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- P4 - a new exciting preform technology introduced by Aplicator System AB in Sweden. It can significantly reduce the cost and improve the quality of liquid composite moulding parts. The equipment had to meet all the requirements of a modern industrial production process and therefore had to be
| highly automated. For this reason the P4 process uses modern computer-controlled technology to provide a high level of consistency, accuracy and safety. One important part of the P4 process is a pair of perforated screens of the same shape as the tool used to mould the final part. P4 uses low-cost conventional | ;) |
| Three parts on Aston Martin Vanquish, manufactured with Aplicator P4 | |
| fibre rovings which are fed to the machine via a glass handling system. A unique SMART chopper gun mounted at the end of a six-axis robot sprays a glass fibre veil on to the lower part of the screen and air is sucked through it to hold the glass in place. The veil layer assists in de-moulding of the preform and can be used to achieve class-A surfaces. With the veil completed, chopped or continuous, glass fibres are sprayed onto the screen, either randomly or oriented to allow efficient structural laminates to be produced. | |
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Computerised control of the main chopper results in a high level of accuracy in the distribution of the glass fibre from area to area and from one preform to another. Irrespective of variations in roving texture, P4 chopper guns offer unprecedented process flexibility, unlike the conventional chopper gun which is limited in both fibre output and fibre length. | |||
| Aplicator P4 - Model of a system manufactured for ACC. | ||||
| APLICATOR P4 chopper guns have a very large processing window. This allows for changes in fibre output and fibre length without stopping the manufacturing process. The preform is heated to melt the binder and then cooled to stabilise the binder and preform for handling of the resin infusion during the moulding process. | ||||
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| In the final step of the manufacturing process, the preforms are taken to the moulding operation where they are infused with a polymeric resin. | ||||
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SUMMARY The fully automated P4 process utilising 6-axis robots provides a high degree of repeatability for the manufacture of quality products. The combination of computer-guided robot and state-of-the-art glass fibre delivery system results in a preforming process that has obvious technological and economic benefits. |
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| Aplicator P4 - Model of a system manufactured for Ford Motor. | ||||
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From the technological viewpoint, the use of a powdered binder instead of a liquid eliminates the need to dry the preform and avoids getting wet binder on the screen. Other key benefits include:
- High-consistency preforms.
- Excellent precision in the fibre placing.
- "Class A" surface.
- Controlled thickness variation.
- Superior control of glass distribution.
- "Deep draw" geometry.
- Easy demoulding.
One of the process's paramount economic benefits is the low level of waste produced, at around 3%. This is considerably lower than for other preforming processes. Other advantages include:
- Lower raw material cost than with some alternative processes such as mat-thermoforming.
- Low energy consumption.
- Net shape and net size preforms, eliminating the need for trimming.
- A complete preform unit can be installed for a moderate investment.
These features combined with use of low-cost raw materials, make P4 extremely cost-effective compared to other preforming processes. The end result is a net shape and net size preform.
- A robot with two glass delivery systems
- An Air ducting and heating system
- A mold carrier with preform screens
- Glass Fiber delivery System
