Method for fabricating curved thermoplastic composite parts
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsAlexander M. Rubin, James R. Fox, Randall D. Wilkerson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fabrication method of forming curved thermoplastic composite laminate parts with tailored and varying thickness in a continuous process. Automated equipment or hand lay-up are used to collate parts or components into a multi-layer stack. Each stack contains all plies, including ply build-up areas, tacked in the proper location to maintain orientation and location. Ply consolidation tooling contains all necessary part features and is coordinated to the customized multiple ply stacks to form a single integrated thermoplastic composite laminate potentially having areas of differing thickness from the multiple ply stacks.
Claims29
A method for manufacturing a thermoplastic laminate part, comprising the steps of:
- (A) forming a multiple ply stack of thermoplastic material having non-uniform thickness;
- (B) cutting a curved blank from the stack formed in step (A);
- (C) feeding the curved blank in a curved path through a performing structure to produce a preformed part;
- (D) feeding the preformed part in a curved path through a press;
- and
- (E) pressing the preformed part to compact the plies.
A method for manufacturing a thermoplastic laminate part in a continuous process, comprising the steps of:
- (A) feeding a multi-ply thermoplastic laminate blank in a curved path through a performing structure to produce a curved preformed part;
- (B) feeding the curved preformed part in a curved path through a press;
- and
- (C) pressing the preformed part to compact the plies and impart features onto the part.
A method for manufacturing a thermoplastic laminate part, comprising the steps of:
- (A) forming a curved, multi-ply thermoplastic laminate blank;
- (B) producing a curved performed part by deforming portions of the blank;
- (C) bringing a curved tool into contact with the curved preformed part;
- (D) feeding the curved preformed part along with the curved tool in a curved path through a press;
- and
- (E) pressing the curved tool and the curved preformed part together to compact the laminate plies.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.