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US 11,642,860 B2Granted
Method of making thermoplastic composite structures and prepreg tape used therein
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorAmol Ogale
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermoplastic composite structure is produced by consolidating and forming a composite preform to a desired shape. The preform comprises plies of a high melt temperature thermoplastic prepreg that are tacked together by a low melt temperature thermoplastic adhering the plies together in fixed registration.
Claims23
A method of making a thermoplastic composite preform, comprising:
- depositing particles of a low melt temperature thermoplastic onto only a portion of a surface of a prepreg tape comprising a high melt temperature thermoplastic resin, at a temperature below a melt temperature of the high melt temperature thermoplastic resin, the portion being a pattern tacking high melt temperature thermoplastic composite plies to maintain a registration of the prepreg tape within a preform comprising high melt temperature thermoplastic composite plies;
- assembling the preform comprising tacking a first strip of the prepreg tape together with a second strip of the prepreg tape on a surface of the preform by melting a portion of the particles of the low melt temperature thermoplastic on a surface of the first strip immediately ahead of a compaction roller compressing the first strip onto the second strip;
- and
- shearing the high melt temperature thermoplastic composite plies relative to each other and forming the high melt temperature thermoplastic composite plies into a desired shape for the thermoplastic composite preform.
1 more element
A method of making a thermoplastic composite structure, the method comprising:
- adhering, at a temperature below a melt temperature of a high melt temperature thermoplastic resin, particles of a low melt temperature thermoplastic to only a portion of a prepreg tape, comprising the high melt temperature thermoplastic resin, drawing onto a take-up spool, the portion being a pattern tacking the prepreg tape into a composite preform comprising fiber reinforced high melt temperature thermoplastic plies to maintain a registration of the prepreg tape within the composite preform;
- laying up the prepreg tape and producing the composite preform comprising fiber reinforced thermoplastic plies via tacking the fiber reinforced high melt temperature thermoplastic plies together by melting portions of the low melt temperature thermoplastic on a surface of the composite preform just prior to laying and compressing the prepreg tape onto the composite preform;
- and
- shearing the fiber reinforced high melt temperature thermoplastic plies relative to each other and consolidating the composite preform.
1 more element
A method of making a composite material for use in fabricating a composite structure, comprising:
- providing a strip comprising a high melt temperature thermoplastic prepreg;
- and
- applying, at a temperature below a melt temperature of the high melt temperature thermoplastic prepreg, particles of a low melt temperature thermoplastic on a surface of only a portion of the strip in a pattern tacking the strip into a composite high melt temperature thermoplastic preform to maintain the strip in registration within the composite high melt temperature thermoplastic preform;
- tacking a second high melt temperature thermoplastic prepreg onto the low melt temperature thermoplastic;
- and
- shearing the high melt temperature thermoplastic prepreg and the second high melt temperature thermoplastic prepreg relative to each other and forming the high melt temperature thermoplastic prepreg and the second high melt temperature thermoplastic prepreg into a desired shape for the composite structure.
3 more elements
A method of making a thermoplastic composite preform, comprising:
- assembling a stack of high melt temperature thermoplastic composite plies;
- applying particles of a low melt temperature thermoplastic only to a portion of a surface of a high melt temperature composite plie between layers in the stack of high melt temperature thermoplastic composite plies at a temperature below a melt temperature of the stack of high melt temperature thermoplastic composite plies;
- subsequently, tacking the stack of high melt temperature thermoplastic composite plies together by melting the low melt temperature thermoplastic;
- and
- shearing the stack of high melt temperature thermoplastic composite plies relative to each other while forming the thermoplastic composite preform.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.