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US 2010/0139857 A1Published application
Bagging process and mandrel for fabrication of elongated composite structure
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsDoan D. Pham, Mark W. Tollan, John D. Morris
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mandrel for composite fabrication includes an open cell foam carrier and at least one vacuum bag enclosing the open cell foam carrier.
Claims21
A mandrel for composite fabrication, comprising:
- an open cell foam carrier;
- and
- at least one vacuum bag enclosing said open cell foam carrier.
A method of fabricating a laminated composite structure, comprising:
- providing an open cell foam mandrel;
- enclosing said mandrel in at least one vacuum bag;
- wrapping at least one composite ply on said mandrel;
- evacuating said at least one vacuum bag enclosing said mandrel;
- and
- removing said open cell foam carrier from said at least one composite ply.
3 more elements
A method of fabricating a mandrel suitable for removal from an open end of a composite structure, comprising:
- shaping an open cell foam carrier from open cell foam;
- and
- sealing said open cell foam carrier in at least one vacuum chamber.
An internal shrinkable mandrel for composite stringer fabrication, comprising:
- an elongated open cell foam carrier;
- an elongated inner vacuum bag enclosing said open cell foam carrier;
- an elongated outer vacuum bag enclosing said inner vacuum bag;
- an elongated breather ply enclosing said outer vacuum bag;
- and
- an elongated release ply enclosing said breather ply.
3 more elements
A method of fabricating a laminated composite stringer with a shrinkable internal mandrel, comprising:
- providing an elongated mandrel having an open cell foam carrier, an elongated inner vacuum bag enclosing said open cell foam carrier and an elongated outer vacuum bag enclosing said inner vacuum bag;
- providing an elongated breather ply;
- wrapping said outer vacuum bag with said breather ply;
- providing an elongated release ply;
- wrapping said breather ply with said release ply;
- providing laminated composite plies;
- wrapping said laminated composite plies on said release ply;
- providing a female mold having a mold cavity;
- providing outer composite plies in said mold cavity of said female mold;
- forming a structure having a structure channel from said laminated composite plies by placing said mandrel and said laminated composite plies on said outer composite plies in said mold cavity of said female mold, placing a composite cap over said mold cavity, placing a caul plate on said composite cap and placing a cover bagging film over said caul plate to seal said mandrel and said laminated composite plies in said mold cavity;
- shrinking said open cell foam carrier in said structure channel in said structure by applying vacuum pressure to said inner vacuum bag and said outer vacuum bag;
- removing said open cell foam carrier from said structure channel in said structure;
- and
- curing said structure.
11 more elements
A mandrel, comprising:
- an open cell foam tube bag carrier;
- a first vacuum chamber enclosing said foam tube bag carrier;
- and
- a second vacuum chamber enclosing a composite layup.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.