Abstract
Thermo-stamping is a widely used forming process for automotive components made from fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites, but it still suffers from a variety of challenges such as long cycle time and high energy consumption. In this paper, self-resistance electrical (SRE) heating, an internal efficient heating method with the advantages of rapid heating speed and low energy consumption, was introduced into thermo-stamping for the rapid manufacturing of carbon fiber reinforced polyamide 6 (CFR-PA6) hat-shaped components. The impacts of the temperature related process parameters, preheating temperature (90 °C ∼ 220 °C) and mold temperature (20 °C ∼ 130 °C) on the shape accuracy, surface quality, microscopic morphology and mechanical properties of obtained hat-shaped components were investigated through experimental characterization. Besides, the energy-saving effect of SRE heating was also revealed compared with radiant heating, an external heating method. It is found that the defects such as fiber bundle cracks, matrix cracks and interface cracks caused by SRE heating are more serious than those caused by radiant heating, which is attributed to the effect of Joule heating, Lorentz force and dielectric breakdown. However, a high mold temperature can reduce these defects owing to the reconsolidation behavior of the hat-shaped component during the thermo-stamping process. The results show that the hat-shaped components possess a good formability and forming quality at a preheating temperature at 200 °C and mold temperature at 130 °C. Moreover, the total cycle time of thermo-stamping with SRE heating is less than 1 min and the energy consumption by SRE heating is about 9.86 % ∼12.09 % compared with radiant heating, which provides a more energy-efficient option for industrial production.
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