Effects of the Injection Material and Resin Layer on the Mechanical Properties of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastic (CFRTP) Press and Injection Hybrid Molded Parts

Abstract

In the press and injection hybrid molded parts of fiber-reinforced thermoplastics (FRTPs), failure at the interface between the surface material (the outer shell) and the ribs (the injection part) or that at the injection part has become an issue. Adding a resin layer to the rib roots at the same time that the ribs are molded through injection has been proposed, which may increase the mechanical properties and reduce the material cost. To prevent failure at the injection part, the use of fiber-reinforced resin as an injection material has been suggested. This approach contributes to a higher bond strength by lowering the molding shrinkage rate. In this study, the hat-shaped parts of carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastics (CFRTPs) with fiber-reinforced and neat resin layers at the rib root were fabricated through press and injection hybrid molding, and their mechanical properties were evaluated through three-point bending tests. The effects of the resin layer at the rib root and the existence or nonexistence of fiber reinforcement on the mechanical properties, as well as the relationship between the material cost and the mechanical properties, were clarified through an experiment and FEM analysis. The bond strength was also evaluated through tensile tests that were undertaken at the rib root. Molded parts with neat PA6 and glass fiber-reinforced PA6 resin layers at the rib roots showed higher bond strength than those without resin layers. In a three-point bending test of a CFRTP hat-shaped part with a resin layer at the rib roots, the use of a 1 mm thick CFRTP laminate for the outer shell and glass fiber-reinforced PA6 resin as the injection material showed the same stiffness as a part that used a 2 mm thick CFRTP laminate for the outer shell. FEM analysis showed that the resin layer prevented the concentration of strain at the rib roots, and the model that used a 1 mm thick CFRTP laminate for the outer shell and glass fiber-reinforced PA6 resin as the injection material showed the best specific stiffness in this study. By adding a resin layer to the rib roots, the fabrication of molded parts with excellent specific stiffness was enabled at a small increase in cost.