System and method for manufacturing a composite assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11396143-B2
Application number	US-201916449233-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2019
Priority date	Jun 21, 2019
Publication date	Jul 26, 2022
Grant date	Jul 26, 2022

Abstract

A system for manufacturing a composite assembly includes a first mandrel, a second mandrel, a first wrap plate, and a second wrap plate. The first wrap plate and the second wrap plate are positionable in side-by-side relation for receiving a wrap material stack. The first wrap plate and/or the second wrap plate are translatable to a wrap plate open position defining a wrap plate gap between the first and second wrap plate surface edge for receiving a bladder. The second mandrel is translatable to a mandrel open position defining a mandrel gap between the first and second mandrel surface edge. The wrap plate gap and the mandrel gap are configured to receive the wrap material stack formed around a bladder. The first and second wrap plate are configured to fold a first and second material stack base portion into overlapping relation with each other on the bladder top.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A manufacturing system for manufacturing a composite assembly, comprising:
at least one first mandrel having a first mandrel surface and a first mandrel surface edge;
at least one second mandrel having a second mandrel surface and a second mandrel surface edge;
a first wrap plate positionable above the first mandrel surface and having a first wrap plate surface and a first wrap plate surface edge;
a second wrap plate positionable above the second mandrel surface and having a second wrap plate surface and a second wrap plate surface edge;
one or more pinch mechanisms;
wherein:
the first wrap plate and the second wrap plate are positionable in parallel side-by-side relation for receiving a wrap material stack having opposing first and second material stack base portions;
at least one of the first wrap plate and the second wrap plate is configured to translate to a wrap plate open position defining a wrap plate gap between the first wrap plate surface edge and the second wrap plate surface edge for receiving a bladder having a bladder top side;
the second mandrel is configured to translate to a mandrel open position defining a mandrel gap between the first mandrel surface edge and the second mandrel surface edge, the wrap plate gap and the mandrel gap is configured to receive the wrap material stack formed around the bladder;
the first wrap plate and the second wrap plate are configured to fold the first and second material stack base portions into overlapping relation with each other onto the bladder top side; and
the one or more pinch mechanisms are configured to mechanically clamp the wrap material stack against at least one of the first wrap plate and the second wrap plate during translation of at least one of the first wrap plate and the second wrap plate to the wrap plate open position.

2. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more lamination heads supportable above the first wrap plate and the second wrap plate;
the first wrap plate and the second wrap plate configured to translate to a wrap plate closed position in which the first wrap plate surface edge and the second wrap plate surface edge are in side-by-side abutting contact with each other and forming a collective wrap plate surface defined by the first wrap plate surface and the second wrap plate surface; and
the one or more lamination heads configured to dispense one or more materials in stacked formation on the collective wrap plate surface to lay up the wrap material stack.

3. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein:
at least one of the first wrap plate and the second wrap plate has a heating device located proximate respectively the first wrap plate surface edge and the second wrap plate surface edge and configured to apply heat to at least one of the first and second material stack base portions overlapped on the bladder top side for bonding together the first and second material stack base portions.

4. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a lower forming die receivable within the mandrel gap and configured to support the wrap material stack against compaction pressure applied to the wrap material stack by the bladder.

5. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an upper forming die configured to downwardly translate into contact with the wrap material stack and urge the wrap material stack into the wrap plate gap and form the wrap material stack prior to removal and replacement of the upper forming die with the bladder.

6. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first mandrel comprises a first lamination mandrel and a first forming mandrel, and the at least one second mandrel comprises a second lamination mandrel and a second forming mandrel, the manufacturing system comprising:
a lamination station having a lamination mandrel set including the first lamination mandrel and the second lamination mandrel, positionable in side-by-side relation to form a collective mandrel surface configured for laying up of the wrap material stack on the collective mandrel surface;
a forming station having a forming mandrel set including the first forming mandrel and the second forming mandrel, positionable below the first wrap plate and the second wrap plate, the second forming mandrel of the forming mandrel set configured to translate to the mandrel open position defining the mandrel gap; and
an interstation transfer mechanism configured to transfer the wrap material stack from the lamination station to the forming station for forming and folding the wrap material stack around the bladder.

7. The manufacturing system of claim 6 , wherein the interstation transfer mechanism comprises:
an upper clamping member and a lower clamping member configured to clamp onto a portion of the wrap material stack spanning the mandrel gap between the first lamination mandrel and the second lamination mandrel of the lamination mandrel set;
the upper clamping member and the lower clamping member configured to transfer the wrap material stack from the lamination mandrel set at the lamination station to the forming mandrel set at the forming station; and
the lower clamping member configured to move within the mandrel gap at the lamination station and at the forming station during the transfer of the wrap material stack.

8. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one first mandrel and the at least one second mandrel are positionable in a mandrel closed position in which the first mandrel surface edge and the second mandrel surface edge are in side-by-side abutting contact to form a collective mandrel surface defined by the first mandrel surface and the second mandrel surface; and
the collective mandrel surface configured to receive a stringer laminate prior to the first wrap plate surface and the second wrap plate surface receiving the wrap material stack, the stringer laminate having opposing first and second stringer flange portions.

9. The manufacturing system of claim 8 , further comprising:
at least one lamination head supportable above the at least one first mandrel and the at least one second mandrel;
the first wrap plate and the second wrap plate configured to translate away from each other and expose the collective mandrel surface; and
the lamination head configured to lay up one or more composite plies of the stringer laminate on the collective mandrel surface prior to the first wrap plate surface and the second wrap plate surface translating into close proximity to each other for receiving the wrap material stack.

10. A method of manufacturing a composite assembly, comprising:
receiving a wrap material stack on a first wrap plate surface and a second wrap plate surface respectively of a first wrap plate and a second wrap plate in side-by-side relation and located above a first mandrel and a second mandrel, the wrap material stack having opposing first and second material stack base portions;
translating at least one of the first wrap plate and the second wrap plate to a wrap plate open position defining a wrap plate gap between a first wrap plate surface edge and a second wrap plate surface edge;
translating the second mandrel to a mandrel open position defining a mandrel gap between a first mandrel surface edge and a second mandrel surface edge;
urging, using one of an upper forming die and a bladder, the wrap material stack at least partially into the wrap plate gap and the mandrel gap;
forming the wrap material stack in response to urging the wrap material stack at least partially into the wrap plate gap and the mandrel gap; and
folding, using the first wrap plate and the second wrap plate, the first

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Kendall James R
• Suriyaarachchi Raviendra S
• Shaw Paul D
• Mitman James F

Classifications

• B29C33/307

  Mould plates mounted on frames; Mounting the mould plates; Frame constructions therefor (shaping plates for making moulds B29C33/3842; thin walled moulds B29C33/0011) · CPC title

• B29D99/0014

  provided with ridges or ribs, e.g. joined ribs · CPC title

• B29C70/342 Primary

  using isostatic pressure · CPC title

• B29C70/541

  Positioning reinforcements in a mould, e.g. using clamping means for the reinforcement (positioning inserts in moulds B29C33/12; lay-up on a mould B29C70/30) · CPC title

• B29L2031/003

  having a profiled transverse cross-section · CPC title