Methods for forming a composite blade stiffener and facilitating application of barely visible impact damage treatments

A method for forming a flat composite charge into a composite blade stiffener, comprising:

• trimming a flat composite charge to a final design dimension;
• cutting the flat composite charge along a cut line into a first piece and a second piece separated by edges having an angle;
• applying a reinforcement ply over the first piece and the second piece to hold the first piece and the second piece together;
• applying a ply of contact material to a forming mandrel;
• positioning the first piece and the second piece of the flat composite charge on the ply of contact material on the forming mandrel about a tooling plunger such that the tooling plunger is aligned with the cut line;
• activating the tooling plunger to contact the reinforcement ply and drive the first piece and the second piece of the flat composite charge into a cavity of the forming mandrel resulting in the first piece and the second piece folding at the cut line;
• withdrawing the tooling plunger from the cavity of the forming mandrel;
• compressing the forming mandrel to apply a lateral pressure to the first piece and the second piece folded into the cavity;
• and
• applying a vertical pressure to a first flange and a second flange of the first piece and the second piece, respectively, to form the composite blade stiffener.

A method for forming a flat composite charge into a composite blade stiffener, comprising:

• cutting the flat composite charge along a cut line into two pieces separated by edges having opposing 45 degree edges angled outward from the cut line;
• positioning the flat composite charge on a forming mandrel about a tooling plunger such that the tooling plunger is aligned with the cut line;
• activating the tooling plunger to drive the two pieces of the flat composite charge into a cavity of the forming mandrel resulting in the opposing 45 degree edges forming a flat surface perpendicular to the cut line and a first flange and a second flange connected to the flat surface;
• withdrawing the tooling plunger from the cavity of the forming mandrel;
• compressing the forming mandrel to apply a lateral pressure to the two pieces folded into the cavity;
• applying a vertical pressure to the first flange and the second flange to form the composite blade stiffener;
• applying a barely visible impact damage (BVID) treatment to the composite blade stiffener;
• and
• curing both the composite blade stiffener and the BVID treatment during a single curing process.