Continuously compression molding a composite body with a complex geometry

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10828809-B2
Application number	US-201815942931-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2018
Priority date	Apr 2, 2018
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

A method is provided for manufacturing a composite body. A first longitudinal portion of a continuous length of prepreg material is shaped using a first die of a compression molding tool to provide a shaped first longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material. The shaped first longitudinal portion is consolidated using the compression molding tool to provide a first portion of the composite body. The first portion of the composite body is moved out of the compression molding tool. The first die is swapped for a replacement first die. A second longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material is shaped using the replacement first die of the compression molding tool to provide a shaped second longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material. The shaped second longitudinal portion is consolidated using the compression molding tool to provide a second portion of the composite body.

First claim

I claim:

1. A method for manufacturing a composite body, comprising:
shaping a first longitudinal portion of a continuous length of prepreg material using a first die, a second die, a third die and a fourth die of a compression molding tool to provide a shaped first longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material, wherein the first die is arranged at a molding position in the compression molding tool during the shaping of the first longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material, wherein the first die and the second die are arranged between a third die surface of the third die and a fourth die surface of the fourth die that is positioned opposite the third die surface, and wherein the shaping comprises moving at least one of the first die or the second die along the third die surface and the fourth die surface such that the first longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material contacts and is compressed between the first die, the second die, the third die and the fourth die;
consolidating the shaped first longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material using the compression molding tool to provide a first portion of the composite body;
moving the first portion of the composite body out of the compression molding tool;
swapping the first die for a replacement first die, the swapping comprising removing the first die from the molding position and arranging the replacement first die at the molding position;
shaping a second longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material using the replacement first die of the compression molding tool to provide a shaped second longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material, wherein the replacement first die is arranged at the molding position during the shaping of the second longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material; and
consolidating the shaped second longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material using the compression molding tool to provide a second portion of the composite body.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first die has a die first configuration and the replacement first die has a die second configuration that is different from the die first configuration.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the first die is configured to provide the shaped first longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material with a first curvature; and
the replacement first die is configured to provide the shaped second longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material with a second curvature that is different from the first curvature.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the first die is configured to provide the shaped first longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material with a first cross-sectional geometry; and
the replacement first die is configured to provide the shaped second longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material with a second cross-sectional geometry that is different from the first cross-sectional geometry.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein
the first die is configured to provide the shaped first longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material with a first cross-sectional shape; and
the replacement first die is configured to provide the shaped second longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material with a second cross-sectional shape that is different from the first cross-sectional shape.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein
the first die is configured to provide the shaped first longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material with a first cross-sectional size; and
the replacement first die is configured to provide the shaped second longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material with a second cross-sectional size that is different from the first cross-sectional size.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the consolidating of the shaped first longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material comprises heating and applying pressure to the shaped first longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material using the first die; and
the consolidating of the shaped second longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material comprises heating and applying pressure to the shaped second longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material using the replacement first die.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
swapping the second die for a replacement second die;
wherein the shaping of the first longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material comprises shaping the first longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material using the first die and the second die to provide the shaped first longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material; and
wherein the shaping of the second longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material comprises shaping the second longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material using the replacement first die and the replacement second die to provide the shaped second longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
moving the second portion of the composite body out of the compression molding tool;
swapping the replacement first die for a second replacement first die;
shaping a third longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material using the second replacement first die of the compression molding tool to provide a shaped third longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material; and
consolidating the shaped third longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material using the compression molding tool to provide a third portion of the composite body.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
moving the second portion of the composite body out of the compression molding tool;
shaping a third longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material using the replacement first die of the compression molding tool to provide a shaped third longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material; and
consolidating the shaped third longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material using the compression molding tool to provide a third portion of the composite body.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the continuous length of prepreg material comprises fibrous material pre-impregnated with thermoplastic resin.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composite body comprises a component of a nacelle for an aircraft propulsion system.

13. A method for manufacturing a composite body, comprising:
molding a first longitudinal portion of a continuous length of prepreg material into a first portion of the composite body using a first die, a second die, a third die and a fourth die, wherein the first die and the second die are arranged between the third die and the fourth die such that a molding cavity, in which the first longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material is molded, is defined by at least a first die surface of the first die, a second die surface of the second die, a third die surface of the third die and a fourth die surface of the fourth die, wherein the molding comprises moving at least one of the first die or the second die along the third die surface and the fourth die surface, and wherein the first die provides the first portion of the composite body with a first configuration;
swapping the fir

Assignees

• Rohr Inc

Inventors

• Gurney Andrew S

Classifications

• B29K2101/12

  Thermoplastic materials · CPC title

• B29C43/34

  Feeding the material to the mould or the compression means {(B29C43/085 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B29L2031/003

  having a profiled transverse cross-section · CPC title

• B29L2009/00

  Layered products · CPC title

• F01D25/24

  Casings (modified for heating or cooling F01D25/14); Casing parts, e.g. diaphragms, casing fastenings (casings for rotary machines or engines in general F16M {; special arrangements in stators dealing with breaking-off of part of rotor F01D21/045}) · CPC title