Method of making a body part or chassis part of a motor vehicle
View Patent ↗In a method of making a body part or chassis part of a motor vehicle, several pre-impregnated fiber materials (prepregs) are stacked on top o one another, with an outermost prepreg intended for attachment to a metallic base body being provided with an adhesive. The stacked prepregs are then shaped into a three-dimensional preform which is then compressed with the base body in a press tool for bonding the preform with the base body and allowing the adhesive to cure, thereby producing a joined structure which is allowed to cure.
1. A method of making a body part or chassis part of a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:
a) stacking several pre-impregnated fiber materials (prepregs), with an outermost prepreg intended for attachment to a metallic base body being provided with an adhesive;
b) trimming the prepregs after step a) to conform to a geometry of the base body;
c) shaping the stacked and trimmed prepregs into a three-dimensional preform;
d) compressing the preform and the base body in a press tool for bonding the preform with the base body and allowing the adhesive to cure, thereby producing a joined structure; and
e) allowing the structure to age for curing.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the outermost prepreg is impregnated with the adhesive.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the outermost prepreg is coated with the adhesive.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of bonding the structure to a further base body, with the preform sandwiched between the base bodies to interconnect the base bodies and assuming a reinforcement function.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the preform is made of a fiber plastic composite.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the preform is made of a carbon fiber plastic composite.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fiber materials have fibers aligned unidirectionally in a sheet.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive is a two-component polyurethane adhesive.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base body is a member selected from the group consisting of B-pillar, sill, roof side frame, and bumper cross beam.