Sheet molding compound having improved characteristics
A composite part made from a sheet molding compound is disclosed as having improved characteristics over traditional sheet molding compound composite parts. The fibrous material is introduced as a veil layer adjacent a paste layer, the veil flows well during the molding process. The improved flow and surface characteristics of a composite part are attributed to the elongation of the veil during molding and to the improved filling capabilities.
This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/269,167 filed on Oct. 11, 2002, which claims priority from Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/328,860 entitled “Sheet Molding Compound Having Improved Characteristics,” filed Oct. 12, 2001.
TECHNICAL FIELD AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to reinforced fiber composites and more specifically to sheet molding compounds having improved characteristics.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIn the manufacture of fiber reinforced resin products, sheet molding compounds are frequently used. Sheet molding compounds offer an appealing solution for the production of Class A surface parts compared to steel in terms of cost, weight, styling flexibility and corrosion resistance.
Sheet molding compounds consist of a mixture of a thermosetting resin, a thermoplastic (typically dissolved in styrene) and catalyst, particulate filler and chopped reinforcement fibers, such as glass fibers. In most cases, the resin and chopped fibers are sandwiched between films of plastic material to form a laminated sheet that is wound in rolled form or festooned for storage. The laminated sheet is stored under conditions that will not result in final curing of the resin, but will allow the paste to thicken from typically a 10,000 to 40,000 centipoise (milliPascal seconds-mPa·s) range to a desired molding viscosity range, typically between 30,000,000 and 50,000,000 centipoise (mPa·s). At the time of use, the protective carrier film is removed and the laminated sheet is cut into blanks, or plies, of a desired shape and size. The plies are then molded to form a cured composite part. In most applications, multiple plies of the laminated sheets are used in the composite structure and typically comprise between 25 and 50% of the die/tool's surface area. When the laminated sheets are molded, the resin and glass flow within the mold under heat and pressure to cover the entire surface of the mold. Sheet molding compounds are used in a variety of applications that require aesthetic appeal, corrosion resistance, lighter weight dimensional control and high strength.
One deficiency with currently available sheet molding compounds is that the charge may not form a Class A type surface part when molded and cured. This is due to the fact that sometimes the chopped fibers move to the surface of the sheet molding compound to form surface imperfections. Further, the sheet molding compound sometimes does not flow well in the mold, especially if it is loaded incorrectly, and this creates surface imperfections such as surface pores. Thus, some SMC composite parts may be scrapped, or require sanding and repair, or must otherwise be reworked to be used in applications requiring a desired surface appearance.
Yet another problem with surface characteristics occurs when these composite parts formed from the sheet molding plies are painted. Paint pops may be caused by the release of volatile liquids (such as water, styrene or di-vinyl benzene monomer) from the sheet molding paste or by the release of moisture or solvents contained in the resin or within/around fiber bundles during the curing process. These are quite common, typically affecting 5-10% or more of painted SMC composite parts, leading to substantial cost in terms of rework and waste.
In addition, to allow a long and uniform flow that will produce a wave-free surface, the fibers used in sheet molding compounds are typically provided by the glass manufacturer as bundles or “splits” of multiple filaments. The act of impregnating the bed of chopped fibers between two layers of sheet molding compound paste often leaves air trapped within the composite sheet, often beside or between the bundles, where small differences in surface tension adversely affects the wetting of the bundles or splits. Unfortunately, this bundling may also include entrapped air which, when released during the flow, produces tiny bubbles which travel slowly under a pressure gradient. To evacuate these bubbles, it is useful to have the molding compound flow to fill out the tool to allow the action of the pressure gradients to move those air bubbles towards the edge of the flow front and thus towards the edge of the part. Such large flow typically calls for loading the tool by a charge representing 50% or less of the area of the part. Others have shown that molding under vacuum may aid in the removal of extraneous gases.
In addition, the flow of the various stacked sheets in the charge is not homogeneous. The sheets in the center of the stack flow more slowly than those in contact with the tool (mold). This does not allow the use of special treatment to the top layer to solve the problem of paint popping.
Another problem with currently available sheet molding compounds is that they are difficult to paint along with steel parts in a conventional assembly line painting system. Typically, composite parts require the use of a conductive primer applied prior to the application of an ornamental surface paint. To improve electrostatic sprayability, conductive materials have been introduced to sheet molding compounds. However, typical sheet molding compounds require large amounts of conductive materials to be introduced in order to improve surface conductivity enough to be effectively electrostatically sprayable. This increases raw material costs and can decrease surface quality associated with increased fiber loading.
One potential way to produce sheet molding compounds has been to locally sandwich a small piece of wet process textile mat, instead of chopped fibers, in a localized area between layers of sheet molding compound paste and molding the resultant laminate into a composite part. However, the fiber contained within a conventional wet process textile veil mat does not flow well under pressure, and is not intended to do so. Thus, the composite parts formed by this process have similar poor surface characteristics as composite parts formed with chopped fibers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,499 illustrates a method of making a moldable composite, including the steps of providing a fabric material on the outside of an SMC sheet, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 of the '499 patent, to provide corrosion resistance and avoid fiber read-through. In the '499 patent, the resin flows through the veil during molding to form a resin-rich layer on the outside of the veil, but no resin is provided on the outside of the veil. Additionally, the '499 patent indicates the properties of the veil are critical, and describes these properties to include that the veil must be permeable so the resin flows through the veil during the molding process and that the veil must posses a grab break strength of at least ten pounds per inch in both longitudinal and transverse directions so as to avoid tearing during compression molding. Thus, the '499 patent includes a system as shown in
A further deficiency in the current technology is that sheet weight is limited due to the currently available manufacturing techniques. Typically resin, or sheet molding paste, is applied to two carrier film layers using a doctor blade, and a layer of chopped glass or glass mat is sandwiched between the two resin-coated layers to form a composite sheet. One such sheet molding compounding line is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,251,974 to Rossi et al., which is herein incorporated by reference. Another such sheet molding compounding line is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,103,032 and 6,119,750 to Greve, assigned to the Budd Company, which are herein incorporated by reference. The use of doctor blades, usually an upside down weir blade, to apply the sheet molding paste allows only two layers of sheet molding paste to be used, since the prior art teaches that a carrier film passes below the doctor blade to form each layer of paste, and this carrier film must be at the outside of the sheet to be removed and disposed prior to molding. Accordingly, because there are only two resin layers, the need to penetrate the sheet molding paste through the fiber package while maintaining proper paste/fiber distribution limits the thickness achievable. Thus, in the prior art, several layers of the composite sheet are required to be placed in a tool to provide a charge having the desired amount of material for the composite part.
Yet another deficiency in the current technology is that sheet weight is inconsistent. This is attributed to the viscosity changes in the sheet molding paste attributed to thickening and the use of doctor blade or other paste dispensing devices as metering tools whose throughput rates are dependent upon the viscosity of the metered media. Consequently, in order to manufacture a part having a constant weight and volume, the charge size must be adjusted from part to part, which leads to inconsistencies in flow and performance of composite parts.
It is therefore highly desirable to improve the characteristics of sheet molding compound. This would allow sheet molding compound parts to be used in a wider variety of composite applications wherein surface quality as well as scrap and rework is a concern.
It is thus also highly desirable to improve the electrostatic sprayability of composite parts made of sheet molding compounds.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is thus an object of the present invention to improve the physical and surface characteristics and electrostatic sprayability of composites parts made of sheet molding compound composite sheets.
The above object may be accomplished by replacing all or a portion of the fibrous material introduced as chopped fibers or a mat with a wet process textile mat having unique soft and lofted, or irregularly shaped, non-continuous fibrous material that flows well during the molding process. The improved flow is attributed to the unkinking of the fibrous material. This also provides a barrier layer that keeps reinforcement bundles from migrating to the surface of the composite part.
By introducing a plurality of conductive material to the mat having the irregularly shaped fibers, an electrostatically sprayable composite part having improved surface characteristics made of sheet molding compound may be realized.
Another feature of the present invention includes a new and unique way of introducing the sheet molding paste to a sheet molding compound via a simple volumetric extrusion paste delivery system compared with traditional doctor box systems. This allows for several paste layers to be introduced on a single compounding line. Further, this embodiment also allows thicker composite sheets to be produced since the paste layer is not required to go through the entire sheet thickness. This also allows for the manufacture of composite parts from a single composite sheet, or charge, which can cover most of the mold's surface. Alternatively, a composite part can be made with a top layer of the thicker sheet molding composite sheet of the present invention and other layers of conventional sheet molding compound.
This also allows for the manufacture of a composite part in which the top layer is specifically constituted to be void free and to follow the “plug” flow of the unique underlying charge to cover entire visible Class A surface of the part. With this pore free layer, the need for a long flow of the sheet to expel air is suppressed.
Also, the present invention provides sheet molding compound composite sheets having specially built layers within a single compounding line. For example, composite sheets and molded composite parts can be provided having special surface attributes such as improved surface conductivity, ultraviolet light stabilized surfaces, colored surfaces, enhanced crashworthiness and the like. Further, the present invention allows the use of recycled materials or low density core materials that function to decrease cost and weight. Further, by introducing a veil as described above, a barrier layer that keeps reinforcement bundles from migrating to the surface of the composite part can be achieved.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon considering the following detailed description and appended claims, and upon reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring now to
The barrier layer serves to avoid the passage of volatile liquids or gases through the paste layer to the surface, and which would otherwise form resultant voids or pockets at (or close to) the surface of the part. The uniformly reinforced barrier layer moreover prevents the formation of cracks at the surface, which are another type of site for solvents to be adsorbed. The pockets and cracks are responsible in part for the paint pops, as these defects retain volatiles primarily from the paint, which boil off and damage the paint surface during the curing of paint applied to the surface. The veil and barrier layer also prevent the underlying reinforcement fibers from reading through to the surface. Preferably, the glass content in the barrier layer (in the form of veil firmaments) comprises about ten percent. The paste may be a commercially available resin for forming a Class A surface, and typically consists of a mixture of a thermosetting resin, a thermoplastic (typically dissolved in styrene) and catalyst, and particulate filler, and may optionally include other ingredients, such as fine chopped reinforcement fibers, such as glass fibers, pigments or dies, UV light stabilizing additives, elastomers, and other chemicals. Preferably the combined veil and paste layer has a substantially constant thickness and glass content across the molded part, or at least a gradual variation in thickness and glass content, so as to minimize variation in shrinkage and therefore minimize waviness of the Class A surface of the molded part.
In another preferred embodiment, as shown in
In yet another preferred embodiment, as depicted in
The composition of the first paste layer 104 and second paste layer 110 are normally typical formulations of sheet molding compound material without fibrous reinforcement for forming a Class A SMC part as are well known in the art. They consist essentially of polyester and thermoplastic resins, catalyst, internal mold release agents, inorganic fillers, and one or more thickening agents. For example, these pastes used in layers 104, 110 may be prepared having a composition as described below in Table 1. Alternatively, the paste layers 104, 110 could have a composition similar to what is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,089,544 to Ross et al., which is herein incorporated by reference. A vacuum degassing device is used to remove air trapped in the paste before application. One such vacuum degassing device is known as a “Versator,” manufactured by The Cornell Machine Company. Alternatively, the trapped air or gas might be removed using a process described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,218,458 to Vidaurre, which is herein incorporated by reference. Alternatively, the paste layers not providing the barrier layer (i.e. other than 104) could comprise another SMC paste having different characteristics than the top layer 104, including paste not capable of providing a Class A surface.
In a preferred embodiment, the veil 106 comprises irregularly shaped fibers 108, which are preferably non-continuous glass fibers that can take on a wide variety of shapes. For example, some fibers 108 may be helically shaped while others may be curled or bent in any other number of ways. The irregularly shaped fibers 108 exhibit better flow than is found in the straight fibers of the prior art during press molding to form a sheet molding compound sheet 177 and to form cured composite part. This results in better surface characteristics of cured composite parts in a wide variety of unique shapes than is available in the prior art. The improved surface characteristics are believed to be a result of the straightening of the fibers 108 and/or the lack of fiber bundles at or near a Class A surface as the sheet molding compound sheets 100 are compacted to form the sheet molding compound 177 and then subsequently heated and compressed to form the composite part. In an alternative embodiment, the irregularly shaped fibers essentially comprise a continuous filament provided in a continuous filament mat or long chopped fibers. Alternatively, the veil comprises a synthetic fiber having adequate strength and elongation to stretch as the sheet is compression molded, while providing a barrier to the reinforcing fibers to prevent fiber read-through at the surface of the barrier layer, and remain intact within the molding process (i.e. not melt to eliminate the veil from adjacent the barrier layer), which typically experiences temperatures of 150-160 degrees C. (300-315 degrees F.), and during the exothermic cure (during cross linking), reaches over 200 degrees C. (390 degrees F.), and may exceed 230 degrees C. (450 degrees F.) for a period of time (20 seconds or more). Preferably the fibers will not melt at 285 degrees C. (545 degrees F.).
The irregularly shaped fiber 108 may be produced in a number of different ways. For example, the fibers can be produced in a variety of processes as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,992 to Houpt et al., which is herein incorporated by reference. In one method disclosed in Houpt et al., the irregularly shaped glass fibers 108 may be produced from a rotary fiber forming process. In this process, molten glass could be supplied from a furnace via forehearths to fiberizers. The fiberizers produce veils of irregularly shaped glass fibers that may be collected on a conveyor by means of a vacuum. As the fibers are blown downward by means of blowers in the fiberizers, they are attenuated and assume their irregular shape.
Alternatively, the non-woven fiber veil 106 having semi-coiled and coiled fibers 108 may be produced as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,935,879; 5,972,166 or 6,054,022 to Helwig et al., which are also herein incorporated by reference. Further alternate commercially available veils, such as Hollingsworth & Vose Co. product numbers 8000064, 8000065, 8000068, 8000069, 8000114 and 8000115, or BGF Industries product numbers 497A, 504, 550, 627, 975, or Holinee LLC products Surmat N-700, Surmat N-751, Surmat N-754, Surmat N-758, Conformat N-701, Conformat N-720, Conformat N-764, Conformat N-780, or Owens Corning product numbers OC9001, OC9002, BF75, BV85, F3540-AE7, F35125P-YH21, F40305-XD31, or Freudenberg Group veils, or Viledon Group veils, may be used with the present invention, or other commercially available mats preferably meeting the solubility and wet elongation requirement.
To achieve the irregularly shaped glass fibers 108 of a preferred veil for the present invention, specific compositions satisfying a number of constraints are required. In Houpt et al., two such fibers 108 are provided which may be used individually or collectively. Preferably, a dual glass irregularly shaped fiber 108 is used, i.e. each fiber is composed of two different glass compositions, glass A and glass B. If one were to make a cross-section of an ideal irregularly shaped glass fiber of the present invention, one half of the fiber 108 would be glass A, with the other half glass B. In reality, a wide range of proportions of the amounts of glass A and glass B may exist in the veil 106, with the percentage of glass A varying from 15-85% by weight and the balance being glass B. In the Houpt et al. reference, glass A comprises a high-borate, low-soda lime-aluminosilicate composition, or glass having a borate content of between approximately 14 and 24% by weight of the total components. Also, glass B comprises a high-soda, low-borate lime-aluminosilicate composition, in which the soda content is between approximately 14 and 25% by weight of the total components.
The glass fibers 108 as described in Houpt et al. are then modified to form the veil 106. The general procedure for preparation of the veil 106 involves first preparing a slurry of irregularly shaped glass textile fibers 108 and organic polymeric binder at a concentration of 0.1 to 4.0% by weight in water. The polymeric binder may be in the form of powder or fiber, or both. Additionally, polyvinyl alcohol may be added to the slurry. The water may contain viscosity modifiers, surfactants, and defoaming agents that are commonly used in the manufacture of wet-laid nonwovens. Proportions of the materials excluding the water in the slurry may be in the range of approximately 10-50% by weight binder fiber, approximately 50 to 90% by weight irregularly shaped glass 108, binder powder, or mixtures thereof, and approximately 0 to 15% by weight polyvinyl alcohol.
After the fibers 108 have been dispersed, the slurry is transferred to the forming section of an inclined-wire Fourdrinier machine and dewatered. The resulting web is passed through an oven to dry the mat and fuse the binder fibers and/or binder powder to the glass fibers 108. A secondary binder may then be applied by saturating the dry mat with a water-based polymer composition and removing the excess with a vacuum slot. The mat is then passed through a second oven where it is again dried and the binder cured to form the veil 106.
Alternatively, a wire cylinder, Stevens Former, Roto Former, Inver Former, or Ventl Former may be used, in which a head box first deposits the slurry onto a moving wire screen. A vacuum or similar suction device removes the water that produces the veil. Conventional ovens perform the fusing and drying steps. As is described above, the irregularly shaped fibers 108 allow a more uniform volume filling than is found in straight fiber mats. Further, the irregularly shaped fibers 108 require less binder material, thus allowing easy flow.
An alternative process used for producing the veil 106 involves first preparing the slurry as described above. Next, the slurry is dewatered to form the wet-laid nonwoven mat. A secondary water-based binder is applied to the wet laid mat, followed by a second dewatering step to remove excess water from the saturated mat. Finally, the mat is placed in an oven to dry and cure the mat to form the finished nonwoven veil 106.
In yet another alternative process, the dried fiber mat may be rolled up prior to the introduction of the secondary water-based binder. The mat is then unrolled at a later time in a separate off-line process to introduce the secondary water-based binder that leads to the finished nonwoven veil 106.
Preferably, the veil is made using a binder that is highly soluble in the monomers provided in the paste, which is typically styrene. Preferably, the such a highly soluble binder has a solubility of over about 35%, more preferably over 50%, more preferably over 75%, and even up to nearly 100%. A preferred method to determine solubility comprises a determination of the amount of sizing that dissolves in acetone using a reflow method using Sohxlet distillation equipment. Such a reflow method preferably comprises a Soxhlet extraction method using 5 consecutive distillations, typically using acetone or styrene for solvent. In this method, a veil coupon is prepared and weighed. A predetermined amount of solvent is distilled in the apparatus and drips over a coupon of the veil to dissolve the binder. The dripped solvent is distilled and this is repeated four times. The veil weight is measured after five drippings, and a burn test is conducted on the veil to determine the residual amount of binder. The ratio of binder is then determined to establish solubility in the solvent. Such a preferred binder will substantially dissolve when the veil is wet out in the paste of the composite sheet, and the remaining fibers will be held within the composite sheet in substantially a sheet form due to the frictional engagement of the fibers and the viscosity of the paste. When such a composite sheet is compression molded, the fibers will straighten out (if not already straight) and slide relatively while the paste flows in the mold. The viscous paste will pull the fibers and cause the fibers to flow substantially in the plane of the mold surface. Frictional engagement between the fibers and the paste viscosity will encourage relatively uniform flow of the veil filaments without leaving holes or tears, and therefore the veil filaments remain in a substantially continuous layer after molding.
Accordingly, the present invention preferably provides a veil which flows relatively uniformly in all directions to ensure substantially uniform distribution of the veil fibers across the part, as the barrier layer including the paste and veil fibers flow in the mold. As described in more detail below, the present invention further ensures that the veil fibers do not relatively separate to form a hole (or “tear”) in the veil, and therefore the veil comprises a continuous veil even after molding, and maintains a reasonably consistent thickness across the part. Accordingly, the veil must have elongation in both the length and width thereof, and if the fibers do not have sufficient length to maintain frictional engagement during flow of the combined paste and veil, the fibers may separate and result in holes (or apparent tears) in the veil. Additionally, the irregular shape and/or bends or out-of-plane position of fibers (relative to the horizontal plane of the veil) will contribute to the ability of the veil to apparently stretch or flow. As appreciated by one skilled in the art, the veil will substantially cover the entire surface of the mold adjacent the Class A surface of the molded part, and therefore keep the barrier layer intact, and prevent underlying reinforcement fibers (bundles) and/or gases from appearing at the surface. Additionally, during (and after) molding, the resin in the paste will form a thin resin-rich layer at the external (Class A) surface of the part on the mold surface and none (or very few) of the veil filaments or reinforcing fibers will be visible under this thin resin rich layer. Preferably the thin resin-rich layer has a thickness of only one to three filament diameters.
Referring now to
As shown in
In another alternative embodiment, as shown in
As shown in
Each batch of compacted sheet molding compound sheet 177 is then allowed to mature and thicken thereby increasing viscosity at either room temperature or at approximately thirty-two degrees Celsius for approximately one to fourteen days prior to any molding application. The batch may then be further processed by cutting the sheet molding compound sheet 177 to an appropriate ply or laminate size, removing the first and second carrier film layers 102, 112, molding the remaining material to an appropriate shape in a heated matched metal or composite die, and curing it under heat and pressure to make a finished composite part (not shown). Preferably, the curing step is done at approximately 5-10 MPa (750-1500 psi) at about 140-163 degrees Celsius for about one-half to three minutes. Of course, one of skill in the art would recognize that the curing conditions for the composite part may vary greatly depending upon such factors as part size and part geometry.
As is further shown in
A layer of chopped glass 158 is applied on top of the second paste layer 163, or alternatively a mat or veil could be applied at this stage. As shown in
Accordingly, as shown in
The composite parts formed according to the present invention form the sheets 177 display superior surface characteristics as compared with traditionally formed sheet molding compound composite parts. This is attributed to the barrier layer formed by the first paste layer, and the barrier layer is supported by the veil as noted above. Because the sheet flows during compression molding, the veil of the present invention must elongate to accommodate the flow of the paste without tearing, as described in further detail herein. Accordingly, a preferred veil includes long fibers and/or irregularly shaped fibers and/or randomly orientated continuous fibers or filaments. Long fibers are preferably over 50 mm long, and more preferably over 100 mm long, but preferably less than 1000 mm, and more preferably between 100 mm and 300 mm, but in some applications the long fibers may be longer than 1000 mm, and may include lengths of continuous fibers.
The mat may be formed using a wet or dry process, and may be needled or unneedled, depending on the mat weight and mechanical properties desired. Needling has been found to improve the stretching capabilities of the veil in a process according to the present invention. Irregularly shaped fibers provide loft and softness of the fibers 108. In a preferred embodiment the veil fibers (whether irregularly shaped or otherwise) comprise fine filamentized fibers versus coarse bundles of fibers, wherein the fibers 108 flow on top of and with the sheet molding paste from the paste layers 104, 110 under pressure. The fibers may comprise glass fibers, organic fibers, carbon fibers, natural fibers, synthetic fibers, or any combination thereof. A preferred dry process to manufacture the veil includes utilizing a known dry mat process using continuous filaments, but further includes needling operation to break the fibers into lengths of long fibers about 100-200 mm long, and which adds a vertical dimension to the fibers to improve properties of the veil.
The veil 106 can be made in various mat sheet weights that will permit it to be used in various applications where either heavier or lighter mat weight is required for surface enhancement. The use of the veil 106 having the irregularly shaped fibers 108 allows for the use of a binder fiber at a low LOI to form the veil 106, which contributes to ease of flow in press molding. As appreciated by one skilled in the art, LOI is the loss on ignition, or also referred as solid content, and is determined by a burn test. The percentage weight lost on ignition gives a crude measure of the organic content of the sample. Preferably the binder is present in an amount of between four and twenty percent. One skilled in the art appreciates that a method to make a composite sheet according to the present invention could utilize either the first carrier film or the second carrier film, or both, to carry the barrier layer of paste, then a veil is applied above the paste layer as described above. A preferred veil has adequate tensile strength in both the machine direction and transverse direction to improve processing during the process to make the sheet, especially as the veil passes under the doctor box 156 as shown in
While the above example indicates only one ply of sheet molding compound sheet 100, it is understood that more than one ply is typically used to form a composite part. The number of plies of the sheet molding compound sheet 100 used to form the composite part varies as a function of the thickness of the composite part desired, but typically ranges from two to four plies. As is known to one skilled in the art and therefore not described in great detail herein, plies are positioned in a mold within a compression molding machine. The mold is then closed upon the plies, and due to the pressure, the plies elongate in length and width as the paste flows within the mold to cover the surface of the mold and fill the tool cavity. A veil according to the present invention elongates in both length and width without tearing as the paste flows, so as to cover the surface of the mold adjacent a resin-rich layer at the surface of the part formed within the mold. Preferably, the veil has an elongation between about 5 and 50 percent in both directions. More preferably, the veil is capable of at least five percent (5%) elongation in each direction (length and width), and more preferably at least 10% elongation in both directions, and more preferably at least 30% elongation in at least one direction, and more preferably at least 30% elongation in both directions, or 40% elongation in at least one direction and at least five percent, and preferably more, in the second direction. In molded parts having deeper draws, the veil preferably has at least 20 to 30 percent elongation in the direction of flow. The veil may be specified according to the amount of flow and/or draw required to make the part, and the required elongation required in a particular direction may be specified accordingly. Even more preferably, the veil has a wet elongation of up to 100% or more in each direction due to the solubility of the binder and movement of the filaments as described above.
In a preferred embodiment, a top ply of the sheet molding compound sheet 100 and one or more sheets of sheet molding compound made according to the prior art are placed in the mold. After proper molding and curing, this forms a composite part having a Class A surface side on a visible side of the composite part and a non-Class A surface that is usually found on the non-visible side. If both the top and bottom surface of the composite part formed need Class A surfaces, then a top ply and bottom ply of the sheet molding compound sheet 100 may be used, with one or more sheets of sheet molding compound made according to the prior art contained within these sheets 100 (some of which may include a paste that is not considered to be a Class A paste). In the case of use of the composite sheet 100 of
In addition, many modifications that can be made to specific components of the sheet molding compound sheet 100 are specifically contemplated. For example, the resin composition of the paste layer 104 of the top ply of the sheet 100 may be altered to utilize other resins, including modified epoxies, vinylesters, acrylics, or urethane-modified polyester resins, that have better impact/toughness properties. Alternatively, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,020,443 to Woodson et al., which is herein incorporated by reference, the top ply of the composite sheet 100 may be altered by using a dicyclopentadiene resin (DCPD) using ring opening metathesis polymerization (“ROMP”) and a ruthenium, osmium or iron-based catalyst. To reduce composite part density, a portion of the filler may be replaced with a special clay or treated filler that improves wetting, while at the same time increasing the viscosity of the paste prior to application. This provides sufficient viscosity so the compound carries the reinforcement as it flows within the tool, thereby maintaining substantially consistent glass loading across the molded part. By reducing the amount of filler necessary to achieve the viscosity, the volume fraction of the resin within the compound may be increased. This increase in volume fraction of a constituent with a lower specific gravity may result in a part with lower weight. However, additional reinforcement material may be needed to control the coefficient of linear thermal expansion (“CLTE”) and stiffness of the composite part as the volume fraction of the filler is decreased.
Also, milled fibers, carbon/graphite fiber strands, carbon/graphite powder, carbon/graphite flakes, or short fiber strands (8 mm or less) may be mixed into the paste 104, 110 to help modulus or CLTE. Two preferred grades of graphite available from Superior Graphite Company include Grade 2139 natural flakes and Grade 5039 synthetic flakes. In the case of graphite powder or flakes, the powder or flakes comprise at least 5 weight percent, and preferably between approximately 20 and 35 weight percent, of the paste 104, 110 formulation in order to achieve sufficient conductivity to be electrostatically painted. The addition of graphite powder or flakes in place of or in addition to carbon or glass fiber lowers the specific gravity of the resin paste 104, 110, which thus results in lighter weight molded compounds. As such, fillers such as calcium carbonate are typically added in addition to the graphite flakes or powders to maintain the specific gravity in a preferred range and additionally to lower cost. Further, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,965,470 to Bening, which is herein incorporated by reference, carbon microfibers, or fibrils, may be added to the paste layers 104, 110 to improve CLTE, conductivity, paintability and surface quality.
Also, a portion of the irregularly shaped fibers 108 may be replaced with a conductive material or combination of conductive materials such as carbon fibers, flakes, fibrils or powders as described above within the veil 106. When compression molded, the irregularly shaped fibers 108 straighten as described above during flow. The conductive materials, meanwhile, are maintained in a substantially continuous network, thereby maintaining the conductivity within the composite material. This produces an electrostatically sprayable composite part made of sheet molding compound sheet 100 that has improved surface characteristics as described above. Alternatively, an aluminum or other conductive metallic substance may be used in place of conductive materials listed above to increase electrical or thermal conductivity. In a further alternative embodiment, the barrier layer comprises a paste having conductive filler materials, such as a graphite material to provide surface conductivity in finished composite parts (as described in further detail below).
In a further embodiment, a composite sheet is made according to the present invention with a veil on the top side as described above, and a second veil is applied to the backside of the part. The backside then could have Class A characteristics, which is not commonly needed, or the veil will impart improved properties, including a reduction of warpage of the part. One skilled in the art appreciates that a preferred process to make such a sheet, although not illustrated, involves applying a paste layer to each of the carrier sheets, providing a veil on top of each paste layer, and preferably placing an intermediate layer of resin adjacent each veil and a layer of reinforcing material between the intermediate layers of resin. Alternatively, the second veil may comprise the reinforcing material and one layer of paste would be provided between the veils.
Composite parts having at least one layer of sheet molding compound sheet 100 according to the present invention have many advantages over the prior art sheet molding compound layered composite parts. First, the present invention reduces the propensity of the SMC composite part to exhibit paint pops by having a more resin rich paste 104, 110 with a barrier veil 106, to keep glass bundles in the part without breaching the top surface layer. This thereby reduces rework of composite parts, which decreases costs and waste. The composite parts having a top ply of sheet molding compound sheet 100 flow well enough to form a reasonably constant skin. When conductive materials as described above are added, a composite part having good electrostatic sprayability is formed which allows the use of powder coatings or electrostatic sprayers. The composite parts may also have improved thermal conductivity as well, thereby reducing the risk of surface imperfections associated with thermal conductivity such as blistering, warping or pops. Finally, the present invention produces composite parts having a Class A type surface.
Using the current invention, a composite part may be molded using a charge that covers a larger portion of the tool than is commonly used, and create a substantially wave-free surface. For example, a typical charge would cover 40 percent of the tool and during compression, the charge would flow to cover the entire tool. Using the current invention, a tool coverage of 60 percent, 70 percent, 80 percent, and greater have been tested successfully, due to the presence of the veil and barrier layer. Further improvement is achieved with the present invention when the molded charge is made from a single “thick” sheet to form the charge as enabled by this invention. Accordingly, the thickness of the veil that ultimately defines the thickness of the barrier layer must be adjusted to provide a good layer of resin and veil when the composite sheet flows during molding. When selecting the thickness of the veil, one must take into account the veil areal weight, density, fiber diameter and tool coverage, and target results in a thickness of at least about 0.1 mm over the entire molded part. Preferably, with a veil having filaments of 100 mm length, diameter of 15 micrometer, for a tool coverage of 60%, a veil weight of about 120 grams/sq. meter has been found to be satisfactory. Applicants have found that a veil weight of 40 to 120 gr/m2 may be used in most applications, and a weight of between about 20 grams/square meter and about 200 grams/square meter may be useful in some applications.
Referring now to
In
The composition of the paste containing layer 14 used in
The conductive paste layer 18 is preferably similar in formulation to paste layer 14, but further comprises a graphite material 23 that is used to provide surface conductivity in finished composite parts (shown as 114 in
A preferred composition for the paste layer 14 and the conductive paste layer 18 are shown above in Table 1, and below in Table 3, respectively.
Some other advantages of using graphite material 23 in the conductive paste formulation layer 18 are the result of the ability of the graphite material 23 to serve as an inorganic additive or filler. Thus, addition of graphite material 23 often tends to increase the viscosity of the total sheet molding paste system. A useful molding viscosity may be maintained while the total amount of other additives, such as CaCO3, calcium carbonate, may be reduced in the overall conductive paste formulation 18. Often, the graphite material 23 tends to be lighter in weight and exhibit a lower specific gravity when compared with other fillers, so the final weight of the parts 114 molded with the present invention may be lighter than conventional sheet molding composite parts.
Additionally, by substituting other inorganic fillers with a requisite amount of graphite material 23, an improvement in the coefficient of linear thermal expansion and coefficient of thermal expansion has been observed. This improvement may provide a surface layer on the subsequently molded composite part less likely to warp and may therefore exhibit improved surface quality.
Referring now to
Reinforcing fiber 16 in the form of filamentized or unfilamentized fiber is then chopped, using a chopper 60, onto the conductive paste layer 18. A second carrier film layer 12 is unrolled from a roll or reel 62 and a paste layer 14 is deposited onto the second carrier film 12 using another traditional dispensing device 17. The paste layer 14 is deposited as a wet paste 14′ onto the inner side of the second carrier film 12. The thickness of the paste layer 14 is controlled using a doctor blade 66. The second carrier film layer 12 and paste layer 14 is then rolled around a roller 68 and laid on top of the chopped reinforcing fiber 16 such that the paste layer 14 is below the second carrier film layer 12. This forms the conductive SMC sheet 10 shown in
Each batch of compacted conductive SMC compound 77 is then allowed to mature and thicken thereby increasing viscosity at approximately thirty-two degrees Celsius for approximately one to fourteen days prior to any molding application. The batch may then be further processed by cutting the SMC compound 77 to an appropriate ply or laminate size, removing the second and first carrier films 12, 20, molding the remaining material to an appropriate shape in a heated matched metal or composite die, and curing it under heat and pressure to make a finished composite part (such as 114 in
In a preferred embodiment, as shown in
In an alternative embodiment, as shown in
The output of the funnel device 17B is controlled by controlling the viscosity of the paste 18′ through composition and temperature, plus controlling the pressure within the feeding slot 21, which may be accomplished by controlling the height of the paste in the device 17B, and may include an optional pressurization of the device 17B through known mechanical means (not shown). Accordingly, by controlling the pressure, underfeeding and overfeeding of the doctor blade may be avoided, thereby avoiding too thin, or too thick application (or a mess), respectively. Further, one skilled in the art appreciates that more than one funnel may be provided in series, and accordingly more than one type of paste may be deposited onto the sheet; for example, the first funnel may include a non-filamentized paste to provide a resin rich layer on the outside of the part, and a filamentized paste may be deposited by a second funnel adjacent the nonfilamentized paste.
As shown in
Each batch of compacted SMC sheet 77 is then allowed to mature and thicken thereby increasing viscosity at approximately thirty-two degrees Celsius for approximately one to fourteen days prior to any molding application. The batch may then be further processed by cutting the SMC sheet 10 to an appropriate ply or laminate size, removing the upper and lower carrier films 12, 20, molding the remaining material to an appropriate shape in a heated matched metal or composite die, and curing it under heat and pressure to make a finished composite part (not shown). Preferably, the curing step is done at approximately 5-10 MPa (750-1500 psi) at about 140-163 degrees Celsius (280-325 Degrees F.) for about one-half to three minutes.
During the compaction step described above, excess resin from the paste layer 14 and paste layer 18 penetrates within and through the fiber layer 58 to wet it out. The compacted SMC sheet 77, when cured, forms a composite part in which visible surface layer forms a resin rich and nearly porous free layer that has improved surface characteristics with less surface pores as compared with traditional sheet molding compound composites.
In addition, if conductive materials such as carbon or nickel coated carbon or glass fibers are used in the fiber layer 18, a cured composite part having improved electrostatic sprayability characteristics may be realized. Such conductive fibers may be used in addition to, or instead of, glass fibers. Similarly conductive flakes, fibrils, powders, or carbon or nickel coated carbon or glass fibers or conductive particles may be used in the resin impregnated filamentized fiber layer, each of which is to be considered as conductive fibers for the purposes of this disclosure. Further, by concentrating the conductive materials within the fiber layer 18 at a location which is very close to the surface of the composite part, less conductive material is needed within the composite part as compared with traditional sheet molding compound composite parts having conductive material, which reduces raw material costs.
Referring now to
One preferred composition for sheet molding paste layer 206 is disclosed below in Table 1. However, other additives could be added to the composition, including demolding agents, low profile additives to reduce fiber prominence, anti-static additives, ultraviolet (“UV”) light stabilizer additives, and other additives contemplated in the art to give desired surface characteristics for the composite part formed from the sheet molding compound 271.
Further, conductive materials could be added to sheet molding paste layer 206 to improve electrostatic sprayability. These include milled fibers, carbon/graphite fiber strands, graphite powder, graphite flakes, or short fiber strands (8 mm or less) to help modulus or CLTE.
Next, a layer of thin non-woven fabric, or veil 210, similar to that described above, is unrolled from a creel 212 or similar device and placed on top of the sheet molding paste layer 206. This veil 210 preferably is the kinked fiber veil as described in Provisional Application 60/328,620, filed Oct. 12, 2001, from which this application claims priority and which is herein incorporated by reference, or may include a veil having the characteristics described above.
Next, another layer 214 of resin paste is applied preferably using a second volumetric paste extrusion device 216. This layer 214 of resin paste is formulated to give excellent mechanical performance and proper shrink control. Because this is an internal resin layer, surface characteristic additives are not necessary in the composition of the resin paste layer 214 such as those shown in Table 1 above. Thus, antistatic additives, ultraviolet (“UV”) light stabilizer additives and other additives contemplated in the art to give desired surface characteristics for the composite part are not needed. Thus, a preferred resin composition would be similar to that depicted in Table 1 without these additives.
Next, a layer of chopped glass fiber reinforcement 218 is added over the resin paste layer 214. This layer of chopped glass fiber reinforcement 218 is typical as to what is found in the prior art. A multi-end glass fiber roving 220 is fed into a chopper 222 to form the chopped glass fiber reinforcement 218. A third paste layer 224 is then added preferably using a third volumetric paste extrusion device 226. A second layer of chopped glass reinforcement 228 may then be added over the third paste layer 224.
The process for forming the rest of the sheet molding compound 250 is done by adding the components in reverse order of what has been done in the above paragraphs without the outer paste layer 206 and veil 210. Thus, another paste layer 214, and an outer carrier layer 202 are laid on top of the chopped glass reinforcement layer 228. Of course, if a class A surface is desired on both sides of the sheet molding compound 250, the extra layer of veil 210 and outer paste layer 206 may be incorporated between the resin paste layer 214 and outer carrier layer 202.
Finally, the sheet molding composite sheet 271 is formed by rolling or passing the sheet molding compound 250 through a compaction device 240 and packaged by winding around a mandrel 242 or other packaging device known in the art for later processing. Alternatively, the sheet molding composite sheet 271 could be festooned in a box. In addition, the sheet molding composite sheet 271 may be cut on the compounding line at regular intervals and the cut sheets placed flat in a storage container for later processing. The advantage in this process is that the sheet molding composite sheet 271 is not damaged due to bending, which can result in improved surface characteristics.
The sheet molding composite sheet 271 is then matured for 1 to 14 days, typically at approximately 29-46 degrees Celsius (85-115 degrees Fahrenheit) This allows the viscosity of the sheet 271 to increase enough so that the sheet molding paste and reinforcement material flow homogeneously together instead of separating in the subsequent molding process that form a composite part.
Alternatively, as depicted in
The bulk molding compound layer 230 is a specially formulated paste that is effective in incorporating with proper impregnation various kinds of fillers that can be sequentially incorporated into the paste. These fillers are added to the paste for a variety of reasons, including waste and weight reduction, and are not typically added to sheet molding compounds because they can create surface imperfections. Because these fillers are contained in a middle layer, they have little or no effect on surface characteristics. These fillers include low-density fillers and recycled materials of various granulometry and morphology.
In
Referring now to
The Archimedes screw device 264 has many functions. First, it allows for compensation in pressure drop along the die 262 in the throughput of paste 206 across the width W of the line 278. It also brings flexibility allowing the control of the left-right balance of paste 206 distribution along the entire width of the slit 284. This allows continuous cleaning of the slit 284 by moving clumps towards the filter 270. Particles that pass through the slit 284 will discharge on the line 278 given the tapered geometry of the slit 284.
Referring now to
Of course, while the preferred embodiment of the present invention discloses volumetric paste extrusion device 208, 216, 226, and 244 to distribute the respective sheet molding pastes, other alternative extruder means may be used in conjunction with or replacing the above dies. Two more preferred examples are shown below in
Referring now to
Referring now to
Further, other embodiments of extruders and or replacing the volumetric paste extrusion devices of
Further, a variety of additional controls may be added to the volumetric paste extrusion devices depicted in
The present invention offers important advantages over presently available sheet molding compound based composite materials. First, the use of volumetric dosing techniques allows multiple layers of sheet molding paste and reinforcement to be added along one compounding line, thereby allowing the production of thicker composite sheets 271 in one compounding process. This reduces the number of composite sheets 271 that are required to be loaded into a mold to form a composite part. This increases manufacturing efficiency by reducing the amount of carrier film sheets that must be removed prior to molding. Additionally, this increases the productivity of the sheet molding compound line as the line speed remains essentially unchanged with respect to prior art.
Second, the use of volumetric dosing techniques to apply sheet molding paste allows for higher consistency in composite sheet 271 weight as compared with composite sheets made using a traditional doctor box type application system. The need to control the weight of the composite sheet 271 charge as in the prior art is overcome, thereby improving consistency in molding from part to part that may result in composite parts having improved mechanical and aesthetic characteristics.
Third, the top layer of sheet molding paste 206 is specifically constituted to be void free and to follow the “plug flow” of the unique underlying charge so to cover up the whole of the visible Class A surface of the composite part. With such a “pore free” layer, the need for long flow of the sheet 271 to expel air is suppressed. “Plug flow” is a rheological term to describe flow type where the material essentially behaves as a “deformable body” that keeps much integrity and thus progresses with little shear deformation. This type of flow is opposite of what is found in the injection of thermoplastics, where the material in the center of the cavity gap flows faster than the material along the surface. This type of flow is known as “fountain flow”.
Fourth, the present invention result is a sheet molding composite sheet 271 that may have one or more specialized attributes within its layers, including for example a top layer with no entrapped air, a conductive top layer, a colored or light stabilized top layer, a conductive EMI shielded top layer, and a low density or low cost reinforced middle region. This allows for sheet molding composite parts having improved surface finishes, lower weight, and that offer recycling solutions.
Fifth, the combination of a void free top layer and thick charge capabilities with this new technology allows for usage of a charge that is made of one top sheet molding composite sheet 271 to form a molded composite part having a class A visible surface. Depending upon the desired thickness of the composite part to be formed, one or more charges of traditional sheet molding composite sheets or additional charges of the composite sheet 271 of the present invention may be added beneath the top layer of the composite sheet 271.
While the invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited thereto since modifications may be made by those skilled in the art, particularly in light of the foregoing teachings.
Claims
1. A single ply of a sheet molding compound sheet prior to compaction used for making a composite part comprising:
- a first carrier film layer;
- a first paste layer provided adjacent the carrier film layer;
- a preformed veil of fused fibers provided adjacent to the first paste layer opposite the first carrier layer;
- a second carrier film layer; and
- a second paste layer provided between the veil and the second carrier film layer;
- wherein said fused fibers in said preformed veil are held in place during compaction in order to provide said composite part with smooth surface characteristics.
2. A single ply of a sheet molding compound sheet prior to compaction used for making a composite part comprising:
- a first carrier film layer;
- a first paste layer provided adjacent the carrier film layer;
- a preformed, nonwoven veil provided adjacent to the first paste layer opposite the first carrier layer, said veil including a plurality of irregularly shaped filaments or fibers fused in position in said veil,
- a second carrier film layer; and
- a second paste layer provided between the veil and second carrier film layer;
- wherein said irregularly shaped filaments or fibers remain fused in said veil during compaction and thereby allow production of said composite part with improved surface characteristics.
3. The ply of claim 1 wherein said first paste layer comprises a barrier layer capable of producing an external surface substantially free of surface pores and cracks when molded.
4. The ply of claim 3 further comprising a layer of chopped fibers located between said veil and said second paste layer.
5. The ply of claim 4 further comprising a third layer of paste between the veil and the layer of chopped fibers.
6. The ply of claim 5, wherein said ply is compression molded in a mold having a surface, and wherein said veil comprises a plurality of fibers, wherein said fibers flow with the paste during compression molding, and wherein said veil covers substantially the entire surface of the mold in a substantially continuous form after molding.
7. The ply of claim 6, wherein said veil comprises a binder which is highly soluble in a resin of the first paste layer.
8. The ply of claim 7, wherein the binder has a solubility of over about 35% in the resin.
9. The ply of claim 8, wherein the binder has a solubility of over about 50% in the resin.
10. The ply of claim 9, wherein the binder has a solubility of over about 75% in the resin.
11. The ply of claim 10, wherein the binder has a solubility of nearly 100% in the resin.
12. The ply of claim 7, wherein said veil further comprises long fibers.
13. The ply of claim 12, wherein one of said first paste layer and said veil comprises a conductive material.
14. The ply of claim 1, wherein said veil comprises a binder which is highly soluble in a resin of the first paste layer.
15. The ply of claim 14, wherein the binder has a solubility of over about 35% in the resin.
16. The ply of claim 15, wherein the binder has a solubility of over about 75% in the resin.
17. The ply of claim 14, wherein said veil further comprises long fibers.
18. The ply of claim 17, wherein said ply is compression molded in a mold having a surface, and wherein said veil fibers flow with the paste during compression molding, and wherein said veil covers substantially the entire surface of the mold in a substantially continuous form after molding.
19. The ply of claim 18, wherein said fibers have a length between about 100 mm and about 300 mm.
20. The ply of claim 18, wherein said veil is made using a dry
- forming process, and wherein said dry formed veil is needle punched.
21. The ply of claim 20, wherein said veil is made using continuous filaments in said dry forming process.
22. The ply of claim 18, wherein said veil has a dry tensile strength of at least 5 N/m in each of a width and a length direction thereof.
23. The ply of claim 22, wherein said veil has a dry tensile strength of at least 50 N/m in the length direction.
24. The ply of claim 7, wherein said first paste layer further comprises a polyester resin, fillers, a resin inhibitor and initiator, an alkaline earth oxide, and an internal mold release agent.
25. The ply of claim 24, wherein said chopped fibers are selected from the group consisting of chopped glass fibers and chopped carbon fibers.
26. The ply of claim 1, wherein one of said veil and said first paste comprises a conductive material.
27. The ply of claim 26, wherein said conductive material is selected from the group consisting of a plurality of irregularly shaped carbon fibers, carbon flakes, carbon fibrils, and carbon powders.
28. The ply of claim 1, wherein said veil comprises fibers, and wherein said ply is compression molded in a mold having a surface, and said fibers flow with the paste during compression molding, said veil covering substantially the entire surface of the mold in a substantially continuous form after molding.
29. The ply of claim 28, wherein said veil has a weight of between about 20 grams/square meter and about 200 grams/square meter.
30. The ply of claim 29, wherein said veil has a weight of between about 40 grams/square meter and about 120 grams/square meter.
31. The ply of claim 30, wherein said veil comprises one of a group of: longer chopped fibers, continuous filaments cut to discrete lengths, and irregularly shaped fibers.
32. The ply of claim 31, wherein said veil has a dry tensile strength of at least 5 N/m in each of a width and a length thereof.
33. The ply of claim 32, wherein said veil has a dry tensile strength of at least 50 N/m in the length thereof.
34. The ply of claim 28, wherein the veil has a thickness of at least approximately 0.1 mm over substantially the entire mold surface after the ply is molded in the mold.
35. The ply of claim 34, wherein the ply is cut to a shape and placed in the mold so the shape of the ply covers more than about 40% of the mold surface before molding.
36. The ply of claim 35, wherein the shape of the sheet covers more than about 60% of the mold surface before molding.
37. The ply of claim 36, wherein the shape of the sheet covers more than about 80% of the mold surface before molding.
38. The ply of claim 1, wherein the ply is compacted and the veil is integrally compounded with the first paste layer.
39. The ply of claim 38, wherein said veil comprises a binder which is highly soluble in a resin of the first paste layer, and wherein said veil is wetout by the paste layer and said binder is substantially dissolved by said paste.
40. A method for making a single ply of a sheet molding compound sheet comprising the steps of:
- introducing a first carrier film layer;
- introducing a first side of a veil adjacent to said first carrier film layer;
- introducing a first paste layer between said veil and said first carrier film layer;
- introducing a second carrier film layer adjacent to a second side of said veil;
- introducing a second paste layer between said veil and said second carrier film layer; and
- compacting said combined veil and paste layers to form a single ply of sheet molding compound.
41. The method of claim 40 further comprising the step of introducing a plurality of chopped fibers of a first type between said veil and said second paste layer, said chopped fibers selected from the group consisting of chopped glass fibers and chopped carbon fibers.
42. The method of claim 41 further comprising the step of introducing a third layer of paste between the veil and the layer of chopped fibers.
43. The method of claim 42 wherein said first paste layer provides a barrier layer capable of producing an external surface substantially free of surface pores and cracks when molded.
44. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of introducing one or more additional alternating pairs of paste and reinforcement layers between the veil and second film layer.
45. The method of claim 40, further comprising the steps of positioning said ply within a mold in a compression molding machine, compressing said ply within said mold, flowing a plurality of fibers from said veil with said first paste during said compression step to substantially cover an entire surface of said mold with said veil fibers and wherein said veil remains substantially continuous after molding.
46. The method of claim 45, wherein said veil elongates over about ten percent in each of the width and length thereof during the flowing step.
47. The method of claim 45, further comprising the step of substantially dissolving a binder of said veil prior within said paste layers prior to the compressing step.
48. The method of claim 45, wherein said veil comprises a plurality of irregularly shaped fibers
49. The method of claim 47, wherein the first paste layer comprises a barrier layer having an external surface substantially free of surface pores and cracks when molded to form a Class A surface.
50. The method of claim 40, further comprising the steps of wetting out said veil with one of said paste layers and substantially dissolving a binder of said veil within said paste layer.
51. The method of claim 50, further comprising introducing a conductive material within one of said veil and said first paste layer.
52. The method of claim 50, further comprising the steps of positioning said ply within a mold in a compression molding machine, compressing said ply within said mold, flowing a plurality of fibers from said veil with said first paste during said compression step to substantially cover an entire surface of said mold with said veil fibers and wherein said veil remains substantially continuous after molding.
53. A method for making a composite part having improved surface characteristics comprising:
- forming a single ply of a sheet molding compound sheet, the method of forming said single ply comprising: (a) introducing a first carrier film layer; (b) introducing a veil adjacent to said first carrier film layer; (c) introducing a first paste layer between a first side of said veil and said first carrier film layer; (d) introducing a second carrier film layer adjacent to a second side of said veil to form a sheet molding compound sheet; (e) compacting said carrier films, veil and paste to form a single ply of sheet molding compound. (f) thickening said single ply; (g) cutting said single ply into a plurality of moldable plies having a desired shape; (h) introducing at least one of said plurality of moldable plies into a mold having a surface; (i) compressing said moldable ply within said mold; (j) flowing said first paste layer of said moldable ply to cover said mold surface; (k) elongating said veil of said moldable ply during said flowing step (j) across substantially the entire mold surface; and (l) curing said moldable ply at a first pressure and a first temperature for a sufficient time to form the composite part.
54. A method according to claim 53, wherein said first paste is placed directly onto the first carrier film.
55. A method according to claim 53, wherein said first paste is placed directly onto said veil using a doctor blade and extruded through said veil under said doctor blade to wetout said veil and form a layer of paste between the veil and first carrier film.
56. A method according to claim 53, wherein said first paste is applied using a calendering device, and said veil is wet out by said first paste using said calendering device.
57. The method of claim 53, wherein (d) introducing a second carrier film layer adjacent to a second side of said veil to form a sheet molding compound sheet comprises (d) introducing a second paste layer onto said one of a second side of said veil and a side of said second carrier film and thereafter positioning said second carrier film layer onto said veil to form a sheet molding compound sheet.
58. The method of claim 53, wherein the step of curing said moldable ply comprises the step of curing said moldable ply at about 140-163 degrees Celsius and between approximately 5-10 MPa for between approximately one-half and three minutes.
59. The method of claim 57, further comprising the step of introducing a plurality of chopped fibers onto said veil prior to introducing said a second paste layer onto said veil.
60. The method of claim 59, further comprising the step of introducing a third layer of paste between the veil and the layer of chopped fibers.
61. The method of claim 60, further comprising the step of introducing one or more additional alternating pairs of paste and reinforcement layers between the veil and second film layer.
62. The method of claim 61, wherein the third layer of paste is applied using a calendering device, paste extruder or funnel applicator.
63. The method of claim 53 wherein said first paste layer forms a barrier layer having an external surface substantially free of surface pores and cracks when molded to form a Class A surface.
64. The method of claim 53, wherein the step of (b) introducing a veil adjacent to said first carrier film layer; comprises (b) introducing a veil adjacent to said first carrier film layer, said veil comprising fibers and a conductive material.
65. The method of claim 64, wherein said conductive material is selected from the group consisting of a plurality of irregularly shaped carbon fibers, carbon flakes, carbon fibrils, and carbon powders.
66. The method of claim 53, wherein the step (k) further comprises elongating said veil during said compression step to substantially cover the entire surface of said mold, and wherein said veil remains substantially continuous after the compression step.
67. The method of claim 66, wherein said veil elongates over ten percent in each of a width and length thereof.
68. The method of claim 67, wherein said veil elongates over fifty percent in each of the width and length thereof, and wherein said fibers do not melt when exposed to a temperature exceeding 200 degrees C. for 20 seconds.
69. The method of claim 67, wherein said veil comprises a plurality of fibers and a binder, further comprising the step of substantially dissolving said binder in one of said paste layers, and wherein said veil elongates by flowing said fibers with the paste.
70. The method of claim 69, wherein said elongated veil has a thickness of at least about 0.1 mm over substantially the entire mold surface.
71. The method of claim 70, wherein said binder is highly soluble in a resin of the first paste layer, said method further comprising the steps of: wetting out said veil with said paste, and dissolving said binder in said paste.
72. The method of claim 71, wherein said veil further comprises long fibers.
73. The method of claim 72, further comprising the step of forming said veil by a dry forming process.
74. The method of claim 73, further comprising the step of needle punching said veil.
75. The method of claim 66, wherein said veil comprises a plurality of irregularly shaped fibers.
76. The method of claim 53, wherein said veil experiences a curing temperature of over 200 degrees C. during the curing step, and wherein said veil does not melt at said curing temperature.
77. The method of claim 76, wherein said veil comprises a plurality of long fibers and a binder, further comprising the step of substantially dissolving said binder in one of said paste layers, and wherein said veil elongates by flowing said fibers with the paste.
78. The method of claim 77, wherein said elongated veil has a thickness of at least about 0.1 mm over substantially the entire mold surface.
79. The method of claim 44, further comprising the step of introducing a second ply on top of said moldable ply prior to the compression step.
80. The method of claim 79, wherein said second ply comprises a different paste than the paste of the moldable ply.
81. A single ply of a conductive sheet molding compound composite sheet used to make a composite part having surface conductivity comprising:
- a first paste layer;
- a preformed veil comprising a plurality of nonwoven discrete reinforcing filaments or fibers, wherein the filaments or fibers are fused in said veil and do not melt when exposed to a temperature of 200 degrees C. for twenty seconds; and
- a conductive paste layer, said conductive paste layer comprising a thermosetting resin and a graphite material.
82. The conductive sheet molding compound composite sheet as in claim 81, wherein the graphite material comprises a graphite powder.
83. The conductive sheet molding compound composite sheet as in claim 81, wherein said graphite material comprises a graphite flake.
84. The conductive sheet molding compound composite sheet as in claim 81, wherein said graphite material comprises not less than approximately 20 weight percent of said conductive paste layer.
85. The conductive sheet molding compound composite sheet as in claim 81, wherein said thermosetting resin comprises a polyester resin.
86. The conductive sheet molding compound composite sheet as in claim 81, wherein plurality of reinforcing filaments or fibers comprises a veil, and wherein said sheet is compression molded in a mold having a surface, and wherein said veil fibers flow with the paste layers during compression molding, and wherein said veil covers substantially the entire surface of the mold in a substantially continuous form after molding.
87. A method for making a single ply of a conductive sheet molding compound that may be subsequently used to make an electrically conductive composite part comprising:
- introducing a first carrier film layer;
- introducing a first paste layer onto said first carrier film layer, said first paste layer comprising a first paste formulation;
- introducing a plurality of chopped reinforcing fibers onto said first paste layer;
- introducing a conductive paste layer onto said first paste layer, said conductive paste layer comprising a conductive paste formulation, said conductive paste formulation comprising a thermosetting resin and a graphite material;
- introducing a second carrier film layer onto said conductive paste layer to form a sheet molding compound composite sheet;
- compacting said sheet molding compound composite sheet to form a single ply of sheet molding compound; and
- thickening said single ply.
88. The method according to claim 87, wherein said graphite material comprises a graphite powder.
89. The method according to claim 87, wherein said graphite material comprises a graphite flake.
90. The method according to claim 87, wherein said graphite material comprises not less than approximately 20 weight percent of said paste layer.
91. The method according to claim 87, wherein the said thermosetting resin comprises a polyester resin.
92. The method according to claim 87, wherein said plurality of chopped reinforcing fibers comprises a veil, the method further comprising the steps of:
- compression molding said ply in a mold having a surface;
- flowing the fibers with the paste layers during the compression molding step; and
- substantially covering the entire surface of the mold with said fibers in a substantially continuous form during said flowing step.
93. A method for forming a composite part having electrical conductivity of less than 106 ohms per square along a visible surface, the method comprising:
- forming a conductive sheet molding compound composite sheet, said conductive sheet molding compound composite sheet comprising a first paste layer, a plurality of chopped reinforcing fibers, and a conductive paste layer comprising a thermosetting resin and a graphite material;
- compacting said conductive sheet molding compound composite sheet to form a single ply of a conductive sheet molding compound;
- introducing at least one ply of said conductive heat molding compound to a mold such that said second paste layer is closely coupled to a surface of said mold; and
- molding said at least one ply of said conductive sheet molding compound at a first temperature and a first pressure for sufficient time to cure said conductive sheet molding compound to form the composite part.
94. The method of claim 93, wherein forming conductive sheet molding compound composite sheet comprises:
- introducing a first carrier film layer;
- introducing a first paste layer onto said first carrier film layer, said first paste layer comprising a first paste formulation;
- introducing a plurality of chopped fibers onto said first paste layer;
- introducing a conductive paste layer onto said plurality of chopped fibers, said conductive paste layer comprising a second paste formulation, said second paste formulation comprising a thermosetting resin and a graphite material;
- introducing a second carrier film layer onto said conductive paste layer to form a conductive sheet molding composite sheet;
- compacting said conductive sheet molding composite sheet to form a single ply of conductive sheet molding compound;
- thickening said single ply; and
- cutting said single ply into a plurality of moldable plies having a desired shape; and
- removing said first carrier film layer and said second carrier film layer from said single ply.
95. The method according to claim 93, wherein forming a conductive sheet molding compound composite sheet comprises forming a conductive sheet molding compound composite sheet, said conductive sheet molding compound composite sheet comprising a first paste layer, a plurality of chopped reinforcing fibers, and a conductive paste layer comprising a thermosetting resin and a graphite powder.
96. The method according to claim 93, wherein forming a conductive sheet molding compound composite sheet comprises forming a conductive sheet molding compound composite sheet, said conductive sheet molding compound composite sheet comprising a first paste layer, a plurality of chopped reinforcing fibers, and a conductive paste layer comprising a thermosetting resin and a graphite flake.
97. The method according to claim 93, wherein forming a conductive sheet molding compound composite sheet comprises forming a conductive sheet molding compound composite sheet, said conductive sheet molding compound composite sheet comprising a first paste layer, a plurality of chopped reinforcing fibers, and a conductive paste layer comprising a thermosetting resin and a graphite material, said graphite material comprising not less than approximately 20 weight percent of said conductive paste layer.
98. The method according to claim 93, wherein forming a conductive sheet molding compound composite sheet comprises forming a conductive sheet molding compound composite sheet, said conductive sheet molding compound composite sheet comprising a first paste layer, a plurality of chopped reinforcing fibers, and a conductive paste layer comprising a thermosetting resin and a graphite material, said graphite material comprising not less than approximately 20 weight percent of said conductive paste layer, wherein said graphite material is selected from the group consisting of graphite powder and graphite flake.
99. The method of claim 93, wherein molding said at least one ply comprises molding said at least one ply of said conductive sheet molding compound at between about 140-163 degrees Celsius and between about 5-10 MPa for about one-half to three minutes to cure said conductive sheet molding compound to form the composite part.
100. The method according to claim 93, wherein said chopped fibers comprise a veil, the molding step further comprising the steps of:
- compression molding said sheet in a mold having a surface;
- flowing the fibers with the paste layers during the compression molding step; and
- substantially covering the entire surface of the mold with said fibers in a substantially continuous form during said flowing step.
101. A method for introducing a layer of sheet molding paste on a sheet molding compounding line comprising:
- coupling a volumetric paste extrusion device to the sheet molding compounding line, said volumetric paste extrusion device comprising a paste tank fluidically coupled to a slit extrusion die, said paste tank having a quantity of sheet molding paste;
- pumping said quantity of sheet molding paste from said paste tank to said slit extrusion die; and
- volumetrically applying a portion of said quantity of sheet molding paste from said slit extrusion die onto the sheet molding compounding line to form a layer of sheet molding paste.
102. The method of claim 101, wherein said slit extrusion die comprises a bulk molding volumetric slit extrusion die.
103. The method of claim 101, wherein pumping a quantity of sheet molding paste to a slit extrusion die comprises:
- fluidically coupling an input line and an exit line between said paste tank and said slit extrusion die, wherein said input line has a first volumetric pump and wherein said exit line has a second volumetric pump;
- pumping a first quantity of sheet molding paste from said paste tank to said slit extrusion die through said input line using said first volumetric pump; and
- pumping a second quantity of sheet molding paste from said slit extrusion die to said paste tank through said exit line using said second volumetric pump, wherein the difference between said first quantity and said second quantity represents the throughput of paste delivered onto the sheet molding compounding line.
104. The method of claim 101, wherein volumetrically applying a portion of said quantity of sheet molding paste comprises volumetrically applying a portion of said quantity of sheet molding paste through a slit on said slit extrusion die onto the sheet molding compounding line to form a layer of sheet molding paste, said slit having a width W.
105. The method of claim 104, further comprising coupling an Archimedes screw device to said slit extrusion die, said Archimedes screw device used to control the left-right balance of distribution of said portion of said quantity of sheet molding paste across the width W of said slit.
106. The method of claim 101, wherein volumetrically applying a portion of said quantity of sheet molding paste comprises volumetrically applying a portion of said quantity of sheet molding paste through a slit on said slit extrusion die onto the sheet molding compounding line to form a layer of sheet molding paste, said slit having a width W, said slit having a deformable lip that allows control of the gap width of said slit in order to balance right-left linear throughput through said slit.
107. The method of claim 104 further comprising coupling a filter within said input line to prevent large particulate matter from entering said slit extrusion die.
108. The method of claim 101 further comprising the step of compacting a veil with said paste, wherein said veil comprises a binder substantially soluble in said paste.
109. A volumetric paste extrusion device used to apply sheet molding paste to a sheet molding compounding line comprising:
- a paste tank, said paste tank having a quantity of sheet molding paste;
- a slit extrusion die having a slit, said slit having a width W;
- an input line for fluidically coupling said paste tank to said slit extrusion die;
- a first volumetric pump coupled to said input line, said first volumetric pump capable of pumping said quantity of sheet molding paste from said paste tank through said input line to said slit extrusion die;
- an exit line for fluidically coupling said slit extrusion die to said paste tank.
110. The volumetric paste extrusion device of claim 109, wherein said slit extrusion die comprises a bulk molding volumetric slit extrusion die.
111. The volumetric paste extrusion device of claim 109, further comprising: a second volumetric pump coupled to said exit line, said second volumetric pump capable of pumping a first portion of said quantity of sheet molding paste from said slit extrusion die through said exit line to said paste tank, wherein a second portion of said quantity of sheet molding paste exits said slit across said width W, said first portion and said second portion comprising said quantity of said sheet molding paste
112. The volumetric paste extrusion device of claim 111, further comprising an Archimedes screw device coupled to said slit extrusion die, said Archimedes screw device used to control the left-right balance of distribution of said portion of said quantity of sheet molding paste across said width W of said slit.
113. The volumetric paste extrusion device of claim 109, wherein said slit has a deformable lip, said deformable lip allowing control of the gap width of said slit in order to balance right-left linear throughput through said slit.
114. The volumetric paste extrusion device of claim 109 further comprising a filter coupled within said input line.
115. The method of claim 109 further comprising the step of compacting a veil with said paste, wherein said veil comprises a binder substantially soluble in said paste.
116. A single ply of a conductive sheet molding compound composite sheet used to make a composite part having surface conductivity comprising:
- a first paste layer;
- a preformed veil including a plurality of chopped irregularly shaped reinforcing fibers; and
- a conductive paste layer, said conductive paste layer comprising a thermosetting resin and a graphite material.
117. The ply of claim 1 where said fibers or filaments comprise glass fibers or filaments.
118. The ply of claim 81 wherein said fibers or filaments comprise glass fibers or filaments.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 15, 2007
Publication Date: Mar 27, 2008
Inventors: Jacques Gerard (Olne), David Adam (Pataskala, OH), Frank Cichocki (Easton, PA), Michael Jander (Eupen), Paul Krumlauf (Thornville, OH), Giovanni Montagna (Battice), Donald Sage (Northville, TX)
Application Number: 11/818,826
International Classification: B32B 9/00 (20060101); B27N 1/00 (20060101); B28B 13/00 (20060101); C04B 35/00 (20060101); B28B 7/14 (20060101); B29C 33/00 (20060101);