Method of manufacturing composite article
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsVishal Bansal, Marni Loriel Rutkofsky
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of manufacturing a composite article such as an airplane part or a boat part is presented. The method includes: preparing a prepreg layup, the prepreg layup comprising a plurality of prepregs and at least one microporous breather membrane; enclosing the prepreg layup with a gas impermeable vacuum bag; evacuating a volume enclosed by the gas impermeable vacuum bag to preconsolidate the plurality of prepregs; consolidating the plurality of prepregs; and discontinuing the evacuating.
Claims20
A method of manufacturing a composite article, the method comprising:
- preparing a prepreg layup, the prepreg layup comprising a plurality of prepregs and at least one microporous breather membrane;
- enclosing the prepreg layup with a gas impermeable vacuum bag;
- evacuating a volume enclosed by the gas impermeable vacuum bag to preconsolidate the plurality of prepregs;
- consolidating the plurality of prepregs;
- and
- discontinuing the evacuating.
A method of manufacturing a composite article, the method comprising:
- laying up a plurality of prepregs on a mold, wherein the mold has a shape of the composite article;
- overlaying the plurality of prepregs with a bleeder fabric;
- overlaying the bleeder fabric with at least one microporous breather membrane;
- enclosing the mold having the plurality of prepregs, the bleeder fabric, and the at least one microporous breather membrane with a gas impermeable vacuum bag;
- evacuating a volume enclosed by the gas impermeable vacuum bag to preconsolidate the plurality of prepregs;
- consolidating the plurality of prepregs;
- and
- discontinuing the evacuating.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.