Light weight and high physical properties
In order to realize further weight reduction of automobiles, we are studying the mechanism of the interfacial strength development of resin and glass fiber, and have developed a technology to improve high strength, high stiffness, and high impact.
We intend to propose this material as a material which may provide collision safety and weight reduction because it has tensile strength and impact properties equal to or greater than those of metals, and may also contribute to improved reliability and fuel efficiency.
Manufacturing process
LENCEN™ is produced via the following procedure.
1．Layering: Layers of glass fiber fabric are stacked together with resin-film layers.
2．Heating/pressurizing: The layer stack is heated and pressurized in a press, causing the resin to melt.
3．Impregnation: The molten resin soaks through glass fibers.
4．Finally, the product is cooled to solidify the resin, yielding sheet of material ready for molding.
Also, because PA66 are thermoplastic resins, they can be combined with injection molding of materials of similar types (hybrid of composite and injection molding, composite sheet overmolded with injection molding). This allows formation of complex-shaped parts such as ribs and flanges, offering the possibility of cost reductions thanks to improved component rigidity and better integration with neighboring components.
【What is prepreg?】
Prepreg is a term used to refer to sheet of molding material manufactured via the impregnation process described above. The term organo-sheet is also used.
The combination of materials used to produce prepreg may be chosen in many ways. For the resin films, common choices include thermoplastic resins such as polyamide or polypropylene; thermosetting resins may also be used. For the reinforcing fibers, common choices include glass fibers and carbon fibers, which may be woven into continuous fiber textiles or aligned in uni-directional (UD) configurations; non-woven (random) configurations of chopped fibers are also used.
