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US 9,248,613 B2Granted
Method for forming thick thermoplastic composite structures
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsRandall Dow Wilkerson, James Rodney Fox
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus are used to pre-consolidate and de-bulk a thermoplastic composite ply stack prior to full consolidation and forming to the final part shape. Pre-consolidation and de-bulking is achieved by heating the ply stack to a temperature below the melting point of the thermoplastic in order to soften the plies, and then compress the ply stack.
Claims14
A method of making a thick thermoplastic composite part, comprising:
- assembling a ply stack including a plurality of thermoplastic composite plies into a generally flat, unshaped condition;
- pre-consolidating the ply stack in the generally flat, unshaped condition, including softening the plies by heating the plies in the ply stack to a pre-consolidation temperature below the melting temperature of the thermoplastic, maintaining the ply stack at pre-consolidation temperature over a pre-consolidation dwell time, and compressing the ply stack at the pre-consolidation temperature by applying pressure to the plies sufficient to de-bulk the ply stack over the pre-consolidation dwell time;
- subsequent to pre-consolidating the ply stack over the pre-consolidation dwell time, pre-forming the pre-consolidated ply stack at a temperature below the melting temperature of the thermoplastic, including preforming at least one feature in the pre-consolidated ply stack such that the pre-formed ply stack takes a general shape of a final part;
- and
- consolidating the pre-formed ply stack, including heating the ply stack to at least the melting temperature of the thermoplastic.
2 more elements
A method of forming a thick thermoplastic composite part, comprising:
- assembling a ply stack into a generally flat, unshaped condition by laying up a plurality of thermoplastic composite plies on top of each other;
- pre-consolidating the ply stack in the generally flat, unshaped condition using a first set of parameters, the first set of parameters including a preselected first temperature, a preselected first pressure and a preselected first time duration, wherein the preselected first pressure is sufficient to de-bulk the ply stack when the ply stack is maintained at the preselected first temperature over the preselected first time duration;
- subsequent to pre-consolidating the ply stack over the preselected first time duration, pre-forming the pre-consolidated ply stack at a temperature below the melting temperature of the thermoplastic, including pre-forming at least one feature in the pre-consolidated ply stack such that the pre-formed ply stack takes a general shape of a final part;
- and
- consolidating the pre-formed ply stack using a second set of parameters, the second set of parameters including a preselected second temperature, a preselected second pressure and a preselected second time duration.
2 more elements
A method of continuous compression molding thermoplastic composite parts, comprising:
- assembling a ply stack including a plurality of thermoplastic pre-preg plies into a generally flat, unshaped condition:
- de-bulking the ply stack in the generally flat, unshaped condition by heating the plies to a pre-consolidation temperature below their melting point and compressing the ply stack at the pre-consolidation temperature by applying pressure to the plies sufficient to de-bulk the ply stack over a pre-consolidation dwell time;
- subsequent to de-bulking the ply stack over the pre-consolidation dwell time, pre-forming the de-bulked ply stack, including preforming at least one feature in the de-bulked ply stack such that the pre-formed ply stack takes a general shape of a final part;
- and
- molding the pre-formed ply stack into a desired part shape, including heating the plies to at least their melting point and further compressing the ply stack to fully consolidate the plies.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.