US 12,220,855 B2
Method for producing a moldable, thermoplastic, continuous fiber reinforced composite structure, moldable composite structure, and device for producing same
Thomas Gläßer, Halle (DE); and Peter Stache, Halle (DE)
Assigned to FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V., Munich (DE)
Appl. No. 17/781,294
Filed by Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Munich (DE)
PCT Filed Nov. 26, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/083514
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 31, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/110536, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 10, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2019 218 775.7 (DE), filed on Dec. 3, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0001626 A1, Jan. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. B29C 51/14 (2006.01); B29C 35/08 (2006.01); B29C 51/42 (2006.01); B29K 101/12 (2006.01); B29K 105/08 (2006.01); B29L 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 51/145 (2013.01) [B29C 35/0805 (2013.01); B29C 35/0894 (2013.01); B29C 51/421 (2013.01); B29C 2035/0822 (2013.01); B29K 2101/12 (2013.01); B29K 2105/08 (2013.01); B29L 2007/002 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of producing a moldable thermoplastic, continuous fiber-reinforced composite structure including at least two layers having continuous fibers embedded in a matrix of thermoplastic material in at least one layer thereof, comprising:
contactlessly heating at least one of the at least two layers with an infrared field irradiating at least one first surface region of at least one of the two layers to cause the at least one irradiated first surface region to be heated to or above a melting temperature of the thermoplastic material;
producing a semifinished complete product by maintaining the temperature of the matrix of thermoplastic material at or below the melting temperature of the thermoplastic material in at least one second surface region which directly adjoins the at least one first surface region during the contactless heating of the at least one first region by introducing a shading element between a source of the infrared radiation and the at least one second surface region which shields the at least one second surface region from direct irradiation by the infrared field; and
moving the semifinished composite product, after being heated with the infrared field, to cause the continuous fibers to be moved relative to each other within the at least one first surface region and spatially fixed relative to each other within the at least one second surface region.