초록 ▼

A forming jig includes a grid pattern of support walls arranged on a support base and having upper free ends located along an imaginary curved surface, and modular sectional profile members arranged on the walls to enclose a vacuum chamber within the jig. Grooves, channels and air passages between n

A forming jig includes a grid pattern of support walls arranged on a support base and having upper free ends located along an imaginary curved surface, and modular sectional profile members arranged on the walls to enclose a vacuum chamber within the jig. Grooves, channels and air passages between neighboring profile members communicate into the vacuum chamber. The outer surface of the profile members matches the intended inner surface of a structural component to be fabricated using the jig. In the fabrication process, a film is applied to the outer surface to pre-establish a vacuum, the film is removed while simultaneously a vacuum skin is applied, stringer members are set into the grooves, fiber skin layers are laid up, a sealant is applied around the perimeter, a structural shell is vacuumed onto the skin layers, and then this preformed component is removed from the jig, injected with resin unless the skin layers were pre-impregnated with resin, and cured.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method for automatable fabrication of an integral structural shell of a fiber reinforced composite material strengthened with stringers spaced apart from one another, using a forming jig that has a vacuum chamber therein and that has a forming surface with grooves therein and with air passages

1. A method for automatable fabrication of an integral structural shell of a fiber reinforced composite material strengthened with stringers spaced apart from one another, using a forming jig that has a vacuum chamber therein and that has a forming surface with grooves therein and with air passages communicating from said grooves into said vacuum chamber, said method comprising the steps:a) laying a film loosely onto said forming surface of said forming jig;b) applying a vacuum to said vacuum chamber so that said vacuum is effective through at least said air passages to suck said film onto said forming surface;c) after establishing a specified vacuum level of said vacuum, removing said film from said forming surface while simultaneously applying a vacuum skin onto said forming surface directly following said film as said film is removed, so that said vacuum skin is sucked form-fittingly onto said forming surface and into said grooves by said vacuum as said vacuum skin is applied onto said forming surface;d) after said step c), laying stringer members into said grooves lined with said vacuum skin;e) after said step d), laying plural skin layers comprising fiber material onto said vacuum skin and said stringer members;f) applying a sealant onto said vacuum skin around a perimeter of said skin layers;g) after said steps e) and f), laying a shell component onto said sealant and onto an uppermost one of said skin layers, whereby said sealant is compressed to form a vacuum-tight seal that circumscribes and closes a cavity between said vacuum skin and said shell component, wherein said cavity contains said skin layers and said stringer members therein, and said cavity is evacuated;h) after said cavity is evacuated to a required vacuum level, then discontinuing said applying of said vacuum to said vacuum chamber and venting said vacuum chamber to the atmosphere outside of said forming jig;i) removing said shell component, said skin layers, said stringer members, and said vacuum skin, which together form a preform for said integral structural shell, from said forming jig; andj) injecting resin into said preform unless said skin layers already contain resin, and curing said resin, to form said integral structural shell.2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said forming jig further has a perimeter groove communicating into said vacuum chamber around a perimeter of said forming surface, and wherein said vacuum in said vacuum chamber is also applied through said perimeter groove.3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in said step c), said removing of said film comprises rolling-up said film onto a film roll, said applying of said vacuum skin comprises unrolling said vacuum skin from a vacuum skin supply roll, and said film roll and said vacuum skin supply roll are coupled to each other to roll along said forming surface together with one another and with said vacuum skin supply roll directly following said film roll.4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising directing hot air or steam onto said vacuum skin during said step c) to facilitate a drawing and deformation of said vacuum skin form-fittingly onto said forming surface and into said grooves.5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, between said steps c) and d), an additional step of laying resin injection lines into said grooves lined with said vacuum skin.6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, after said step e), an additional step of stitching said plural skin layers onto said stringer members.