Method and apparatus for fabricating a fibre reinforced thermoplastic composite structure
AssigneeAirbus Operations GmbH
InventorDavid INSTON
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Abstract
An apparatus for fabricating a fibre reinforced thermoplastic composite structure is described. The apparatus comprises a localised heat source arranged to heat a portion of a stack of fibre reinforced thermoplastic material layers and an ultrasonic transducer arranged to locally introduce ultrasonic energy waves to the heated portion of the fibre reinforced thermoplastic material layers. The apparatus makes it possible to achieve ultrasonic consolidation of the layers occurs.
Claims11
1-9. (canceled)
An apparatus for fabricating a fibre reinforced thermoplastic composite structure comprising a localised heat source arranged to heat a portion of a stack of fibre reinforced thermoplastic material layers and an ultrasonic transducer arranged to locally introduce ultrasonic energy waves to the heated portion of the fibre reinforced thermoplastic material layers whereby ultrasonic consolidation of the layers occurs.
An apparatus for fabricating a fibre reinforced thermoplastic composite structure comprising a localised heat source arranged to heat a portion of a stack of fibre reinforced thermoplastic material layers and an ultrasonic transducer arranged to locally introduce ultrasonic energy waves to the heated portion of the fibre reinforced thermoplastic material layers whereby ultrasonic consolidation of the layers occurs, wherein the heat source is arranged to heat the portion of the stack to a temperature within a range extending substantially from the glass transition temperature and extending to a temperature 5° C. above a temperature corresponding to a peak value of the Tan delta of the thermoplastic material.
An apparatus for fabricating a fibre reinforced thermoplastic composite structure comprising a localised heat source arranged to heat a portion of a stack of fibre reinforced thermoplastic material layers and an ultrasonic transducer arranged to locally introduce ultrasonic energy waves to the heated portion of the fibre reinforced thermoplastic material layers whereby ultrasonic consolidation of the layers occurs, wherein the heat source is arranged to heat the portion of the stack to a temperature within a range extending substantially from the glass transition temperature and extending to a temperature 5° C. above a temperature corresponding to a peak value of the Tan delta of the thermoplastic material;
- an ultrasonic tape laying apparatus in combination with the localised heat source;
- wherein the localised heating source and ultrasonic transducer are arranged to move relative to the stack of fibre reinforced thermoplastic layers;
- and
- wherein the local heating source comprises an infrared laser.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.