Vacuum debulk and radiation cure method
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsMark S. Wilenski, Arvid J. Berg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
To fabricate a composite item from a layup of composite material, the layup is degassed, debulked, and cured. To degas the layup, an envelope pressure within an envelope that includes the layup is reduced, a chamber pressure within a chamber that includes the envelope is reduced, and the layup is heated. To debulk the layup, the chamber pressure is increased relative to the envelope pressure so that the envelope exerts a compressive force upon the layup in response to the relatively higher chamber pressure as compared to the envelope pressure. To cure the layup, the layup is exposed to radiation.
Claims16
A method of fabricating a composite item from a layup of composite material, the method comprising the sequential steps of:
- degassing the layup, comprising:
- reducing an envelope pressure within an envelope, the layup being disposed in the envelope;
- reducing a chamber pressure within a chamber such that the envelope pressure is higher than the chamber pressure, the envelope being disposed in the chamber;
- and
- heating the layup to a degassing temperature;
- debulking the layup, comprising:
- increasing the chamber pressure such that the envelope pressure is lower than the chamber pressure, the envelope exerting a compressive force upon the layup;
- and
- curing the layup at a temperature that is lower than the degassing temperature to generate the composite item, the layup being cured by exposure to radiation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.