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US 11,530,732 B2Granted
Method of fabricating thin form factor vibration isolators with stable storage modulus properties over extended temperature ranges as standalone parts
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorsEric T. Dale, Dante San Miguel, Robert S. Turk
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A liquid RTV material is calendared and cured to form a sheet of Silicone material. The de-gassing, pressing and curing steps are tailored to provide a low porosity Silicone sheet having a fine surface finish and consistent chemical properties. The sheet is stamped or cut to form standalone vibration isolators having a thin and dimensionally stable form factor of less than 1.25 mm that exhibit a stable storage modulus to temperature excursions below −30° C. and preferably over a range of −60° C. to 100° C.
Claims20
A method of fabricating vibration isolators, comprising:
- providing a liquid room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) material comprising a Silicone elastomer having a viscosity of less than 100,000 centipose (cps);
- calendaring the liquid RTV material to press the liquid RTV material into a liquid sheet;
- curing the liquid sheet of liquid RTV material to form a sheet of solid Silicone material having a thickness of less than 1.25 mm;
- and
- forming one or more vibration isolators from the sheet of solid Silicone material, each said vibration isolator having a thickness of less than 1.25 mm and a storage modulus of between 2,000 KPa and 5,000 KPa at operating temperatures below −30° C.
2 more elements
A method of fabricating vibration isolator components, comprising:
- providing a liquid room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) material having a viscosity of less than 100,000 centipose (cps);
- de-gassing the liquid RTV material in a vacuum at a vacuum press less than 650 torr for at least 10 minutes;
- calendaring the liquid RTV material between calendaring plates stiffened with a stiffening material to press the liquid RTV material into a liquid sheet;
- curing the liquid sheet of liquid RTV material at room temperature and room relative humidity for at least 24 hours to cross-link the RTV material to provide dimensional stability to form a sheet of solid Silicone material having a thickness of less than 1.25 mm;
- removing the sheet of solid Silicone material from the calendaring plates;
- curing the material at room temperature and elevated relative humidity to increase the cross-linking;
- curing the material at an elevated temperature to complete crosslinking and stabilize the Silicone material;
- and
- forming one or more vibration isolator components from the sheet of solid silicon material, each said vibration isolator component having a thickness of less than 1.25 mm that varies by less than +/−0.127 mm and a storage modulus of between 2,000 KPa and 5,000 that varies less than 700 KPa between operating temperatures between −60° C. and 100° C.
6 more elements
A method of fabricating vibration isolator components, comprising:
- providing a liquid room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) material comprising a non-adhesive Silicone elastomer having a viscosity of less than 100,000 centipose (cps);
- calendaring the liquid RTV material comprising the steps of:
- adjusting a gap between a pair of rollers to a specified sheet thickness of less than 1.25 mm;
- providing a pair of calendaring plates joined at one end;
- adding a stiffening material to the outside surface of each said plate;
- inserting the calendaring plates joined end first between the pair of rollers;
- mixing the liquid RTV material with a catalyst;
- de-gassing the liquid RTV material in a vacuum with a vacuum pressure of less than 650 torr for at least 10 minutes;
- pouring the liquid RTV material between the plates;
- and
- running the calendaring process to press the liquid RTV material between the rollers into a liquid sheet of liquid RTV material, and curing the liquid sheet of liquid RTV material comprising the steps of:
- curing the liquid sheet of liquid RTV material at room temperature and room humidity for at least 24 hours to cross-link the RTV material to provide dimensional stability to form the sheet of solid Silicone material;
- removing the sheet of solid Silicone material from the calendaring plates;
- curing the material at room temperature and an elevated relative humidity of at least 45% to increase the cross-linking;
- and
- curing the material at an elevated temperature of at least 110° C. to complete crosslinking and stabilize the Silicone material to form a sheet of solid Silicone material having a thickness of less than 1.25 mm;
- and
- forming one or more vibration isolator components from the sheet of solid silicon material, each said vibration isolator component having a thickness of less than 1.25 and a storage modulus of between 2,000 KPa and 5,000 that varies less than 700 KPA for operating temperatures between −60° C. and 100° C.
15 more elements
A method of fabricating vibration isolators, comprising:
- providing a liquid room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) material having a viscosity of less than 100,000 centipose (cps);
- calendaring the liquid RTV material to press the liquid RTV material into a liquid sheet;
- curing the liquid sheet of liquid RTV material to form a sheet of solid Silicone material having a thickness of less than 1.25 mm;
- and
- forming one or more vibration isolators from the sheet of solid Silicone material, each said vibration isolator having a thickness of less than 1.25 mm and a storage modulus of between 2,000 KPa and 5,000 KPa at operating temperatures below −30° C.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.