At present, there are many cases of using carbon fiber composite materials in automotive inspection tools, especially for portable handheld inspection tools such as front windshield frames, door frames, trunk frames, etc., the lighter the inspection tool, the lighter the better, for example, the front The windshield opening inspection tool used to be an aluminum tube frame with a resin simulation block. The weight of such a test tool is about 30KG. However, due to the limited strength of the aluminum tube, once the evaluation rate is too high, the aluminum tube frame will deform to varying degrees. , Resulting in deviations in the accuracy of the inspection tool, the use of carbon fiber composite materials to make this inspection tool, the total weight is only 10-15KG, and the service life is long, can effectively ensure the test accuracy of the inspection tool, some large auto manufacturers reduce the use of carbon fiber materials The weight is also very important. For example, Shanghai General Motors has been actively optimizing and upgrading the materials of the test fixture itself, from the original 618 model front and rear light resin opening test fixture to the E12 full carbon front and rear windshield opening test fixture. At present, it is developing from carbon fiber skeleton and resin simulation block to full carbon fiber integrated inspection tool.
The application degree of carbon fiber composite materials in different types of automobile fixtures is different, and the achieved lightweight effect is also different, but the actual application effect is still very satisfactory. For example, a test tool for carbon fiber car lights, the test tool is used The carbon fiber body conforms to the shape of the car lamp. The carbon fiber body is provided with a positioning module on the side near the car lamp. The rigid positioning module is provided with a threaded sleeve. Among them, the carbon fiber material used as the main body of the test fixture only needs 5mm thickness. Meet the strength requirements, light weight, small deformation, at the same time can simulate the entire car light surface, the appearance is better.
Barriers to the use of carbon fiber
There are many types of car inspection tools, and there are large differences and personalization in the design of different models of various brands. In actual operation, bulkiness is a common problem of inspection tools. By using carbon fiber composite materials, plates and structural parts instead of structural steel parts , Can greatly reduce the weight of the inspection tool, avoid thin-walled parts susceptible to compression and deformation, and further improve the accuracy of the measurement, but from the current market development and application situation, the problems of carbon fiber automotive inspection tool is also very obvious
First, to clarify the application purpose of carbon fiber composite materials, the design of the car inspection tool itself is quite complicated. The integration of the carbon fiber inspection tool is not only a technical challenge but also a great challenge for the molding process of the carbon fiber composite material. To a large extent, the application cost will be greatly increased, but it will hinder the application of carbon fiber materials in the inspection tool. The developer of the inspection tool can use carbon fiber composite materials to replace the ordinary steel structural parts such as beams, brackets and other non-locating parts in the inspection tool. Can achieve the purpose of reducing weight, so that the cost can also be controlled accordingly.
Second, in the process of using carbon fiber composite materials to replace metal material structural parts, we must pay attention to the overall bonding of carbon fiber composite materials and test fixtures. Simply put, the precision of carbon fiber structure, the key to the quality of the entire test fixture when firmly bonded, this Not only high-strength epoxy resin is needed to ensure the bonding strength, but also the finishing process is needed to enhance the quality of the interface bonding. The accuracy of the inspection tool and the quality of the surface have a great influence.
In short, it is undoubted that the use of carbon fiber composite materials for the lightweight of automotive inspection tools, but how to use them to ensure both the feasibility cost and the purpose of lightweight operation, the application of carbon fiber composite materials in automotive inspection tools is inevitable Trends, but it takes effort to overcome obstacles.