Dual purpose lay-up tool

A method of manufacturing a laid-up, bonded and, cured composite part, comprising:

• filling a peripheral groove on a facing surface of a tool with a sacrificial material and forming a surface thereon flush with said facing surface;
• laying-up a tool-side skin on said facing surface of said tool and laying-up other components of said part on top of said tool-side skin, said skin and components having an adhesive/resin matrix which bonds/cures to create a rigid integral assembly of said skin and components;
• applying a vacuum bag over said laid-up skin and components and sealing peripheral regions of said vacuum bag around said laid-up skin and components;
• evacuating air from under said vacuum bag to cause air pressure outside said vacuum bag to press said vacuum bag against said components;
• bonding/curing said adhesive/resin matrix to transform said skin and components into said rigid integral assembly;
• removing said vacuum bag from said facing surface of said tool, uncovering said rigid integral assembly;
• fixing said tool in a known position on a CNC machine tool bed using location devices to position said facing surface of said tool at a known position for edge routing of said rigid integral assembly by a machine tool;
• loading a data set, having a digital definition of said part, into a controller for controlling operation of said machine tool;
• guiding a cutter of said machine tool, with said controller operating a machine control program incorporating said data set, on a predetermined path around said facing surface of said tool, with said cutter cutting in said sacrificial material in said below said facing surface of said tool and cutting a peripheral edge around said rigid integral assembly;
• removing said rigid integral assembly from said facing surface of said tool.

A method of manufacturing laid-up bonded or cured parts, comprising:

• laying a tool-side face sheet in an original laid-up position on a tool having a facing surface configured with a desired mold line configuration of said part;
• supporting said tool-side face sheet on a sacrificial material filling a peripheral groove around said face sheet inboard of an outer peripheral edge thereof, said sacrificial material having an upper surface flush with said facing surface of said tool;
• bonding said tool-side face sheet to said sacrificial material in said peripheral groove;
• bonding or curing said face sheet on said tool;
• and
• with said tool-side face sheet still in said original laid-up position, cutting a new peripheral edge on said part with a cutter on a machine following said peripheral groove, said cutter extending into said peripheral groove, cutting partially into said sacrificial material, and engaging the full thickness of said face sheet to cut said new peripheral edge.

A method of fabricating composite parts, comprising:

• applying a bead of a foaming material in a substantially continuous groove around a lay-up area of a top surface of a tool;
• laying a caul plate over said groove and applying pressure to hold said caul plate flat against said top surface of said tool;
• heating said caul plate and thereby heating said foaming material in said groove;
• allowing said foaming material to foam and fill said groove up to said caul plate to produce a top surface of said foam material that is flush with said top surface of said tool;
• allowing said foam material to cure in place in said groove while maintaining said pressure on said caul plate;
• removing said caul plate after said foam material has cured;
• laying up component elements of said part in an original laid-up position and curing said elements in place in said original laid-up position on said tool without removing said elements from said tool;
• locating a reference surface of said tool on a machine tool bed and positioning said tool accurately on said machine tool bed so that the position of said groove is known accurately;
• programming a machine tool controller of said machine tool with a path of travel along with said groove:
• directing said machine tool with said machine tool controller to drive a cutter around said part in said groove with said cutter engaging and cutting the full thickness of said part without removing said elements from said original laid-up position on said tool to provide an accurate edge trim of said part;
• and
• removing said part from said tool.