Automated fiber placement of glass fiber thermoplastic tow as first ply
AssigneeGoodrich Corporation
InventorsElizabeth A. Herman, Iwona Wrobel, Rony Ganis, Jason Bradley Allen
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Abstract
A method of manufacturing a thermoplastic part is disclosed herein. The method includes applying a glass fiber thermoplastic material onto a substrate, applying a carbon fiber thermoplastic material onto the substrate and over the glass fiber material, heating the carbon fiber material to generate heat in the carbon fiber material to heat the glass fiber material, and pressing the glass fiber material and the carbon fiber material onto the substrate.
Claims20
A method of manufacture, comprising:
- applying a glass fiber thermoplastic material onto a substrate;
- applying a carbon fiber thermoplastic material onto the substrate and over the glass fiber thermoplastic material;
- heating the carbon fiber thermoplastic material to generate heat in the carbon fiber thermoplastic material to heat the glass fiber thermoplastic material;
- and
- pressing the glass fiber thermoplastic material and the carbon fiber thermoplastic material onto the substrate.
A system for manufacturing a thermoplastic component, the system comprising:
- a spool of glass fiber thermoplastic material;
- a spool of carbon fiber thermoplastic material;
- and
- a mandrel,
- wherein the system is configured to:
- dispense the glass fiber thermoplastic material from the spool of glass fiber thermoplastic material as a glass fiber thermoplastic tow onto the mandrel;
- dispense the carbon fiber thermoplastic material from the spool of carbon fiber thermoplastic material as a carbon fiber thermoplastic tow onto the glass fiber thermoplastic tow;
- heat the carbon fiber thermoplastic tow;
- and
- press the carbon fiber thermoplastic tow and the glass fiber thermoplastic tow onto the mandrel.
A method of manufacturing a thermoplastic part, comprising:
- dispensing a glass fiber thermoplastic tow onto a mandrel, the glass fiber thermoplastic tow having a first width;
- dispensing a carbon fiber thermoplastic tow onto the glass fiber thermoplastic tow, the carbon fiber thermoplastic tow having a second width that is less than the first width;
- directing a laser through the glass fiber thermoplastic tow and onto the carbon fiber thermoplastic tow while dispensing the glass fiber thermoplastic tow and the carbon fiber thermoplastic tow, the laser generating heat in the carbon fiber thermoplastic tow that is transferred to the glass fiber thermoplastic tow;
- and
- applying, by a roller, a pressure onto the carbon fiber thermoplastic tow to affix the glass fiber thermoplastic tow to the mandrel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.