Curing and bonding tool
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorCharlie Riccard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tool for curing and bonding a honeycomb stack with void filler. The tool has a first tool piece with a cavity for receiving layers of unfilled honeycomb material and a second tool piece with a cavity for receiving at least one layer of void-filled honeycomb. The tool also has a compression seal arrangement that creates gas-tight seals between the first tool piece, second tool piece, and a barrier layer positioned between them, with a further seal covering the cavity of the first tool piece to form a gas-tight sealed volume including the first cavity, a pressure plate to cover the cavity of the second tool piece to apply pressure to the void-filled honeycomb, with a further seal to cover the pressure plate to form a gas-tight sealed volume including the second cavity.
Claims12
A tool for curing and bonding a honeycomb stack with void filler, the tool comprising:
- a first tool piece and a second tool piece,
- the first tool piece having a first cavity that receives at least first layer of unfilled honeycomb material;
- the first tool piece having a first end, the first end having a first aperture and a first seal, and a second end with a second aperture, the second end being opposed to the first end, the first cavity being accessible from both the first aperture and the second aperture;
- the second tool piece having a second cavity that receives at least one layer of void-filled honeycomb;
- and
- the second tool piece having a third end with a third aperture and a second seal, and a fourth end with a fourth aperture, the fourth end being opposed to the third end, the second cavity being accessible from both the third aperture and the fourth aperture;
- a compression seal arrangement that creates a gas-tight seal between the first seal and a first side of a barrier layer and the second seal and a second side of the barrier layer;
- a third seal that covers the second aperture so as to form a first gas-tight sealed volume including the first cavity;
- a pressure plate that covers the fourth aperture so as to apply pressure to the void-filled honeycomb;
- and
- a fourth seal that covers the pressure plate so as to form a second gas-tight sealed volume including the second cavity.
A method of simultaneously bonding a multi-layer honeycomb stack and curing a void-filler material within a void-filled honeycomb, the multi-layer honeycomb stack comprising at least a first layer of unfilled honeycomb material and at least one layer of void-filled honeycomb, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) positioning a barrier layer between a first tool piece and a second tool piece, the barrier layer having a first side and a second side which opposes the first side,
- the first tool piece having a first cavity and a first end, the first end having a first aperture and a first seal, and a second end with a second aperture, the second end being opposed to the first end, the first cavity being accessible from both the first aperture and the second aperture;
- and
- the second tool piece containing a second cavity and having a third end with a third aperture and a second seal, and a fourth end with a fourth aperture, the fourth end being opposed to the third end, the second cavity being accessible from both the third aperture and the fourth aperture;
- (b) aligning and compressing the first tool piece to the second tool piece such that the barrier layer is sandwiched between the first seal of the first tool piece and the second seal of the second tool piece such that a gas-tight seal is created between the first seal and the first side of the barrier layer, and the second seal and the second side of the barrier layer;
- (c) stacking the at least first layer of unfilled honeycomb material into the first cavity, wherein at least a first adhesive film layer is placed between the barrier layer and the first layer of unfilled honeycomb material;
- (d) stacking the at least one layer of void-filled honeycomb into the second cavity, wherein at least a second adhesive film layer is placed between the barrier layer and the void-filled honeycomb;
- (e) placing a pressure plate across the fourth aperture so as to apply pressure to the void-filled honeycomb;
- (f) placing a third seal across the second aperture so as to form a first gas-tight sealed volume including the first cavity;
- (g) placing a fourth seal across the pressure plate so as to form a second gas-tight sealed volume including the second cavity;
- and
- (h) applying pressure to the first gas-tight sealed volume and the second gas-tight sealed volume so as to simultaneously:
- bond the first layer of unfilled honeycomb material to the first side of the barrier layer, and the void-filled honeycomb material to the second side of the barrier;
- and cure the void-filler material in the void-filled honeycomb.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.