1. Introduction to the Project

1.1 Introduction to technical achievements

The project aims to meet the demand for “precise manufacturing” of fiber composite components and proposes a new idea of “obtaining the target shape of composite components through multi-point flexible mold surface CNC compensation for curing deformation”. The project has invented a multi-point digital flexible hot pressing mold and developed a reconfigurable surface software control SCPRS program and a prototype of a small-scale testing equipment. It has created a multi-point flexible hot pressing forming method (which replaces traditional integral molds with a regular arrangement of basic body lattice, and achieved rapid CNC reconstruction of mold surfaces, temperature and pressure loading by controlling the height of the basic body, hot pressing forming temperature, and pressure load), and established new processes such as multi-point flexible external hot pressing and multi-point flexible gas assisted hot pressing for fiber composite components. It has developed a new technology and equipment for multi-point flexible hot pressing with independent intellectual property rights, and is planned to manufacture the prototype equipment for pilot testing.

1.2 Technical analysis and advantages

1.2.1 Core technical analysis

The project proposes a new idea of “precise control” for the solidification deformation of fiber composite components, which is to obtain the target shape of composite components by compensating for the solidification deformation through multi-point flexible mold surface CNC. This involves replacing the traditional overall mold with a regular arrangement of basic body lattice, and achieving rapid CNC reconstruction of mold surface, temperature and pressure loading by controlling the height of the basic body, hot pressing temperature, and compression load size.

The project team has developed a multi-point digital flexible hot pressing mold software control MPFTCS program and a prototype of small-scale testing equipment, and built a “precise control” experimental platform for curing deformation of fiber composite components. It has preliminarily achieved effective control of multi-point flexible curing deformation of fiber composite components, and formed a new technology and equipment for multi-point flexible hot pressing with independent intellectual property rights.

1.2.2 Technological innovation and advantages

The project team systematically conducted research on multi-point forming methods, processes, and technical equipment, forming a series of applications including aircraft skin forming, high-speed train skin forming, hull outer plate forming, and bird’s nest building steel structure forming (the team has developed the most prototypes, the widest application industry, and the world’s largest number of published papers). The project products have won 6 national and provincial-level awards, including the China Patent Gold Award and the National Science and Technology Progress Second Prize. The equipment has been exported to the Steel Co., Ltd. of South Korea, and the project company is the birthplace of domestic technology; compared to foreign competitors, the price has decreased by about 30%, and the technical services are more timely, with the same level of technical expertise.

The project is based on the long-term accumulation of the team in the theory and technology of multi-point forming of metal sheets. It is planned to carry out the design and manufacturing of digital pilot equipment for multi-point flexible fiber composite materials. There are few reports on related work, which is a leading work. The advantages of this project over its competitors are mainly reflected in the following aspects:

(1) The team members have interdisciplinary backgrounds and research experience in mechanical design, automation control, software development, etc. They have the ability to design and manufacture multi-point flexible digital pilot equipment for fiber composite materials.

(2) The team completed the design and manufacturing of multi-point flexible digital trial equipment for fiber composite materials in the early stage, and the feasibility of the project was verified through experiments.

(3) The team has established long-term cooperative relationships with leading enterprises in the aviation equipment and rail train industries, and has the ability to transform and sell products in the market.

1.3 Main products and applications of technical achievements

The project is planned to carry out the design and manufacturing of multi-point flexible digital pilot equipment for fiber composite materials. It will form a pilot engineering prototype product composed of multi-point hot pressing flexible molds, shape adjustment control software, press machines, etc., which will be applied to the forming and process verification testing, production and manufacturing of fiber composite components such as aviation equipment and railway vehicles.

1.4 Stage of technological achievements

At present, the technical achievements of the project are in the pilot stage.

1.5 Technical team

The project team was formed by Professor Li Mingzhe in the 1990s, with a long-term focus on the research of multi-point flexible forming of sheet metal. The results have won the second prize of national scientific and technological progress, the gold medal of Chinese patents, and have been applied to the bending and twisting forming of irregular steel components in the Olympic Bird’s Nest, the forming of the front skin of rail vehicles, and the forming of titanium alloy hull outer plates. Adhering to the tradition passed down by teachers and students, the team is currently focusing on the development of multi-point flexible digital manufacturing technology for fiber composite materials. By overcoming the bottleneck of multi-point flexible hot pressing technology, it has achieved a leap from multi-point forming of metal materials to multi-point forming of fiber composite materials. Professor Han Qigang, the team leader, serves as the Vice Dean of the School of Materials Science and Engineering, a member of the Plastic Engineering Branch of the Chinese Society of Mechanical Engineering, a member of the Youth Work Committee of the Chinese Society of Materials Research, and an editorial board member of the Mechanical Science and Technology. He has undertaken more than 30 national, provincial, municipal, and enterprise research and development projects, publishing more than 70 SCI papers, and obtaining more than 30 authorized invention patents. He has won 2 first prizes of Jilin Province Science and Technology Award (Technology Invention Award), 1 Mechanical Industry Science and Technology Award (Technology Invention Award), 1 special prize of Jilin Province Teaching Achievement Award, as well as honors such as Jilin Province Youth Science and Technology Award, one of the 8th batch of outstanding innovative talents in Jilin Province, and one of the 18th batch of innovative and entrepreneurial talents in Jilin Province.

2. Market Potential Analysis

The multi-point forming technology was initially proposed by Japanese scholars to improve the shipbuilding industry's process. After a series of experiments, a pressure forming machine with multiple punches was finally developed, which can achieve the forming of curved sheet metal. American scholars have also conducted research on multi-point forming technology, manufactured multi-point flexible molds, and applied them to aircraft skin forming.

Fiber composite materials are a type of composite material composed of several fibers and matrices with varying lengths and diameters. Fibers are usually made of glass fiber, carbon fiber, aramid fiber, etc. The matrix includes materials such as resin, metal, and ceramics. Fiber composite materials have the characteristics of high strength, high rigidity, lightweight, and strong corrosion resistance compared to traditional materials, and are widely used in fields such as aerospace, construction, transportation, and sports equipment.

However, the manufacturing of fiber composite components involves multiple stages and complex processes. During the curing process, residual stresses caused by temperature changes can cause deformation of the components. There is currently no benchmark enterprise for the development of a multi-point flexible digital intelligent manufacturing production line for fiber composite materials both domestically and internationally.

The project will form a multi-point flexible digital pilot plant for fiber composite materials and its manufacturing technology. The equipment products will be used in the fields of aerospace, rail transit, etc. The target customers for service are aircraft manufacturing and high-speed train manufacturing related enterprises such as COMAC Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Co., Ltd., AVIC Xi’an Aircraft Industry (Group) Co., Ltd., CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co., Ltd. Taking aircraft molds for example, based on 200 sets of aircraft interior mold, the production value of mold parts can reach 100 million yuan. If domestic large aircraft interior mold manufacturing is achieved, the market size of aviation molds will double by billions in the future.

3. Financing Needs and Stage Goals

The project is planned to raise 5 million yuan and invest it in product development. The specific goals are as follows:

(1) Design and optimize multi-point flexible digital pilot equipment for fiber composite materials;

(2) Multi-point flexible digital pilot equipment for processing and manufacturing fiber composite materials;

(3) Conduct verification tests on the multi-point flexible digital pilot equipment for fiber composite materials;

(4) Certification of multi-point flexible digital pilot equipment for fiber composite materials;

(5) Establish a sales team for multi-point flexible digital pilot equipment for fiber composite materials;

(6) Establish a multi-point flexible digital pilot equipment company for fiber composite materials.

4. Analysis of Technical Achievements and Benefits

4.1 Economic benefits

The market value of the technical achievements of the project is 50 million yuan.

4.2 Social benefits

The project will form a pilot engineering prototype product composed of multi-point hot pressing flexible molds, adjustment control software, and presses, leading the development of equipment manufacturing and new materials industry, and filling the gap in multi-point flexible digital equipment manufacturing of fiber composite materials.

5. Contact Method

Contact person: Han Qigang

Tel: 13331756990