Airfoil manufacturing system
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorRaymond Neil Henderson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for shaping an airfoil. A prepreg assembly is positioned relative to a part in a plurality of parts for a tool for the airfoil using a positioning section for a frame. The positioning section is configured to move relative to the tool and a base of the frame and move a number of parts in the plurality of parts for the tool relative to each other. A number of sections in the prepreg assembly are heated. A force is applied to the number of sections in the prepreg assembly that have been heated to conform to the tool to cause the number of sections in the prepreg assembly that have been heated to conform to the tool with a shape for a component of the airfoil.
Claims20
A method for shaping an airfoil comprising:
- positioning a prepreg assembly relative to a tool using a positioning section of a frame, the tool comprising a first mandrel and a second mandrel, the frame comprising a base and the positioning section, wherein the positioning section is configured to hold the prepreg assembly, move relative to the tool and a base of the frame, and move the second mandrel, which is connected to the positioning section, relative to the first mandrel;
- heating a number of sections in the prepreg assembly;
- and
- applying a force to the number of sections in the prepreg assembly that have been heated to conform to the tool to cause the number of sections in the prepreg assembly that have been heated to conform to the tool with a shape for a component of the airfoil.
A method comprising:
- positioning a prepreg assembly relative to a tool using a positioning section of a frame, the tool comprising a first mandrel and a second mandrel, the frame comprising a base and the positioning section, wherein the positioning section is configured to hold the prepreg assembly, move relative to the tool and a base of the frame, and move the second mandrel, which is connected to the positioning section, relative to the first mandrel;
- heating a number of sections in the prepreg assembly;
- and
- applying a force to the number of sections in the prepreg assembly that have been heated to change the prepreg assembly from an original shape into a shape for a component for an airfoil.
A method comprising:
- loading a first prepreg assembly into a channel of a positioning section of an apparatus, the apparatus comprising a frame and a tool, the frame comprising a base and the positioning section, the tool comprising a first mandrel and a second mandrel, wherein the positioning section is configured to hold a prepreg assembly, move relative to the tool and a base of the frame, and move the second mandrel, which is connected to the positioning section, relative to the first mandrel;
- positioning the first prepreg assembly relative to the tool using the positioning section by moving the positioning section relative to the base of the frame;
- heating a number of sections in the first prepreg assembly using a heating system associated with the frame and configured to move relative to the first prepreg assembly;
- applying a force to the number of sections in the first prepreg assembly that have been heated to change the first prepreg assembly from an original shape into a shape for a first component for an airfoil, wherein applying the force comprises:
- moving the positioning section relative to the base;
- and
- moving a force application assembly relative to the frame, wherein the force application assembly is moveably associated with the positioning section;
- loading a second prepreg assembly into the channel of the positioning section of the apparatus;
- positioning the second prepreg assembly relative to the tool using the positioning section by moving the positioning section relative to the base of the frame;
- applying a force to the number of sections in the second prepreg assembly that have been heated to change the second prepreg assembly from an original shape into a shape for a second component for an airfoil;
- and
- curing the airfoil after the airfoil is complete.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.