Induction Curing of Cell-Based Structural Arrays
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJoseph Lawrence Hafenrichter, Joseph A. Marshall, Gary Earnest Georgeson, David L. Banks, Robert James Miller, Paul B. Mori
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Adhesive bondlines in a cell-based structural array are thermally cured using tooling blocks inserted into the cells. The tooling blocks have embedded susceptors that are inductively heated by an alternating electromagnetic field generated by an electromagnet.
Claims20
Apparatus for use in heating at least one cell in a cell-based composite structure, comprising:
- a tooling block configured to be inserted into the cell, the tooling block including at least one susceptor responsive to electromagnetic energy from a source thereof for heating at least a portion of the cell.
Apparatus for thermally curing a composite structure having an array of composite cells formed by cell walls joined together by adhesive bondlines, comprising:
- a bank of tooling blocks configured to be respectively inserted into the cells of the array of composite cells for thermally curing the adhesive bondlines,
- each of the tooling blocks including a tool body and a susceptor embedded within the tool body, the susceptor being formed of a conductive material capable of converting electromagnetic energy into heat.
A method of curing adhesive bondlines within cells of a cell-based composite structure, comprising:
- installing a susceptor in each of a plurality of tooling blocks;
- inserting the plurality of tooling blocks respectively in the cells of the cell-based composite structure;
- generating an electromagnetic field;
- inductively heating the susceptors using the electromagnetic field;
- and
- thermally curing the adhesive bondlines using heated susceptors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.