Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

United States Council for Automotive Research

Jeffrey Scott Dahl

Carl Frederick Johnson

Eric Daniel Kleven

Raymond Silva

Patrick James Blanchard

Norman Gerald Chavka

Gerald Norman Chavka

Chen-Shih Wang

Bhavesh Shah

Glen Smith

Michael Cacovic

James E DeVries

Charles William Knakal

A method of producing a composite article is disclosed that includes generating composite plies from a low tack composite prepreg material, connecting, by an ultrasonic welding device, two or more of the composite plies by increasing their tackiness to form a composite stack, and forming, by a compression molding device, a composite article from the composite stack.

System and process for producing a composite article

An assembly for compression molding includes an insert housing defining a plurality of apertures having stop surfaces. The assembly includes a plurality of inserts disposed within the apertures and in engagement with the stop surfaces. The assembly further includes a plurality of gas springs in biased engagement with the inserts. Individual gas springs of the plurality of gas springs are adapted to independently compress under load to permit independent movement of individual inserts within the apertures relative to the insert housing.

Multi-cavity compression molding

In one embodiment, a fiber treatment system includes a rotatable nubbed roller including an axis of rotation, a surface, and a number of spaced apart nubs projecting away from the surface, the number of spaced apart nubs imparting a number of spaced apart openings in a fiber tow. In another embodiment, the fiber treatment system further includes an optionally rotatable spreader roller for flattening the fiber tow. In yet another embodiment, the loosened, but still continuous fiber tow is chopped by a downstream chopper to form short fibers with reduced tow sizes.

Fiber tow treatment apparatus and system

In at least one embodiment, a molding method for producing a molded article is provided. The method may include introducing polymer and fiber separately into an extruder in a first ratio to produce a first extruded material having a first fiber content and in a second ratio to produce a second extruded material having a second fiber content different from the first fiber content. The method may further include filling a first region of a mold with the first extruded material and a second region of the mold with the second extruded material. The extruded material may be formed as blanks for use in compression molding or may be introduced into an injection chamber for use in injection molding. The method may be used to form molded articles having a plurality of regions having different fiber contents.

Method for molding tailored composites

A method and apparatus for producing an article. The method includes providing a fiber material, splitting the fiber material with a splitting roller having a set of grooves that extend continuously around a circumference of the splitting roller, and cutting the fiber material to a desired length.

Method and apparatus for making a fiber reinforced article

A SMC lamination line is disclosed that has an upper carrier film and a lower carrier film with oriented chopped fibers being deposited between the carrier films. Resin paste or adhesive is provided to retain oriented fibers on the lower carrier film. A guide roller guides the carrier film in close proximity to an in-feed conveyor that feeds oriented chopped fiber unto the lower carrier film. The guide roller is preferably less than the diameter of the end roller of the feed conveyor. The guide roller is also preferably within the arc of movement of the ends of the oriented chopped fibers to ensure a smooth and non-disruptive transfer of the oriented chopped fibers to the lower carrier film.

Fiber transfer apparatus for laminating fiber-reinforced sheet molding compound

An apparatus for making SMC comprising a conveyor belt assembly having a feed end and a transfer end. The conveyor belt assembly including a belt having an outer surface and an inner surface. A cutting support structure disposed between the feed end and the transfer end, and in contact with the inner surface. A cutting wheel having a perimeter surface and disposed adjacent to the cutting support structure. A feed tension member proximate the outer surface and disposed between the feed end and the cutting wheel. The feed tension member positions the fiber rovings onto the outer surface to be cut by the cutting wheel. The feed tension member, cutting wheel and belt cooperate to feed the fiber rovings at a feed rate, cut the fiber rovings into a plurality of parallel discontinuous fibers, and convey the fibers at substantially the same rate as the feed rate.

Apparatus and method for making fiber reinforced sheet molding compound

Methods for the manufacture of reinforcing preforms for structural composite products. Minimum contact eyelets reduce friction in the supply provide chopped reinforcing materials to both of said first and second mold members, and spraying said chopped reinforcing materials into both of said first and second mold members.

Processing systems for automated manufacture of preforms

System for the manufacture of reinforcing preforms for structural composite products. The air flows for the manufacturing stations are optimized by providing a separate air system for each cell and providing seals between the net-edge blocks and the mold portions.

Air flow systems for automated preform processing

Systems for the manufacture of reinforcing preforms for structural composite products. Minimum contact eyelets reduce friction in the supply system for string reinforcing materials.

Systems for the manufacture of reinforcing preforms for structural composite products. The robotic application system allows use of a single robot in a multiple cell system, and provides offline programming of the robotic routine. The robot moves between the cells on a track system.

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Livonia, MI, United States of America

Jeffrey Scott Dahl