Make Frame Car Body Only One Minute

Frame body electric car made by Teijin thermoplastic CFRP process. Just takes a minute!

TOKYO - Want to make a concept car in one minute? The technology recently developed by Teijin will be very helpful. The reason, by using carbon fiber reinforced plastic and thermoplastic press (printing machine), the process lasted only one minute. Thus be explained by the Japanese company last week.

Teijin also showed the framework of the body is called "white body" the size of small vehicles and manufactured by the process of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) thermoplastic. Sample frame cabin has been fitted with an electric motor, suspension, seats, and tires and can speed up 60 kph. Amazingly, it weighs only 47 kg or one-fifth the weight of frame cabin made from the plate. The number of components is also not much, only 20 items!

Component mass

Further, this new technology not only to create the framework of the cabin, but also other car components. "Especially the components that must be produced in bulk and need a quick time," explained the company in a release. This technology combines injection molding processes (injection molding) CFRP thermoplastic with the print press (press molding).

Other types of resin, namely polypropylene (PP) and poly-amide (PA), can also be used. Components in the example model of the car body frame shown Teijin made of PP and PA is formed with the printing press and injection molding.

In the printing press, the material is processed by mixing carbon fibers with thermoplastic resins. For this, use two ways. First, the basic materials have been prepared in line to make it really strong in a limited way. The second method, the basis of isotropic material, the force produced by the same in all directions and make the material easily bent to different shapes.

Injection molding process includes the use of long fiber containing pellets (long thermoplastic pellets or LTP) which is used to process the material. Although strength is not as strong as if made by printing press, LTP suitable for making components with complex shapes such as a connection. Even the process can be done using existing injection molding machines now.

For CFRP connection, Teijin still use the seam (rivets) to prototype metal body frame they make. Connection technologies will be developed for the process of making components more quickly, in under a minute.

For the latter, the process is not described in detail. Teijin just say, it's the same with welding workmanship using the alias does not use glue at all. This method can also be used to combine different materials such as CFRP with metal. In addition to auto components, the process can also be used to make tooling and robot components.