Composite manufacturing method
AssigneeAirbus Operatios Limited
InventorRisto Kallinen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of manufacturing a panel, the panel comprising a composite skin and at least one composite stiffener, the method comprising: positioning first and second mandrels on opposite sides of the stiffener; positioning first and second compaction tools on opposite sides of the skin; and compacting the skin between the first and second compaction tools by moving one or both of the compaction tools, wherein the movement of the compaction tool(s) causes the first and second mandrels to move towards the stiffener along inclined paths so as to compact the stiffener between the mandrels.
Claims13
A method of manufacturing a composite panel, the method comprising:
- fitting a control member through the panel;
- fitting a plug through a compaction tool;
- engaging the control member with the plug;
- engaging the plug with a datum surface of the compaction tool;
- compacting the panel with the compaction tool;
- and
- disengaging the plug from the control member after the panel has been compacted.
Apparatus for manufacturing a composite panel, the apparatus comprising:
- a control member;
- a compaction tool for compacting the panel;
- and
- a plug which is dimensioned to pass through the compaction tool and engage the control member, and which can be disengaged after the panel has been compacted,
- wherein the compaction tool has a datum surface which engages the plug when the plug passes through the compaction tool.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.