Systems and methods for making and using a fitted cap for applying a shaped sealant shroud to a portion of a fastener

A system for making a fitted cap, the fitted cap configured to apply a shaped sealant shroud to a portion of a fastener, the system comprising:

• a support plate, comprising:
• a first side;
• a second side, opposite the first side;
• and
• a first plurality of through-openings, penetrating the support plate from the first side through to the second side;
• a fastener template, dimensionally identical to the portion of the fastener and extending from the first side of the support plate such that the first plurality of through-openings is arranged about the fastener template;
• a precursor cap, comprising a first surface, geometrically complementary to the fastener template, and a second surface, opposite the first surface and parallel to the first surface;
• first means for heating a first polymer sheet to a specified temperature;
• and
• second means for applying suction to the first polymer sheet, positioned a predetermined distance from the first side of the support plate and heated to the specified temperature by the first means, through the first plurality of through-openings from the second side of the support plate to vacuum-form the first polymer sheet over the precursor cap, wherein the second means is configured to apply the suction such that:
• after vacuum-forming the first polymer sheet over the precursor cap, at least a portion of the first polymer sheet forms the fitted cap and
• a first inner surface of the fitted cap is geometrically complementary to the second surface of the precursor cap.