Author(s)

K. Tanaka, S. Yamada, Y. Matsuura, T. Katayama

Abstract

Carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastics (CFRTP), which have advantages in terms of high-specific strength and high-specific stiffness, are expected to be used for automotive parts to attain automotive lightening for good gasoline mileage. Not only straight-shaped parts but also curved-shaped parts are well used for pipe-shaped structural components, and low-cost and high-speed molding method is required for CFRTP pipe molding. High-frequency direct resistance heating has been developed so as to heat only the mold surface rapidly by skin effect, resulting in better energy consumption than that of induction heating methods. In the case of a curved pipe mold, however, uniformity of its temperature distribution is one of the important issues to be solved. In order to obtain uniform temperature distribution of the curved mold, the novel mold structure with hollow was proposed and its temperature distribution was revealed using FEM analysis.

Keywords

CFRTP pipe, FEM analysis, temperature distribution, skin effect, high-frequency direct resistance heating