Mitsubishi Chemical promotes PCM technology with carbon fiber roof weight reduction of 60%
HC Plastics News: Japan's Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp. said it is actively promoting "PCM" (prepreg compression molding) technology, which uses carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) to make large-sized parts, and Audi's The roof of the RS5 Coupe sports car is made using this technology. The roof of the RS5 Coupe sports car is 60% and 30% lighter than the steel roof and aluminum roof. The PCM technology is heated by a mold and pressed into a carbon fiber reinforced plastic part by pre-forming a sheet material (made of carbon fiber impregnated with a thermosetting epoxy resin). By improving material composition and additives, Mitsubishi Chemical has developed an epoxy resin that cures quickly and does not absorb water. As a result, the preform can be formed in three to five minutes, thereby shortening the processing time. Moreover, since it has low water absorbability, it is less likely to become uneven at the time of press molding, thereby contributing to an improvement in appearance. In order to make a new roof, six to eight prepregs are stacked to form a multi-layer prepreg as a roofing material. In order to increase the roof strength, six to seven unidirectional prepregs are used to stack when the angle is changed, thereby making the force uniform. A cloth prepreg made of woven carbon fiber was placed on the uppermost layer of the roof to show the wrinkles of carbon fibers. The roof made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic is lighter and 60% lighter than the steel roof, so in addition to improving the appearance of the car, it can also reduce the center of gravity and improve driving performance. Editor in charge: Yao Chunlin Linear High Bay,Garage Light Linear Highbay,Led Linear Highbay Light,High Lumen Linear High Bay Light Fuonce-Lighting , http://www.gdfuonceled.com