Forming the end portions of fibre reinforced thermoplastic composite tubes
AssigneeCrompton Technology Group Limited
InventorMichael James Dewhirst
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for forming at least one external annular flange (48 or 49) adjacent one end of a fiber reinforced thermoplastic tube (10) in which the tube (10) is mounted on a mandrel (12) and a first end portion of the tube is clamped in a collar (13) having at least one internal annular cavity (18 or 19) for forming a flange, a second end portion of the tube in the region (R1, R2) of the cavity is heated to soften the thermoplastic, and an axial load (L) is applied to the end of the tube by a piston (24) causing the softened tube to flow into the cavity (18, 19) in the collar (13) to form a flange on the tube.
Claims6
A method of forming at least one external annular flange adjacent one end of a fibre reinforced thermoplastic tube, the method comprising:
- mounting the tube on a mandrel, the tube being formed from a material comprising substantially continuous reinforcing fibres helically wound in a thermoplastic matrix;
- clamping the tube in a collar, the collar having a first annular cavity for forming a first flange and a second annular cavity for forming a second flange, the second annular cavity being nearer to an end of the tube than the first annular cavity;
- heating the tube in the region of the first annular cavity to soften the material of the tube in the region of the first annular cavity;
- applying an axial load to the end of the tube to cause the material of the tube to flow into the first annular cavity to form a first flange;
- heating the tube in the region of the second annular cavity to soften the material of the tube in the region of the second annular cavity;
- and
- applying an axial load to the end of the tube to cause the material of the tube to flow into the second annular cavity to form a second flange.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.