Method of hot peeling for removing a blade leading edge cap
AssigneeEurocopter
InventorsPatrick Boschet, Daniel Brunner, André Amari
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In order to remove a plate made from a material that can be heated by electromagnetic induction and retained on a supporting member by a heat-fusible adhesive, an inductor is displaced facing at least one strip of the plate in order to heat the strip by induction and heat the adhesive by conduction until the adhesive softens, and a tearing tool is driven so as to tear out the heated strip by hot-peeling. The inductor and the tearing tool are displaced jointly relative to the plate and the supporting member by means of a mobile frame, which is displaced on a stationary frame on which the supporting member and the plate are fixed.
Claims11
A method of removing a protective cap for the leading edge of a rotor blade, said protective cap being made from a material which can be heated by electromagnetic induction, and being retained on a rotor blade by a fusible adhesive substance, which loses a substantial part of its mechanical characteristics under the action of heat and softens, the method comprising at least the following steps which consist in:
- placing at least one electromagnetic inductor facing at least one strip of said cap so as to heat said strip of the cap by induction and said adhesive underneath said strip by conduction to a temperature at which said adhesive softens, located in the plastic temperature range of the adhesive, at least in a layer of adhesive in contact with said strip and
- driving at least one tool for mechanically hot-tearing said heated strip through a region in which said adhesive has softened between said heated strip and said rotor blade so as to tear said heated strip from said rotor blade.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.