# US 10,864,689 B2 · Method for checking the position of a preform in a mould

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- Number: US 10,864,689 B2
- Document ID: US10864689B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/531,714
- Filed: 2015-11-24
- Published: 2017-11-02
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2014-12-02
- Assignees: Safran Aircraft Engines
- Applicants: Safran Aircraft Engines
- Inventors: Marc-Emmanuel Techer; Nicolas Ashtari
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10864689B2

## CPC

- B29C 70/541: {Positioning reinforcements in a mould, e.g. using clamping means for the reinforcement (positioning inserts in moulds B29C33/12; lay-up on a mould B29C70/30)}
- B29B 11/16: comprising fillers or reinforcement {(non-woven fabrics per se D04H1/00, D04H3/00)}
- B29C 33/12: with incorporated means for positioning inserts, e.g. labels {(positioning reinforcements B29C70/541)}
- B29C 33/306: {Exchangeable mould parts, e.g. cassette moulds, mould inserts (moulds with exchangeable mould parts for injection moulding B29C45/2673; mounting of exchangeable mould inserts for injection moulding B29C45/2675)}
- B29C 70/48: and impregnating the reinforcements in the closed mould, e.g. resin transfer moulding [RTM] {, e.g. by vacuum}
- B29C 70/545: {Perforating, cutting or machining during or after moulding}
- D03D 1/00: Woven fabrics designed to make specified articles
- F01D 5/282: {Selecting composite materials, e.g. blades with reinforcing filaments}
- B29C 2793/009: after shaping
- B29K 2713/00: Use of textile products or fabrics for preformed parts, e.g. for inserts (B29K2105/06 takes precedence)
- B29L 2031/08: Blades for rotors, stators, fans, turbines or the like, e.g. screw propellers
- B29L 2031/082: {Blades, e.g. for helicopters}
- F05D 2230/20: essentially without removing material
- F05D 2300/6034: Orientation of fibres, weaving, ply angle
- 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
- D03D: WOVEN FABRICS; METHODS OF WEAVING; LOOMS
- F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D)
- 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
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS

## Abstract

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a turbine engine blade from a preform (10) of composite material polymerised in a mould comprising a lower part (16) and an upper part, comprising at least one closure step, during which the upper part of said mould is placed on the lower part (16) of the mould containing the preform (10). The method comprises, prior to said closure step, at least one sub-step of inserting a position marker (28) into the preform (10), at least one sub-step of compacting the preform using an insert (34) intended to be received in the upper part of the mould (18), and at least one sub-step of checking the position of the marker (28) relative to a reference mark (30) of said insert (34).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for manufacturing a turbine engine blade from composite material comprising:
a first step of producing a preform having a general longitudinal orientation by weaving a single piece, said weave being a three-dimensional yarn weave, said preform comprising a blade root part and a blade vane part;
a second step of placing the preform in a lower part of a mould, a recess of which substantially matches lower parts of the blade root part and of the blade vane part of the preform, the blade root part being received with a longitudinal clearance relative to the lower part of the mould;
a third step of closing the mould, which step consists in placing an upper part of said mould, a recess of which matches upper parts of the blade root part and of the blade vane part of the preform, on the lower part of the mould containing the preform;
a fourth step of vacuum injecting a resin into the mould with a view to impregnating the preform and to forming a rigid blade following resin polymerisation,
wherein it comprises:
during the first step, at least one sub-step of inserting a position marker into the preform;
during the second step, at least one sub-step of fitting an insert into the mould forming a reference mark, the position of said insert being clearly defined relative to the lower part of the mould, at least one sub-step of compacting the preform in said mould using said insert, and at least one sub-step of checking the position of the marker relative to said reference mark.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein, during the at least one sub-step of checking, the position of the marker relative to the reference mark of the insert is optically checked.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The manufacturing method according to claim 2, wherein, during the at least one sub-step of checking, the position of the marker is visually checked by an operator.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The manufacturing method according to claim 3, wherein the at least one sub-step of checking comprises at least the visual measurement of the position of the marker relative to a wall of the insert in the general longitudinal direction of the preform of the blade, said wall determining the reference mark of the mould.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the first step of producing the preform comprises at least one sub-step of prior compacting of said preform.

### Claim 6

A blade preform obtained by weaving a single piece, said weave being a three-dimensional yarn weave, said preform comprising a blade root part and a blade vane part, wherein it comprises a position marker inserted into the weave of said preform and wherein the blade root part of the preform comprises a zone configured to undergo a cutting operation to obtain a finished blade, and in that said position marker of said preform is inserted into said zone.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The blade preform according to claim 6, wherein the position marker is a yarn having a different colour to that of the three-dimensional yarns weave used to weave the preform.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The blade preform according to claim 6, wherein the position marker is a glass fibre or Kevlar yarn in the weave of the preform, which are carbon fibres.

### Claim 9

An impregnation mould for manufacturing a blade from composite material for a turbine engine, comprising a lower mould part having a recess of substantially longitudinal orientation that substantially matches a lower part of a blade preform, and an upper part having a recess of substantially longitudinal orientation that substantially matches an upper part of the blade preform, said upper part being able to be placed on said lower part, wherein it comprises an insert, which is intended to be fixed by a first end in a clear position relative to the lower part of the mould,
which is intended to extend substantially longitudinally above the recess of the lower part of the mould,
which comprises at least one second opposite end comprising at least one transverse wall able to form a reference mark when the upper part of the mould is not placed on said lower part of the mould, which is able to be fully received in a matching cavity of an upper part of the mould when said upper part is placed on said lower part, and
which comprises at least one wall flush with the inside of the recess of said upper part, which wall is configured to define part of said recess of said upper part and to compact the preform inside said mould.