Author(s)

K. Tanaka, M. Yamada, N. Kohashi & T. Katayama

Abstract

Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastics (CFRP) can offer a great deal of automobile weight saving. For automotive applications, however, they are not used well due to their low energy absorption and long production cycle time. Hybrid composite laminates of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastics/Aramid Fibre Reinforced Plastics (CFRP/AFRP), based on thermosetting resin, have a high strength to weight ratio and high energy absorption capacity. When CFRP/AFRP hybrid composite laminates will be used for the mass-produced car, it is necessary to consider the recycling efficiency and productivity. Therefore, it is preferable to use thermoplastics resin. The high-speed compression moulding method using an electromagnetic induction heating system has a big advantage for the moulding of continuous fibre reinforced thermoplastic composites, because this thermoforming technique could reduce the production cycle time drastically. In this study, a Carbon Fibre/Aramid Fibre Reinforced Thermoplastics hybrid composite (CFRTP/ AFRTP) was manufactured by the high-speed compression moulding method using an electromagnetic induction heating system, and the optimum moulding condition and mechanical properties of CFRTP/AFRTP hybrid composites were investigated. An optimum moulding condition was sought by using the design of experiments method. The factors used in this study were moulding pressure, maximum temperature holding time, materials and stacking sequences. An optimum moulding condition was determined from the analysis of variance by mechanical properties. The optimum moulding condition of the CFRTP/AFRTP

Keywords

thermoplastic composites, hybrid composites, aramid fibre, carbon fibre, electromagnetic induction, high speed compression moulding