Method and device for producing a fibrous preform

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11312089-B2
Application number	US-201816229426-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2018
Priority date	Dec 29, 2017
Publication date	Apr 26, 2022
Grant date	Apr 26, 2022

Abstract

A method for producing a fibrous preform includes placing a fibrous mat onto a depositing surface, the depositing surface being formed by a web face of a mold core, a first support surface of a first support installation and a second support surface of a second support installation. The fibrous mat is covered by a film and is pressed in a planar manner onto the depositing surface by generating a vacuum. Bringing to bear the fibrous mat on lateral faces of the mold core that extend transversely to the web face is subsequently performed by moving the support installations and the mold core relative to one another in such a manner that a level differential between the web face of the mold core and the support surfaces of the support installations is enlarged. A device for producing a fibrous preform is furthermore described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing a fibrous preform, comprising the following method steps:
placing a fibrous mat onto a depositing surface formed by a web face of a mold core, a first support surface of a first support installation and a second support surface of a second support installation, wherein the first support surface and the second support surface laterally adjoin the web face of the mold core;
covering the fibrous mat with an elastically deformable, gas-tight film;
pressing the fibrous mat in a planar manner onto the depositing surface by generating a vacuum between the film and the depositing surface; and
bringing to bear of the fibrous mat on lateral faces of the mold core that extend transversely to the web face by moving the support installations and the mold core relative to one another in such a manner that a level differential between the web face of the mold core and the support surfaces of the support installations is enlarged.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first support surface of the first support installation and the second support surface of the second support installation when depositing the fibrous mat continually extend the web face of the mold core.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the bringing to bear of the fibrous mat on the lateral faces of the mold core comprises a lowering of the first support installation and of the second support installation in relation to the web face of the mold core and/or a lifting of the mold core in relation to the first support surface and the second support surface.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the following method step:
heating the fibrous mat and on account thereof activating a binding agent contained in the fibrous mat, or varying the viscosity of a matrix material of the fibrous mat for fixing the fibers of the fibrous mat in that position that said fibers have attained by the bringing to bear of the fibrous mat on the lateral faces of the mold core.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the heating is performed by generating an electric current flow through electrically conducting fibers of the fibrous mat.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the electric current flow is generated in that a first contact rail disposed on the first support surface and a second contact rail disposed on the second support surface are connected to an electric voltage source.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the electric current flow is generated in that at least two mold core contact rails disposed on the web face and/or the lateral faces of the mold core are connected to an electric voltage source.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the following method step:
pressing a first compression plate onto a first peripheral region of the fibrous mat deposited on the depositing surface, wherein the first peripheral region of the fibrous mat is deposited on the first support surface, and pressing a second compression plate onto a second peripheral region of the fibrous mat deposited on the depositing surface, wherein the second peripheral region of the fibrous mat is deposited on the second support surface, wherein the first compression plate is maintained at a constant spacing from the first support surface, and the second compression plate is maintained at a constant spacing from the second support surface.

9. A device for producing a fibrous preform, comprising:
a mold core having a web face, a first lateral face that extends transversely to the web face and along a lifting direction, and a second lateral face that extends transversely to the web face and along the lifting direction;
a first support installation having a first support surface, wherein the first support installation is disposed on a first side of the mold core defined by the first lateral face of the mold core;
a second support installation having a second support surface, wherein the second support installation is disposed on a second side of the mold core defined by the second lateral face of the mold core;
a film installation having an elastically deformable, gas-tight film for producing an evacuation-capable intermediate space between the mold core, the support installations and the film;
a lifting installation by which the mold core and the support installations are movable relative to one another in the lifting direction; and
an evacuation installation for evacuating the intermediate space.

10. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the first support installation has a first contact rail projecting beyond the first support surface, and the second support installation has a second contact rail projecting beyond the second support surface, wherein the first contact rail and the second contact rail are configured to be connected to an electric voltage source, wherein the first contact rail is disposed in a first groove configured in the first support surface, and the second contact rail is disposed in a second groove configured in the second support surface.

11. The device according to claim 10 , wherein the first contact rail extends along a peripheral region of the first support installation facing the first lateral face of the mold core, and the second contact rail extends along a peripheral region of the second support installation facing the second lateral face of the mold core.

12. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the mold core has a first mold core contact rail and a second mold core contact rail, wherein the mold core contact rails project in each case beyond the web face and/or the lateral faces of the mold core.

13. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the device further comprises a first compression plate and a second compression plate, wherein the first compression plate by means of a first positioning installation is configured to be positioned at a predetermined spacing relative to the first support surface, and wherein the second compression plate by means of a second positioning installation is configured to be positioned at a predetermined spacing relative to the second support surface.

14. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the device further comprises a pedestal on which the mold core and the support installations are disposed.

15. The device according to claim 14 , wherein the film installation has a frame to which the film is fastened in a gas-tight manner, wherein the frame of the film installation is configured to be fastened in a gas-tight manner to the pedestal.

Assignees

• Premium Aerotec Gmbh

Inventors

• Wanner Margarita
• Maennich Ralph
• Hemmen Alexander
• Kuntz Julian

Classifications

• B29D99/0003

  Producing profiled members, e.g. beams · CPC title

• B29C2035/0211

  resistance heating (B29C2035/0811 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C70/44 Primary

  using isostatic pressure, e.g. pressure difference-moulding, vacuum bag-moulding, autoclave-moulding or expanding rubber-moulding · CPC title

• B29C35/0272

  using lost heating elements, i.e. heating means incorporated and remaining in the formed article (for preforms with internal stresses B29C61/0625; joining using lost heating elements B29C65/34; making electrically conductive articles B29C70/882) · CPC title

• B29C2043/3644

  Vacuum bags; Details thereof, e.g. fixing or clamping · CPC title