System and apparatus for manufacturing simple curvature thermoplastic composite parts

A system for forming and curing a composite part, the system comprising:

• a facesheet made of a conductive sheet of material for placement of the composite part thereon, the facesheet having opposing ends;
• a tooling surface, wherein the tooling surface is made of insulating material or a first insulating material is positioned onto the tooling surface, wherein the facesheet is positioned on at least one of the tooling surface and the first insulating material, wherein the tooling surface has a simple curvature;
• a second insulating material for placement over the composite part;
• and
• a source of joule heat at least one of physically and electrically coupled to the facesheet,
• wherein the source of joule heat is electrically coupled with the opposing ends of the facesheet to provide joule heating to the facesheet,
• wherein the source of joule heat comprises a single turn transformer and one or more conductive wires extending from one of the opposing ends of the facesheet to another one of the opposing ends of the facesheet, wherein the one or more conductive wires are threaded through an air gap of the single turn transformer such that inducing current into the one or more conductive wires with the single turn transformer heats the facesheet.

A system for forming and curing a thermoplastic composite part, the system comprising:

• a facesheet made of a conductive sheet of material for placement of the thermoplastic composite part thereon;
• an automated tape layup (ATL) machine for laying strips of composite material onto the facesheet on a flat surface;
• a magnet-placement apparatus operable to lay down and pick up magnets by effectuating a change in polarity, wherein the magnet-placement apparatus is configured to place magnets onto a first layer of the strips of composite material during layup by the ATL machine and to pick up magnets from the first layer of the strips of composite material prior to the ATL machine placing a second layer of the strips of composite material;
• a tooling surface, wherein the tooling surface is made of insulating material or a first insulating material is positioned onto the tooling surface, wherein the facesheet is transferable from the flat surface onto the at least one of the tooling surface and the first insulating material, wherein the tooling surface has a simple curvature to which the facesheet is conformable upon transfer from the flat surface;
• a second insulating material for placement over the strips of composite material when the facesheet is on the at least one of the tooling surface and the first insulating material;
• an impermeable membrane placed over the second insulating material and the thermoplastic composite part, wherein the impermeable membrane is sealed to the tooling surface and is configured to apply consolidation pressure to the thermoplastic composite part when a pressure differential is applied to the impermeable membrane forcing the impermeable membrane toward the tooling surface;
• and
• a source of joule heat at least one of physically and electrically coupled to the facesheet, wherein the source of joule heat includes at least two conductive bus bars attached to opposing ends of the facesheet, and one or more conductive wires providing current to heat the facesheet.