Thermoplastic composite part manufacturing system and method

A continuous compression molding machine, comprising:

• a tooling die extending through a heating zone and a cooling zone;
• a tooling sleeve corresponding to the tooling die, the tooling sleeve to form a thermoplastic composite part from a thermoplastic composite charge when the tooling sleeve, together with the thermoplastic composite charge, is moved with respect to the tooling die through the heating zone and the cooling zone;
• and
• a biasing system configured to hold the thermoplastic composite charge at a first angle within at least a portion of the heating zone, and to hold the thermoplastic composite charge at a second angle within at least a portion of the cooling zone, as the tooling sleeve moves through the heating zone and the cooling zone together with the thermoplastic composite charge, wherein the first angle is different from the second angle,
• wherein the biasing system comprises:
• a guide bar that holds the tooling sleeve at the second angle in the cooling zone, such that the thermoplastic composite charge is at the second angle, and
• wherein the biasing system comprises at least one of a Belleville washer, a coil spring, a leaf spring, a compression spring, a variable spring, a flat spring, a serpentine spring, or a cantilever spring.

A continuous compression molding machine, comprising:

• a tooling die extending through a heating zone and a cooling zone;
• a tooling sleeve corresponding to the tooling die, the tooling sleeve to form a thermoplastic composite part from a thermoplastic composite charge when the tooling sleeve, together with the thermoplastic composite charge, is moved with respect to the tooling die through the heating zone and the cooling zone;
• and
• a biasing system configured to hold the thermoplastic composite charge at a first angle within at least a portion of the heating zone, and to hold the thermoplastic composite charge at a second angle within at least a portion of the cooling zone, as the tooling sleeve moves through the heating zone and the cooling zone together with the thermoplastic composite charge, wherein the first angle is different from the second angle,
• wherein the biasing system comprises:
• a guide bar that holds the tooling sleeve at the second angle in the cooling zone, such that the thermoplastic composite charge is at the second angle, and
• wherein the biasing system comprises at least one of a Belleville washer, a coil spring, a leaf spring, a compression spring, a variable spring, a flat spring, a serpentine spring, or a cantilever spring, that biases a seal bar towards the tooling sleeve.

A continuous compression molding machine, comprising:

• a tooling die extending through a heating zone and a cooling zone;
• a tooling sleeve corresponding to the tooling die, the tooling sleeve to form a thermoplastic composite part from a thermoplastic composite charge when the tooling sleeve, together with the thermoplastic composite charge, is moved with respect to the tooling die through the heating zone and the cooling zone;
• and
• a biasing system configured to hold the thermoplastic composite charge at a first angle within at least a portion of the heating zone, and to hold the thermoplastic composite charge at a second angle within at least a portion of the cooling zone, as the tooling sleeve moves through the heating zone and the cooling zone together with the thermoplastic composite charge, wherein the first angle is different from the second angle,
• wherein the biasing system comprises:
• a seal bar that holds the tooling sleeve at the first angle in the heating zone, and
• wherein the biasing system comprises:
• a key that biases the seal bar away from the tooling sleeve.

A continuous compression molding machine comprising:

• a heating zone;
• a cooling zone;
• a tooling die extending through the heating zone and the cooling zone, the tooling die including a transition section;
• a tooling sleeve corresponding to the tooling die for forming a thermoplastic composite part from a thermoplastic composite charge having a flexible portion when the tooling sleeve together with the thermoplastic composite charge is moved with respect to the tooling die through the heating zone and the cooling zone;
• and
• a biasing system comprising a spring, wherein the biasing system is configured to hold the flexible portion of the thermoplastic composite charge at a first angle before the transition section and hold the flexible portion of the thermoplastic composite charge at a second angle after the transition section as the tooling sleeve moves through the heating zone and the cooling zone together with the thermoplastic composite charge, wherein the first angle is different from the second angle.

A continuous compression molding machine comprising:

• a heating zone;
• a cooling zone;
• a tooling die extending through the heating zone and the cooling zone, the tooling die including a transition section;
• a tooling sleeve corresponding to the tooling die for forming a thermoplastic composite part from a thermoplastic composite charge having a flexible portion when the tooling sleeve together with the thermoplastic composite charge is moved with respect to the tooling die through the heating zone and the cooling zone;
• and
• a biasing system configured to hold the flexible portion of the thermoplastic composite charge at a first angle before the transition section and hold the flexible portion of the thermoplastic composite charge at a second angle after the transition section as the tooling sleeve moves through the heating zone and the cooling zone together with the thermoplastic composite charge, wherein the first angle is different from the second angle,
• wherein the biasing system comprises at least one of a guide bar, springs, or a seal bar,
• wherein the biasing system provides a hinge point in a flexible flange of the thermoplastic composite charge to enable spring back compensation to reduce residual stresses that develop during processing and
• wherein a transition section is stationary with respect to the continuous compression molding machine and located between holding the thermoplastic composite charge at the first angle and holding the thermoplastic composite charge at the second angle.

A continuous compression molding machine comprising:

• a heating zone;
• a cooling zone;
• a tooling die extending through the heating zone and the cooling zone, the tooling die including a transition section;
• a tooling sleeve corresponding to the tooling die for forming a thermoplastic composite part from a thermoplastic composite charge having a flexible flange when the tooling sleeve together with the thermoplastic composite charge is moved with respect to the tooling die through the heating zone and the cooling zone;
• and
• a biasing system comprising a spring, wherein the biasing system is configured to hold the flexible flange of the thermoplastic composite charge at a first angle before the transition section and hold the flexible flange of the thermoplastic composite charge at a second angle after the transition section as the tooling sleeve moves through the heating zone and the cooling zone together with the thermoplastic composite charge, wherein the first angle is different from the second angle.

A continuous compression molding machine comprising:

• a heating zone;
• a cooling zone;
• a tooling die extending through the heating zone and the cooling zone, the tooling die including a transition section;
• a tooling sleeve corresponding to the tooling die for forming a thermoplastic composite part from a thermoplastic composite charge having a flexible flange when the tooling sleeve together with the thermoplastic composite charge is moved with respect to the tooling die through the heating zone and the cooling zone;
• and
• a biasing system configured to hold the flexible flange of the thermoplastic composite charge at a first angle before the transition section and hold the flexible flange of the thermoplastic composite charge at a second angle after the transition section as the tooling sleeve moves through the heating zone and the cooling zone together with the thermoplastic composite charge, wherein the first angle is different from the second angle,
• wherein:
• the biasing system comprises at least one of a guide bar, springs, or a seal bar;
• the biasing system provides a hinge point in the flexible flange of the thermoplastic composite charge to enable spring back compensation to reduce residual stresses that develop during processing;
• and
• a transition section is stationary with respect to the continuous compression molding machine and located between holding the thermoplastic composite charge at the first angle and holding the thermoplastic composite charge at the second angle.