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Thermal Spray Preforms: An Economical Route to SRIM Composites
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Abstract
An innovative and economical new method has been developed to fabricate glass fiber preforms in the Structural Reaction Injection Molding (SRIM) process to produce structural composite components. The method involves blowing a resin powder through a ring of flame in a commercial thermal spray gun to achieve a melt, and directing the melt onto a fiber reinforcement where the polymer solidifies on contact and binds the fibers together. The fibers are fed through a chopper gun and cocurrently deposited with the binder onto a screen in the shape of the part. A vacuum is applied to the back of the screen by a blower to hold the fibers in place. The thermal spray process has significant economical advantages over the use of mat to fabricate preforms due to lower raw material costs and waste. It also has many advantages over traditional directed fiber processes, including capital and energy savings from the elimination of the preform drying operation. The process is very clean and easily adaptable to robotic operation. Targeted applications include bumper beams, instrument and closeout panels, and seat backs in the automotive market.
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Citation
Barron, J. and Entringer, J., "Thermal Spray Preforms: An Economical Route to SRIM Composites," SAE Technical Paper 940172, 1994, https://doi.org/10.4271/940172.Also In
References
- Barron, J.H. Entringer J. “Thermoformable Preform Process Optimization” 47m Annual SPI Composites Conference February 1992
- Schell, P.L. Dockum, J.F. Jr. Carley E.P. “Preforming for Liquid Composite Molding” 45th Annual SPI Composites Conference February 1990
- Bambrick, C. Babbington D.A. Waszeciak D. “Recycling Options for SRIM Composites” Eighth Annual ASM/ESD Advanced Composites Conference November 1992
- Guan, J. Lee L.J. Barron J.H. “A Parametric Study of Directed Fiber Preforms in SRIM” Ninth Annual ASM/ESD Advanced Composites Conference November 1993
- Morse, C.T. Ochoa O.O. Barron J.H. Barron D.L. “Optimization of SRIM Automotive Bumper Beams Through Permeability and Wetout Characterization” Eighth Annual ASM/ESD Advanced Composites Conference November 1992