Japan Teijin Co., Ltd. has developed an Aligo plastic molding compound for composite materials, thus developing a new molding method, which can not only reduce molding costs, but also exert a variety of physical properties. In order to take advantage of the high degree of freedom provided by Aligo, developed by its subsidiary Continental Structural Plastics Inc., for material design, Teijin is advancing the marketing of new processes for light-weight parts.
Carbon fiber sheet molding compound (SMC) has excellent formability and excellent performance in mass production. Generally, the processing method is to use smaller tows to improve the physical strength characteristics of SMC, but this will indeed lead to increased cost of carbon fiber. However, the Aligo process can refine large, low-cost tows to a state similar to the use of small tows, thereby improving the resin impregnating performance, while also promoting the uniform dispersion of many fibers.
More specifically, the reinforcing fiber is cut in the Aligo process, while an epoxy-based adhesive or the like is used to make a mat for producing a preform by stamping in the second process. In the final stage, resin is injected by using resin transfer molding (RTM) equipment to complete the part. As for the carbon fibers used, conventional or larger tows can be used, and recycled fibers can also be used.
In addition, although there have been difficulties in uniformly dispersing fibers with different specific weights (such as carbon fiber and glass fiber), the Aligo process overcomes this problem, making it possible to provide the best physical properties in each part.
There are currently other ways to combine multiple raw materials into one, such as stacking carbon fiber SMC and glass fiber SMC together. However, the Aligo process now promises to achieve high-precision uniformity of different reinforcing materials from the raw material stage.