Process for bonding an adhesive protective edging on the edge of a multilayer panel such as a spacecraft heat shield

Process for bonding an adhesive protective edging to a straight edge of a multilayer panel formed of many layers of thin plastic sheet, comprising the following stages:

• bonding a first lateral, adhesive zone of the edging to a lower face of the panel, along the straight edge, by depositing said lower face of the panel on a working plane, unwinding the edging from a storage reel, removing a first anti-adhesive protector covering the first lateral, adhesive zone, bringing the uncovered adhesive zone between the working plane and a portion of the lower face of the panel, so that it is in contact with a portion of said lower face along the straight edge of the panel and simultaneously advancing the panel and the first lateral, adhesive zone on the working plane,
• applying pressure to the panel along the straight edge,
• bending the edging in such a way that a second adhesive, lateral zone of the edging, covered with a second anti-adhesive protector, is bent onto the upper face of the panel
• thereafter removing the second anti-adhesive protector whilst maintaining pressure on the panel, along the straight edge and
• finally bonding said second adhesive zone to said upper face.