Systems and methods for stretch-forming multi-thickness composite skins
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
B29C-070/38
B29C-070/54
B32B-037/18
출원번호
US-0218661
(2014-03-18)
등록번호
US-9370922
(2016-06-21)
발명자
/ 주소
Metschan, Stephen Lee
Phillips, Richard V.
Withrow, Bryan Joseph
Kroeger, Lee Michael
Stewart, Samuel Ray
출원인 / 주소
The Boeing Company
대리인 / 주소
DASCENZO Intellectual Property Law, P.C.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
4
초록▼
Systems and methods for stretch-forming multi-thickness composite skins are disclosed herein. The methods include locating a flexible support structure in a transition region that is defined by a charge of composite material and applying a vacuum to an interface between the charge of composite mater
Systems and methods for stretch-forming multi-thickness composite skins are disclosed herein. The methods include locating a flexible support structure in a transition region that is defined by a charge of composite material and applying a vacuum to an interface between the charge of composite material and the flexible support structure to define a charge-support assembly. The methods also include separating the charge-support assembly from the layup surface and locating the charge-support assembly on a cure surface of a layup mandrel. The methods further include deforming the charge-support assembly on the cure surface to generate a conformed charge of composite material, releasing the vacuum, and separating the flexible support structure from conformed charge of composite material. The systems include systems that are configured to perform the methods.
대표청구항▼
1. A method of forming a non-planar skin surface contour of a skin for a composite structure, wherein the skin for the composite structure is formed from a charge of composite material that is defined by a plurality of stacked plies of composite material, wherein the charge of composite material def
1. A method of forming a non-planar skin surface contour of a skin for a composite structure, wherein the skin for the composite structure is formed from a charge of composite material that is defined by a plurality of stacked plies of composite material, wherein the charge of composite material defines a first region that has a first number of stacked plies and a first thickness, and a second region that has a second number of stacked plies and a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness, and further wherein the first region and the second region define a transition region therebetween, the method comprising: locating a flexible support structure in the transition region such that the charge of composite material extends between the flexible support structure and a layup surface that supports the charge of composite material, wherein the flexible support structure includes a support surface that defines a support surface profile, wherein, prior to the locating the flexible support structure, the charge of composite material defines an exposed surface that defines a non-planar exposed surface profile, wherein the support surface profile corresponds to the non-planar exposed surface profile, and further wherein the locating the flexible support structure includes locating such that the support surface conforms to the exposed surface;applying a vacuum to an interface between the charge of composite material and the flexible support structure to temporarily define a charge-support assembly;during the applying, separating the charge-support assembly from the layup surface;locating the charge-support assembly on a cure surface of a layup mandrel, wherein the cure surface defines a non-planar cure surface contour;deforming the charge-support assembly to conform the charge of composite material to the non-planar cure surface contour and generate a conformed charge of composite material that defines the non-planar skin surface contour;releasing the vacuum; andseparating the flexible support structure from the conformed charge of composite material while retaining the conformed charge of composite material on the cure surface. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes locating a flexible vacuum chuck such that the flexible support structure extends between the flexible vacuum chuck and the charge of composite material, wherein the applying the vacuum includes applying the vacuum with the flexible vacuum chuck. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the flexible vacuum chuck includes a selective stiffening element, wherein the method includes engaging the selective stiffening element to resist deformation of the charge-support assembly prior to the locating, and further wherein the method includes disengaging the selective stiffening element to permit the deforming. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the deforming includes deforming the flexible vacuum chuck concurrently with deforming the charge-support assembly. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes laying up a plurality of plies of composite material on the layup surface to generate the plurality of stacked plies that defines the charge of composite material, wherein the laying up comprises: defining the first region of the charge of composite material; anddefining the second region of the charge of composite material. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the layup surface is a substantially planar layup surface, and further wherein the laying up the plurality of plies of composite material includes laying up on the substantially planar layup surface. 7. The method of claim 5, wherein the laying up includes laying up such that the charge of composite material includes a first plurality of plies of composite material that extends within both the first region and the second region and a second plurality of plies of composite material that extends within the second region but not within the first region. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second plurality of plies of composite material includes a plurality of edges that defines the transition region. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the deforming includes maintaining, with the flexible support structure, the charge of composite material in tension in a direction that is parallel to an interface between a first stacked ply of the plurality of stacked plies and a second stacked ply of the plurality of stacked plies. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the maintaining includes locating the charge of composite material on a convex side of the charge-support assembly during the deforming. 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the maintaining includes at least one of: (i) maintaining the charge of composite material completely in tension;(ii) maintaining the charge of composite material in tension across an entire thickness of the charge of composite material; and(iii) maintaining at least a threshold fraction of a total volume of the charge of composite material in tension, wherein the threshold fraction of the total volume includes at least 80% of the total volume. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the deforming includes resisting, with the flexible support structure, a relative motion among the plurality of stacked plies in the direction that is parallel to the interface. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the resisting the relative motion includes at least one of pressing against the transition region with the flexible support structure during the deforming and compressing at least a portion of the transition region with the flexible support structure during the deforming. 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying the vacuum includes applying the vacuum through the flexible support structure to the interface between the charge of composite material and the flexible support structure. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes curing the conformed charge of composite material to form the skin for the composite structure subsequent to the separating the flexible support structure from the conformed charge of composite material, and further wherein the method includes separating the skin of the composite structure from the cure surface. 16. A method of forming a non-planar skin surface contour of a skin for a composite structure, wherein the skin for the composite structure is formed from a charge of composite material that is defined by a plurality of stacked plies of composite material, wherein the charge of composite material defines a first region that has a first number of stacked plies and a first thickness, and a second region that has a second number of stacked plies and a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness, and further wherein the first region and the second region define a transition region therebetween, the method comprising: locating a flexible support structure in the transition region such that the charge of composite material extends between the flexible support structure and a layup surface that supports the charge of composite material;applying a vacuum to an interface between the charge of composite material and the flexible support structure to temporarily define a charge-support assembly;during the applying, separating the charge-support assembly from the layup surface;locating the charge-support assembly on a cure surface of a layup mandrel;deforming the charge-support assembly to conform the charge of composite material to a non-planar cure surface contour and generate a conformed charge of composite material that defines the non-planar skin surface contour, wherein the deforming includes maintaining, with the flexible support structure, the charge of composite material in tension in a direction that is parallel to an interface between a first stacked ply of the plurality of stacked plies and a second stacked ply of the plurality of stacked plies, wherein the maintaining includes at least one of:(i) maintaining the charge of composite material completely in tension;(ii) maintaining the charge of composite material in tension across an entire thickness of the charge of composite material; and(iii) maintaining at least a threshold fraction of a total volume of the charge of composite material in tension, wherein the threshold fraction of the total volume includes at least 80% of the total volume;releasing the vacuum; andseparating the flexible support structure from the conformed charge of composite material while retaining the conformed charge of composite material on the cure surface. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the flexible support structure includes a support surface that defines a support surface profile, wherein, prior to the locating the flexible support structure, the charge of composite material defines an exposed surface that defines a non-planar exposed surface profile, wherein the support surface profile corresponds to the non-planar exposed surface profile, and further wherein the locating the flexible support structure includes locating such that the support surface conforms to the exposed surface. 18. A system for forming a non-planar skin surface contour of a skin for a composite structure, the system comprising: a layup surface that is configured to receive a plurality of plies of composite material that defines a charge of composite material, wherein the charge of composite material defines a first region, which has a first number of stacked plies and a first thickness, and a second region, which has a second number of stacked plies and a second thickness, wherein the first region and the second region define a transition region therebetween, and further wherein the charge of composite material includes an exposed surface that defines a non-planar exposed surface profile;a flexible support structure that includes a support surface that defines a support surface profile, wherein the support surface profile corresponds to the non-planar exposed surface profile of the charge of composite material, and further wherein the flexible support structure is configured to be operatively located relative to the charge of composite material when the charge of composite material is located on the layup surface such that the support surface conforms to the exposed surface and such that the layup surface and the flexible support structure enclose the charge of composite material within a volume that is defined therebetween;a flexible vacuum chuck that is configured to selectively apply a vacuum to an interface between the charge of composite material and the flexible support structure to operatively affix the charge of composite material to the flexible support structure, defining a charge-support assembly and permitting the charge-support assembly to be operatively separated from the layup surface; anda layup mandrel that defines a cure surface having a non-planar cure surface contour, wherein the charge-support assembly is configured to be deformed on the cure surface to conform the charge of composite material to the non-planar cure surface contour and to generate a conformed charge of composite material that defines the non-planar skin surface contour. 19. The system of claim 18, wherein the system includes the charge of composite material, wherein the flexible vacuum chuck is applying the vacuum to the interface between the charge of composite material and the flexible support structure, and further wherein the charge of composite material is operatively affixed to the flexible support structure via the vacuum to define the charge-support assembly. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein the charge-support assembly is operatively located on the cure surface, wherein the charge-support assembly is conformed to the cure surface, wherein the charge of composite material extends between the flexible support structure and the cure surface, and further wherein the charge of composite material is in tension.
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Morizot Richard A. P. (Villemer FRX) Nioche Jean-Yves M. (St Maurice Montcouronne FRX), Installation for the production by draping of multilayer structures formed from composite materials.
Brennan, Joseph D.; Hempstead, George D.; Jones, Darrell D.; Lum, Matthew K.; McCowin, Peter D.; Rowe, Terrence J.; Schlosstein, Hugh R., Pre-patterned layup kit and method of manufacture.
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