Process for manufacturing a structural component in composite material comprising a skin and at least one stiffening stringer applied rigidly and integrally to a face of said skin;
- said process comprising the following steps:
- a) arranging on a tool a plurality of first layers of uncured or pre-cured composite material forming said at least one stiffening stringer, wherein said at least one stiffening stringer presents a longitudinal axis and has a raised portion protruding from at least one flange extending parallel to said longitudinal axis and along a lying surface, which is flat or is a surface of revolution;
- b) arranging on said tool a plurality of second layers of uncured or pre-cured composite material forming said skin;
- c) making said face of said skin, parallel to said lying surface, and said flange of said at least one stiffening stringer adhere to each other thus forming an assembly;
- d) applying predetermined temperature and pressure on the assembly so as to compact said first layers and said second layers together, to rigidly join said skin to said at least one stiffening stringer, wherein the predetermined temperature and pressure cures any uncured material in said first and second layers;
- e) prior to step c), performing a cutting operation in a slanted direction with respect to the lying surface on a free end side edge of the first layers forming said flange thus forming a cut side edge that extends further as it approaches the skin;
- f) laminating at least a further layer of composite material on the side of said at least one stiffening stringer opposite said skin;
- said further layer defining the outermost layer of said at least one stiffening stringer and having a lateral end flap protruding beyond the cut side edge of the other layers forming said flange;
- and
- g) covering said cut side edge of said flange by folding said lateral end flap of said further layer on the cut side edge so as to form a coating of composite material on the cut side edge defining, at the end of said process, a constituent or integral part of said structural component, the further layer configured to cover the stiffening stringer in the stiffening stringer's entirety, wherein
- during the folding of the lateral end flap of said further layer a first portion of said lateral end flap covers the respective cut side edge of said flange and a second portion, still protruding from the cut side edge itself, is folded over said flange so as to interpose itself, in said step c), between said skin and said at least one stiffening stringer.