unfolded Diagram for CFRP

Abstract

In this study, a novel design and fabrication method that corresponds to simple and optimized press molding for carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) is proposed based on CAD data. Specifically, in recent years, CFRP has been widely used for weight reduction of transportation equipment. However, optimization of the production process is required to expand the range of applications of CFRP. To satisfy the aforementioned requirements, this study focused on the press molding technique. It was assumed that partial excessive or partial breakage of the fiber occurs due to the drawing of the fiber by the deformation force. A design and fabrication method was proposed for CFRP preform that exhibits the unfolded diagram shape of an objective three-dimensional (3D) model by using a tow prepreg as a solution for the aforementioned problems. A calculation method to generate the unfolded diagram was also proposed. Furthermore, the validity of the unfolded diagram was confirmed by reproducing the diagram for a 3D shape.