The technology, called Part via Preform (PvP), is based on a one-step ‘bobbin to preform’ process.Toho Tenax Europe adds that it developed its PvP technology by utilising Tenax® binder yarn, which combines carbon fibres with binder resin. This yarn allows the automated manufacturing of preforms directly into the three-dimensional geometry of the final component. By combining randomly orientated carbon fibres with unidirectional carbon fibres, preforms achieve a trade-off between mechanical properties and cost. Toho Tenax Europe adds that since this automated technology allows preforms to be manufactured in any desired geometry or form, it significantly reduces both the amount of carbon fiber waste and the amount of manual labor required compared to conventional preform production. The result is a highly-efficient, cost-effective solution enabling optimal manufacturing of components with the required shapes and properties. The PvP technology can be used in conjunction with the high-pressure resin transfer moulding (HP-RTM) process, in which resin is injected and cured in less than two minutes, leading to shorter cycle times than the conventional low-pressure RTM process.
