Recticel

Recticel Automobilsysteme Gmbh

Recticel N.v.

Kristiaan Bracke

Hugo De Winter

Jan Willems

Bart Broeckaert

Nele Bosman

The foamed article is produced starting from a core layer () which comprises a flexible, open-cell foam having voids forming at least 90% of the volume of the open-cell foam. The core layer () is applied in a mold (), optionally together with an upper () and/or a lower cover layer (), between a lower () and an upper mold surface () thereof. The mold () is closed and a curable, foamable composition () is allowed to foam in the mold to produce a further foam filling the voids of the open-cell foam. In order to enable to use less foamable composition () to fill the voids of the open-cell foam, the core layer () is laid onto the lower mold surface () and the foamable composition () is sprayed onto the core layer () lying onto the lower mold surface so that the foamable composition () can penetrate at least partially by gravity into the open-cell foam core layer (). Moreover, the foamable composition () has a dynamic viscosity, measured at a shear rate of 1/s, of lower than 1000 mPa&#xb7;s when arriving onto the core layer ().

Process for the production of a foamed article

The three-dimensionally shaped sandwich structure is produced starting from a layered material () comprising a compressible core layer, in particular a paper honeycomb structure, having two opposite main faces which are each covered with a reinforcing material and with a mouldable material. The layered material () is moulded in a compression mould comprising two mutually movable mould sections (). In order to reduce the formation of cracks, tears or breaks in the core layer, the first mould section () is composed of at least two mutually movable mould parts (and-). A first portion of the layered material () is first deep-drawn by moving the first mould part () towards its moulding position so that wrinkles are formed in the layered material and the second mould part (-) is moved later and/or more slowly than the first mould part () towards its moulding position. In this way the formation of wrinkles by the first mould part () is enhanced due to the fact that the layered material () is little or not hampered from being drawn by the first mould part to the deep-drawn area. The second mould part may be composed of different subparts (-) which are also moved successively towards their moulding position.

Process for the production of a three-dimensionally shaped sandwich structure

The panel-like laminate comprises a flexible skin (), a rigid substrate () and an intermediate layer (). The flexible skin () comprises a main part () which forms the front side of the laminate and at least one flange () which extends from the main part () of the skin towards the substrate () to form at least a portion of the lateral side of the laminate. In order to avoid foam leakage when molding the intermediate layer () between the skin () and the substrate (), the flange () is extended by a border part () which comprises a flexible lip (). The flexible lip is pressed against the rigid substrate () so that the flexible lip () forms a seal between the skin and the substrate. To prevent deformation of the skin, the border part () of the skin further comprises at least one continuous or discontinuous ridge () which extends along the flange () of the skin () and which prevents a sliding of this border part when closing the mold.

Growing community of inventors

Berlare, Belgium

Kristiaan Bracke