Thermoplastic composite components and method for forming same
AssigneeRohr, Inc.
InventorsBruce Tudor, Sreekanth Rao
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Abstract
A method for forming a thermoplastic composite component includes forming a composite sheet using an additive manufacturing assembly. The composite sheet includes a thermoplastic continuous-fiber body including a first side surface, a second side surface, and a perimeter edge. The first side surface is disposed opposite the second side surface. The perimeter edge circumscribes the first side surface and the second side surface. The method further includes applying a thermoplastic overmold onto the thermoplastic continuous-fiber body along at least the perimeter edge using an injection molding assembly.
Claims20
A method for forming a thermoplastic composite component, the method comprising:
- forming a composite sheet using an additive manufacturing assembly, the composite sheet including a thermoplastic continuous-fiber body including a first side surface, a second side surface, and a perimeter edge, the first side surface disposed opposite the second side surface, the perimeter edge circumscribing the first side surface and the second side surface;
- and
- applying a thermoplastic overmold onto the thermoplastic continuous-fiber body along at least the perimeter edge using an injection molding assembly.
A method for forming a thermoplastic composite component, the method comprising:
- forming a composite sheet using an additive manufacturing assembly, the composite sheet including a thermoplastic continuous-fiber body including a first side surface, a second side surface, and a perimeter edge, the first side surface disposed opposite the second side surface, the perimeter edge circumscribing the first side surface and the second side surface;
- applying a thermoplastic continuous-fiber perimeter band onto the perimeter edge;
- and
- applying a thermoplastic overmold onto the thermoplastic continuous-fiber perimeter band, the first side, and the second side using an injection molding assembly.
A method for forming a thermoplastic composite component, the method comprising:
- forming a composite sheet using an additive manufacturing assembly, the composite sheet including a thermoplastic continuous-fiber body;
- and
- applying a thermoplastic overmold onto the thermoplastic continuous-fiber body with an injection molding assembly by:
- positioning the thermoplastic continuous-fiber body between a first mold plate and a second mold plate of a mold of the injection molding assembly;
- and
- injecting a heated and pressurized molten thermoplastic overmold material into the mold to form the thermoplastic overmold on the thermoplastic continuous-fiber body and to reduce a void content of the thermoplastic continuous-fiber body to less than one percent by volume of the thermoplastic continuous-fiber body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.