Shaped preform for face portion of a composite wheel

1. A shaped preform component for a face portion of a composite wheel, the shaped preform comprising:

a hub that extends around a central axis, wherein:

the shaped preform component is formed from a cured composite fibre material having a compressibility of <2% volumetric under moulding conditions of 50 bar hydrostatic pressure and a temperature of 60 to 200° C., and

the shaped preform comprises at least one of:

(i) Tailored Fibre Placement plies or preforms;

(ii) at least one layer of single fibre direction plies;

(iii) at least one layer of multi directional fibre plies;

(iv) Fibre Patch Placement preforms;

(v) at least one layer of non-woven, isotropic or anisotropic fibres;

(vi) an isotropic fibre arrangement;

(vii) at least one filler;

(viii) glass microspheres;

(ix) hydrophobic fumed silica;

(x) epoxy resin/hardener;

(xi) comminuted carbon fibre,

(xii) milled carbon fibre, or

(xiii) a combination thereof.

2. The shaped preform component according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of fingers that are annularly spaced apart about the central axis and which extend radially outwardly from a perimeter of the hub away from the central axis.

3. The shaped preform component according to claim 2 , wherein a quantity of the fingers corresponds to a quantity of spokes formed in the face portion of the composite wheel.

4. The shaped preform component according to claim 1 , wherein:

the compressibility of the cured composite fibre material is <1% volumetric under moulding conditions of 50 bar hydrostatic pressure.

5. The shaped preform component according to claim 1 , wherein:

the shaped preform has a density in a range of 600 to 1300 kg/m 3 .

6. The shaped preform component according to claim 1 , wherein the shaped preform has at least one of:

a tensile strength in a range of 20 to 80 MPa; or

a stiffness in a range of 1.5 to 30 GPa.

7. The shaped preform component according to claim 1 , wherein a surface of the shaped preform has a roughened surface having a roughness of at least 0.2 μm (Ra).

8. The shaped preform component according to claim 1 , wherein the milled carbon fibres have a length of less than 20 mm.

9. The shaped preform component according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a curable matrix material enveloping components of which the shaped preform is comprised, wherein the matrix material comprises a resin based on unsaturated polyester, polyurethane, polyvinyl ester, epoxy, thermoplastics, or a combination thereof.

10. The shaped preform component according to claim 1 , having thermal properties designed to substantially match the thermal properties of an overall composite material of the face portion of a composite wheel in which the shaped preform is configured to be included.

11. The shaped preform component according to claim 1 , wherein the shaped preform comprises an incomplete or under-cured preform.

12. The shaped preform component according to claim 1 , wherein the hub is generally circular in shape about the central axis and includes at least one aperture.

13. The shaped preform component according to claim 1 , wherein the hub includes a central aperture, and includes a step forming a rim or flange at one end of the aperture.

14. The shaped preform component according to claim 1 , wherein the hub includes a first side having a generally planar surface and a second side, opposite the first side, having a generally concave or recessed surface.

15. The shaped preform component according to claim 14 , further comprising:

a plurality of fingers that are annularly spaced apart about the central axis and which extend radially outwardly from a perimeter of the hub away from the central axis, wherein the fingers comprise surfaces which taper or slope downwardly from a perimeter of the planar surface of the hub towards a distal end of each finger.

16. A method of forming a face portion of a composite wheel, comprising:

locating a shaped preform according to any claim 1 in a hub portion of a fibre layup of the face portion of the composite wheel; and

laying up composite fibre elements around the shaped preform thereby forming a pre-moulded structure of the face portion of a composite wheel.

17. A composite wheel comprising a shaped preform according to claim 1 .

18. A shaped preform component for a face portion of a composite wheel, the shaped preform comprising:

a hub that extends around a central axis, wherein:

the shaped preform component is formed from a cured composite fibre material having a compressibility of <2% volumetric under moulding conditions of 50 bar hydrostatic pressure and a temperature of 60 to 200° C., and

the shaped preform comprises one of:

(i) a mixture of resin, milled carbon fibre and hollow glass microspheres;

(ii) a mixture of resin and milled carbon fibre;

(iii) a mixture of resin and comminuted carbon fibre; or

(iv) substantially resin only.

19. The shaped preform component according to claim 18 , wherein the shaped preform further comprises 1 to 5 wt % hydrophobic fumed silica.

20. A composite wheel comprising a shaped preform according to claim 18 .