The manufacturing technology of carbon fiber plates

The manufacturing process of carbon fiber plates is a complex and precise procedure, primarily comprising the following steps:

1. Preparation of Carbon Fiber Prepreg: Carbon fibers are mixed with resin in specific proportions to form a prepreg. The carbon fibers are first dried to remove moisture and impurities, followed by the addition of resin according to product requirements. During the mixing process, special attention must be paid to the amount of resin used and the uniformity of the mixture.

2. Forming: The forming process can utilize various methods, such as compression molding and injection molding.

Compression Molding: The prepreg-impregnated carbon fiber material is placed into a metal mold, where pressure is applied to force out any excess resin. Then, it is cured at high temperatures to shape the final product, which is obtained after demolding. This method is suitable for making automotive parts, among others.
Injection Molding: The carbon fiber prepreg is injected into a mold, where heat and pressure cure the resin.

3. Curing: The resin is fully cured at a specific temperature. Curing times generally range from a few hours to several days, and it is essential to control both temperature and pressure to ensure the mechanical properties and surface quality of the product.

 4.Processing:
Cutting: After the prepreg is taken out from the cold storage, an automatic cutting machine is used to precisely cut according to the material pattern.
Laying: The prepreg is laid on the laying tooling, with different layers being laid according to the design requirements, usually under laser positioning.
Post-molding processing: Including cutting, deburring, dimensioning, and removal of scraps, etc. For thicker carbon fiber plates, it is recommended to use double-edged compression milling cutters to suppress the delamination of the material.
Drilling: When drilling carbon fiber plates, the faster the rotational speed, the better the effect. Usually, PCD (polycrystalline diamond) 8-edge drills are selected.

5. Cleaning: Dry ice cleaning is carried out at the cleaning station to remove the release agent to facilitate the subsequent gluing process.

6. Gluing: Structural glue is applied at the gluing robot workstation. The gluing position, speed, and glue discharge amount have been precisely adjusted.

7. Assembly and inspection: After gluing, the inner and outer plates are assembled. After the glue is cured, blue light inspection is carried out to ensure the dimensional accuracy of key holes, points, lines, and surfaces.

It should be noted that due to the inhomogeneity of carbon fiber reinforced composites (CFRP), fiber pull-out or matrix fiber detachment often occurs during the processing, thus having higher requirements for equipment. The large amount of cutting heat generated during the production process causes severe wear on the equipment. At the same time, the quality requirements for CFRP are becoming increasingly strict, which also leads to an increase in processing costs.

In addition, the production process of carbon fiber plates also includes the selection and preparation of raw materials, control of the production environment, as well as safety production and environmental protection. These are all key factors to ensure the quality and performance of carbon fiber plates.