Soluble manufacturing aid
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsAndrew M. Zavada, Brandon D. Booth, Isbelia D. Cardona
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Abstract
Provided is a method of forming a shaped structure. The method includes coupling a first section of a mold to a second section of the mold such that a mold cavity is defined, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the mold cavity corresponds to a cross-sectional shape of the shaped structure and wherein at least one of the first section of the mold and the second section of the mold comprise a soluble material; at least partially filling the mold cavity with a curable polymer; and curing the curable polymer in the mold cavity to make the shaped structure.
Claims21
A method of forming a shaped structure, comprising:
- coupling a first section of a mold to a second section of the mold such that a mold cavity is defined, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the mold cavity corresponds to a cross-sectional shape of the shaped structure and wherein at least one of the first section of the mold and the second section of the mold comprise a soluble material;
- at least partially filling the mold cavity with a curable polymer;
- and
- curing the curable polymer in the mold cavity to make the shaped structure.
A method of forming a shaped structure, comprising:
- coupling a mold comprising a body portion and a cavity surface to a substrate such that a mold cavity is defined between the cavity surface and the substrate, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the cavity corresponds to a cross-sectional shape of the shaped structure, wherein the body portion comprising a soluble material;
- depositing a curable polymer into the cavity through an opening in the mold;
- and
- curing the curable polymer to form a cured polymer.
An article, comprising:
- a shaped structure comprising a curable polymer, wherein the shaped structure is formed by at least partially filling a mold cavity with the curable polymer and curing the curable polymer, wherein the mold comprises a soluble material,
- wherein the curable polymer does not comprise a viscosity-increasing filler.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.