Forming of staged thermoset composite materials

A method of reworking an existing composite structure, comprising:

• heating a thermoset composite laminate to an initial temperature for an initial dwell time period;
• initially curing the composite laminate at the initial temperature to an initial cure stage of 30-50 percent of full cure and beyond a gel point to form an initially-cured composite laminate;
• heating the initially-cured composite laminate to a temperature higher than the initial temperature and above a resin glass transition temperature;
• forming the initially-cured composite laminate at the higher temperature to a contour of an existing composite structure;
• and
• finally curing the composite laminate at the higher temperature to a final cure stage with the composite laminate conformed and joined to the contour of the existing composite structure.

A method of reworking an existing composite structure, comprising:

• heating a composite laminate to an initial temperature;
• initially curing the composite laminate at the initial temperature to an initial cure stage of 30-50 percent of full cure and beyond a gel point to form an initially-cured composite laminate;
• heating the composite laminate to an intermediate temperature and holding for an intermediate dwell time while forming to a contour of the existing composite structure;
• ramping up the temperature of the composite laminate from the intermediate temperature to a final temperature above the intermediate temperature and holding for a final dwell time;
• and
• finally curing the composite laminate at the final temperature to a final cure stage while bonding to the existing composite structure during the final dwell time.