Impregnation mould having needles for producing a part from a woven preform

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11648740-B2
Application number	US-201715840532-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2017
Priority date	Dec 14, 2016
Publication date	May 16, 2023
Grant date	May 16, 2023

Abstract

The invention relates to an impregnation mould for manufacturing a turbine engine part, made of composite material, obtained from a preform made of a weave of fibres, said mould having first and second portions provided with respective recesses that define a cavity capable of receiving the preform, in which at least one injection means of the mould allows a resin to be injected in order to impregnate said preform,
wherein said at least one injection means has a plurality of tubular injection needles, which are capable of extending from at least one of the first and second recesses to penetrate at least the weave of the preform in order to allow resin to be injected.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A set for manufacturing a turbine engine part,
wherein said set comprises a preform and an impregnation mould,
wherein said preform is formed by a weave of fibres of composite material having strands for being impregnated in said impregnation mould,
wherein said mould has a first mould portion of which a first recess is substantially complementary to a first surface of the preform, and a second portion of which a second recess is substantially complementary to a second surface of the preform, said first and second portions being capable of being attached to one another at the time said mould is closed so that the first and second recesses define a cavity in which at least one injection means of the mould allows a resin to be injected in order to impregnate said preform,
wherein said at least one injection means has a plurality of tubular injection needles, for extending from at least one of the first and second recesses substantially with respect to at least one of the first and second surfaces and which are configured with tapered ends to penetrate at least between the strands of weave of the preform to allow resin to be injected while conveying said resin at least to the centre of said weave after the closure of said mould,
wherein the needles of the mould are retractable into at least one of the first and second mould portions, and are movable towards the preform relative to at least one of the first recess and second recess in said portions between an extended position in which said needles penetrate at least the weave and a retracted position in which said needles are withdrawn from the preform, and
wherein each needle of the first plurality or second plurality of needles is rigidly connected to at least one first or second block, respectively, the needles of said first or second block being substantially parallel to one another, and said first or second block being slideably movable towards the preform in parallel with a direction of the needles by a corresponding actuator in the corresponding first or second mould portion.

2. The set according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second mould portions of the mould has a first plurality and a second plurality of needles, respectively, which are capable of extending from said first and second recesses, respectively, with respect to the whole of the first and second surfaces, in order to penetrate at least the weave of the first and second surfaces.

3. The set according to claim 2 , wherein the needles of the first plurality of needles are not arranged to face the needles of the second plurality of needles.

4. The set according to claim 1 , wherein each first or second mould portion receives at least two first or two second blocks, respectively, which are fitted slideably in the first or second mould portion, respectively, along different strokes, the stroke of each first or second block being configured to allow the needles to penetrate at least a corresponding region, of predetermined thickness, of the weave of the preform with respect to the corresponding first or second surface, respectively.

5. The set according to claim 1 , wherein the needles of each first or second block are supplied with resin according to a flow rate, pressure and injection duration configured to fill the predetermined thickness of the weave of the preform with respect to the corresponding first or second surface.

6. A method for manufacturing a turbine engine part, made of composite material, using the set according to claim 1 , comprising successively:
a step (ET 1 ) of producing the preform of the set, made of composite material, by weaving fibres;
a step (ET 2 ) of placing the preform in a first or second recess formed in a first or second portion of the mould, respectively;
a step of attaching the second portion of the mould, or the first portion of the mould, to the first portion of the mould, or the second portion of the mould, respectively;
a step of insertion during which the plurality of needles of the injection means penetrates at least the weave of the preform;
a step of closing the mould, consisting in attaching the second portion of the mould, or the first portion of the mould, to the first portion of the mould, or the second portion of the mould, respectively, at the end of which step the needles of the plurality of needles of the injection means occupy their extended position;
a step of vacuum-injecting resin, during which the resin is injected at least into the weave of the preform by means of the needles and during which, as the injection progresses, the needles are retracted from their extended position towards their retracted position;
a step of polymerising the resin, during which the resin is kept under pressure in the mould;
a step of taking out the polymerised part.

7. A method for manufacturing a turbine engine part, made of composite material, using the set according to claim 4 , comprising successively:
a step of producing a preform, made of composite materials, by weaving fibres, said preform having, with respect to each of its first or second surfaces, predetermined regions of different thicknesses;
a step of placing the preform in a first or second recess formed in a first or second portion of the mould, respectively;
a step of attaching the second portion of the mould, or the first portion of the mould, to the first portion of the mould, or the second portion of the mould, respectively;
a step of insertion during which the first blocks of the first mould portion and the second blocks of the second mould portion are moved independently of one another by means of their respective actuators such that the needles of the pluralities of needles of said first blocks and second blocks penetrate at least the thicknesses of each region of the weave of the preform;
a step of closing the mould, consisting in attaching the second portion of the mould, or the first portion of the mould, to the first portion of the mould, or the second portion of the mould, respectively, and at the end of which step the needles of the pluralities of needles of the first and second blocks occupy their extended position;
a step of vacuum-injecting resin, during which the resin is injected at least into the weave of the preform by means of the needles and during which, simultaneously, the first and second blocks are moved by means of their actuators such that their needles are retracted from their extended position towards their retracted position;
a step of polymerising the resin, during which the resin is kept under pressure in the mould;
a step of taking out the polymerised part.

8. The manufacturing method according to claim 6 , comprising, prior to the step of placing the preform, a step of selecting needles during which the diameter of each needle is determined on the basis of a viscosity of the resin to be injected and a flow rate of the resin to be injected, and by the space between two strands of the weave of the preform, said diameter being configured to be less than said space between two strands.

9. The set according to claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the tubular needles is set depending on the density of the weave of the preform, defined by the space between two consecutive strands of the weave of this preform, the diameter of the tubular needles being set so as to allow the weave to be penetrated between two strands without this leading the strands being torn.

Assignees

• Safran Aircraft Engines

Inventors

• Most Vincent Bernard Serge
• Ashtari Nicolas Cambyse

Classifications

• B29C2045/0089

  successive filling of parts of a mould cavity, i.e. one cavity part being filled before another part is filled (sequential filling to prevent weld lines B29C2045/0032) · CPC title

• B29C33/0066

  with a subdivided channel for feeding the material to a plurality of locations · CPC title

• B29C70/548 Primary

  using distribution constructions, e.g. channels incorporated in or associated with the mould · CPC title

• B29K2307/04

  Carbon · CPC title

• B29C2045/0049

  the injected material flowing against a mould cavity protruding part · CPC title