# US 11,440,276 B2 · Methods of making a specimen with a predetermined wrinkle defect > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,440,276 B2 - Document ID: US11440276B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/922,831 - Filed: 2020-07-07 - Published: 2020-10-22 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-21 - Assignees: Textron Innovations Inc. - Applicants: Bell Textron Inc. - Inventors: Michael Burnett; Wei-Yueh Lee; Michael Dearman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440276B2 ## CPC - B29C 70/56: Tensioning reinforcements before or during shaping - B29C 70/30: Shaping by lay-up, i.e. applying fibres, tape or broadsheet on a mould, former or core; Shaping by spray-up, i.e. spraying of fibres on a mould, former or core - B29C 70/32: on a rotating mould, former or core - B29C 70/545: {Perforating, cutting or machining during or after moulding} - G01M 5/0033: {by determining damage, crack or wear} - G01M 5/0058: {of elongated objects, e.g. pipes, masts, towers or railways} - G01N 3/02: Details - G01N 3/04: Chucks - G01N 3/08: by applying steady tensile or compressive forces (G01N3/28 takes precedence) - G06F 30/23: using finite element methods [FEM] or finite difference methods [FDM] - B29K 2105/256: {Sheets, plates, blanks or films} - G01N 2203/0017: Tensile - G01N 2203/0066: Propagation of crack - G01N 2203/0096: Fibre-matrix interaction in composites - G01N 2203/0266: Cylindrical specimens - G01N 2203/027: Specimens with holes or notches - G01N 2203/0274: Tubular or ring-shaped specimens - G01N 2203/0298: Manufacturing or preparing specimens - 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) - G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - 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 ## Abstract In an aspect, there is a method of determining allowable defects for a composite component comprising identifying at least one wrinkle characteristic of a composite component wrinkle defect; making a first plurality of specimens each having a predetermined wrinkle defect representative of the composite component wrinkle defect; measuring each of the predetermined wrinkle defects in the first plurality of specimens for at least one performance metric to generate performance data; and generating an allowable wrinkle defect profile based on the performance data from the first plurality of specimens. In other aspects, there are methods of making a specimen with a predetermined wrinkle defect. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of making a specimen with a predetermined wrinkle defect, the steps comprising: orienting a composite material around a layup tool at a wrap angle to form a closed loop; generating at least one wrinkle with a predetermined characteristic in a portion of the dosed loop to form the specimen with a stretcher including an actuating mechanism in mechanical communication with a first arm and a second arm; the step of generating at least one wrinkle including positioning the first arm and the second arm in the closed loop; and moving at least one of the first arm and the second arm sufficient to form at least one wrinkle in the closed loop; prior to a curing step, removing the first arm and the second arm from the closed loop; and after the steps of generating the at least one wrinkle and removing the first arm and the second arm from the closed loop, curing the specimen; wherein the predetermined characteristic is at least one of the following: wrinkle location, an outward wrinkle, an inward wrinkle, a wrinkle width, a wrinkle height, and a wrinkle length. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the closed loop has a generally flat oval cross-sectional shape, the closed loop includes a top arcuate portion, a bottom arcuate portion, and a hollow portion between the top and bottom arcuate portions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the first arm is disposed in the top arcuate portion and the second arm is disposed in the bottom arcuate portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the first arm and the second arm comprise a portion of a frame. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the stretcher comprises a tensile test machine or a tension load frame. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein after the generating at least one wrinkle step, the specimen includes an unwrinkled portion adjacent to the wrinkled portion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the layup tool has a rectangular cross-sectional shape. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: after the step of curing the specimen, cutting at least one coupon from the specimen.