Fabrication method and apparatus for creating large and/or complex thermoplastic composite components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11214020-B2
Application number	US-201916552199-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2019
Priority date	Aug 27, 2019
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

This disclosure is directed to a thermoplastic composite material forming method and tooling used to perform the method. More specifically, this disclosure is directed to a method of fabricating large, complex thermoplastic composite part shapes with a consolidation tool having a conformable tooling bladder that heat thermoplastic material in the tool and provide thermoplastic material consolidation pressure in directions in the tool to form a part shape of thermoplastic composite material. A novel tooling concept is used to fabricate large, complex thermoplastic composite part shapes which are not easily producible using traditional methods. The tooling concept employs a consolidation tool that provides a method to apply thermoplastic material consolidation pressure by a conformable tooling bladder that provides thermoplastic material consolidation pressure in directions in the tool that are not achievable by conventional clamshell type molds where the mold parts move in substantially vertical tool opening and tool closing directions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A consolidation tool comprising:
a base, the base having a tool surface on a top of the base;
a cavity recessed downwardly into the tool surface of the base;
a first insert removably positioned in the cavity, the first insert having a first cross-section configuration;
a groove in the first insert, the groove having a configuration for receiving a tube of thermoplastic material in the groove and holding the tube of thermoplastic material in the groove as the tube of thermoplastic material is slit and spread out as a sheet of thermoplastic material across the groove;
a pressure bladder, the pressure bladder being configured for being positioned in the groove on top of the sheet of thermoplastic material spread across the groove, the pressure bladder being inflatable in the groove to exert a pressure force against the sheet of thermoplastic material spread across the groove and press the sheet of thermoplastic material into the groove; and,
a press supported on the base, the press having a bottom surface on a bottom of the press, the press being movable toward and away from the tool surface of the base, the bottom surface of the press being configured to engage against the tool surface of the base and the pressure bladder positioned in the groove on top of the sheet of thermoplastic material spread across the groove in response to the press being moved toward the tool surface of the base with the sheet of thermoplastic material spread across the groove being pressed into the groove by the pressure bladder inflated in the groove and the bottom surface of the press engaging against the tool surface of the base and the pressure bladder.

2. The consolidation tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
a variable pressure pump communicating with the pressure bladder.

3. The consolidation tool of claim 2 , further comprising:
a heat source connected in communication with the pressure bladder.

4. The consolidation tool of claim 3 , further comprising:
a cooling source connected in communication with the pressure bladder.

5. The consolidation tool of claim 1 , further comprising: a pump communicating with the pressure bladder, the pump being operable to selectively supply, heated, pressurized air to the pressure bladder.

6. The consolidation tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
the groove in the first insert is a first groove;
the first insert is removable from the cavity; and,
a second insert, a second groove in the second insert, the second insert is insertable into the cavity when the first insert has been removed from the cavity.

7. The consolidation tool of claim 6 , further comprising:
the second insert having a second cross-section configuration; and,
the first cross-section configuration of the first insert and the second cross-section configuration of the second insert being different cross-section configurations.

8. The consolidation tool of claim 1 , further comprising: the base being a mobile base.

9. The consolidation tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
the groove in the first insert having a configuration for receiving a tube of thermoplastic material formed by braiding thermoplastic tape.

10. The consolidation tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
a heat source connected in communication with the pressure bladder to selectively heat the pressure bladder and heat the sheet of thermoplastic material spread across the groove and conform the sheet of thermoplastic material to the cross section configuration of the groove; and,
a cooling source connected in communication with the pressure bladder to selectively cool the pressure bladder and control cooling of the thermoplastic material and prevent shrinking of the thermoplastic material.

11. The consolidation tool of claim 10 , further comprising:
both the heat source and the cooling source are a variable pressure pump.

12. The consolidation tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
the first insert is heated.

13. A consolidation tool comprising:
a groove, the groove is configured for receiving a tube of thermoplastic material in the groove and holding the tube as the tube is slit and spread out as a sheet of thermoplastic material across the groove;
a pressure bladder, the pressure bladder is configured for being positioned in the groove on top of the sheet of thermoplastic material spread across the groove;
a press having a bottom surface, the press being movable toward and away from the groove, the bottom surface of the press being configured to engage against the pressure bladder positioned in the groove on top of the sheet of thermoplastic material spread across the groove;
a heat source connected in communication with the pressure bladder to selectively heat the pressure bladder and heat the sheet of thermoplastic material spread across the groove and conform the sheet of thermoplastic material to a cross-section configuration of the groove;
a cooling source connected in communication with the pressure bladder to selectively cool the pressure bladder and control cooling of the thermoplastic material and prevent shrinking of the thermoplastic material;
a base having a tool surface;
the groove being in the tool surface;
the bottom surface of the press is configured to engage against the tool surface of the base and against the pressure bladder positioned in the groove on the top of the sheet of thermoplastic material spread across the groove to press the sheet of thermoplastic material in multiple directions by the pressure bladder and the bottom surface of the press engaging against the tool surface of the base and against the pressure bladder.

14. The consolidation tool of claim 13 , further comprising:
the pressure bladder is inflatable.

15. The consolidation tool of claim 13 , further comprising:
a base having a tool surface;
a cavity recessed into the tool surface;
a first insert insertable into the cavity;
the groove is a first groove in the first insert;
the first insert is removable from the cavity; and,
a second insert, a second groove in the second insert, the second insert is insertable into the cavity when the first insert has been removed from the cavity.

16. The consolidation tool of claim 15 , further comprising:
the first insert having a first cross-section configuration;
the second insert having a second cross-section configuration; and,
the first cross-section configuration and the second cross-section configuration being different cross-section configurations.

17. The consolidation tool of 15 , further comprising:
the base being mobile.

18. The consolidation tool of claim 15 , further comprising:
the first insert is heated.

19. The consolidation tool of claim 13 , further comprising:
both the heat source and the cooling source are a variable pressure pump.

20. The consolidation tool of claim 13 , further comprising:
the groove is configured for receiving the tube of thermoplastic material that has been braided from strips of thermoplastic material.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Matlack Mike P
• Rubin Alexander M
• Wilkerson Randall D
• Ogale Amol

Classifications

• B29C70/545

  Perforating, cutting or machining during or after moulding · CPC title

• B29C33/42

  characterised by the shape of the moulding surface, e.g. ribs or grooves · CPC title

• B29C43/10

  Isostatic pressing, i.e. using non-rigid pressure-exerting members against rigid parts or dies · CPC title

• B29C70/446

  Moulding structures having an axis of symmetry or at least one channel, e.g. tubular structures, frames · CPC title

• B29C51/28

  for applying pressure through the wall of an inflated bag or diaphragm · CPC title