# US 10,118,350 B2 ยท Staggered bevel for continuous compression molding tooling dies > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server โ€” see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,118,350 B2 - Document ID: US10118350B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/134,475 - Filed: 2016-04-21 - Published: 2016-08-11 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-06-21 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Charles Richard Prebil; Randall Dow Wilkerson; Neal Froeschner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118350B2 ## CPC - B29C 70/46: using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs - B29B 11/12: Compression moulding - B29C 43/222: {characterised by the shape of the surface} - B29C 43/224: {having a profiled section, e.g. tubes, rods} - B29C 43/28: incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. compression moulding around inserts or for coating articles - B29C 43/305: {Making multilayered articles} - B29C 43/34: Feeding the material to the mould or the compression means {(B29C43/085 takes precedence)} - B29C 70/50: for producing articles of indefinite length, e.g. prepregs, sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or cross moulding compounds [XMC] - B29C 70/526: {Pultrusion dies, e.g. dies with moving or rotating parts (B29C70/523 takes precedence)} - B29C 2033/422: {Moulding surfaces provided with a shape to promote flow of material in the mould cavity} - B29K 2101/12: Thermoplastic materials - B29K 2701/12: Thermoplastic materials - B29L 2031/3076: {Aircrafts (blades, propellers B29L2031/08)} - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B29B: PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS - B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES ## Abstract Continuous compression molding process and apparatus for fabricating thermoplastic composite parts from pre-formed thermoplastic composite laminates with tooling dies have a staggered bevel feature at an entry side of the tooling dies. Staggering the length of the bevel feature in each section between bends in a surface contour along the width of the incoming edge of the tooling dies prevents excess material from being trapped and forming wrinkles in the finished thermoplastic part. The length of the taper in each section along the width of the tooling dies is aligned with a pulsed advancement distance of the pre-formed part. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for fabricating a thermoplastic composite part, the method comprising: pre-forming a thermoplastic composite material blank into a pre-formed laminate; providing a die press defined by opposed outer side edges extending between opposed entry and exit sides of the die press, the die press having upper and lower tooling dies having complementary contoured surfaces defining a space therebetween extending from the entry to exit sides, a cross-sectional configuration of the space including two or more bends forming three or more segments defining the width of said space extending between the outer side edges, the upper and lower tooling dies comprising a staggered bevel at an incoming edge thereof at the entry side, and the bevel comprising a taper portion having a length which is staggered along the width of the space at the incoming edge to be incrementally larger for segments of the three or more segments positioned successively closer to the outer side edges than for segments of the three or more segments positioned further inward from the outer edges; and feeding the pre-formed laminate through the entry and into said space to consolidate the pre-formed laminate between the upper and lower tooling dies, the staggered bevel preventing the pre-formed laminate from wrinkling. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional configuration of the space defined by the contoured surfaces matches a cross-sectional configuration of the pre-formed laminate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the length of the taper portion is provided in stagger increments so that a difference between each of the incrementally larger lengths is approximately equal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising selecting the stagger increments to be an even multiple of a pulse distance that the pre-formed laminate advances through the tooling dies during said feeding and consolidating. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the stagger increments are in the range of about โ…› inch to about 1 inch. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the length of the bevel over all of the three or more segments is in the range of about 2 inches to 6 inches. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the taper portion extends from the entry to a desired height such that the incoming edge of each of the upper and lower tooling dies is a desired depth below the desired height. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the desired depth is in the range of 0.050 inch to 0.300 inch. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the bevel further comprises a flat section positioned between the incoming edge and the taper portion, the taper portion extending to a desired height such that the incoming edge and the flat section of each of the upper and lower tooling dies are a desired depth below the desired height. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the desired depth is in the range of 0.050 inch to 0.300 inch. ### Claim 11 An apparatus for fabricating a thermoplastic composite part from a pre-formed composite laminate, the apparatus comprising: a die press defined by opposed outer side edges extending between opposed entry and exit sides of the die press, the die press having upper and lower tooling dies having complementary contoured surfaces defining a space therebetween extending from the entry to exit sides, a cross-sectional configuration of the space including two or more bends forming three or more segments defining the width of said space extending between the outer side edges, the upper and lower tooling dies comprising a staggered bevel at an incoming edge thereof at the entry side, and the bevel comprising a taper portion having a length which is staggered along the width of the space at the incoming edge to be incrementally larger for segments of the three or more segments positioned successively closer to the outer side edges than for segments of the three or more segments positioned further inward from the outer edges, wherein the die press is configured to receive the pre-formed laminate fed through the entry and into said space so as to consolidate the pre-formed laminate between the upper and lower tooling dies, the staggered bevel preventing the pre-formed laminate from wrinkling. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the cross-sectional configuration of the space defined by the contoured surfaces matches a cross-sectional configuration of the pre-formed laminate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the length of the taper portion is provided in stagger increments and a difference between each of the incrementally larger lengths is approximately equal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the stagger increments are selected to be an even multiple of a pulse distance that the pre-formed laminate advances through the tooling dies during said feeding and consolidating. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the stagger increments are in the range of about โ…› inch to about 1 inch. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the length of the bevel over all of the three or more segments is in the range of about 2 inches to 6 inches. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the taper portion extends from the entry to a desired height such that the incoming edge of each of the upper and lower tooling dies is a desired depth below the desired height. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the desired depth is in the range of 0.050 inch to 0.300 inch. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the bevel further comprises a flat section positioned between the incoming edge and the taper portion, the taper portion extending to a desired height such that the incoming edge and the flat section of each of the upper and lower tooling dies are a desired depth below the desired height. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the desired depth is in the range of 0.050 inch to 0.300 inch.