Panel with paint ready surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11766856-B2
Application number	US-202217569043-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2022
Priority date	Feb 27, 2014
Publication date	Sep 26, 2023
Grant date	Sep 26, 2023

Abstract

In a preferred embodiment, a composite panel with a smooth outer surface, ready for painting with or without addition of primer, may be created by constructing a panel layup assembly upon a mold, the panel layup assembly including a composite panel having a core and a resin formulation, and a release film between the mold and the composite panel, where a smooth release surface of the release film is in contact with the composite panel upon construction; initiating curing of the composite panel at a first temperature within a lowermost ten percent of a curing temperature range of the resin formulation; continuing curing of the composite panel at a second temperature above the lowermost ten percent of the curing temperature range; and completing curing of the composite panel at a third temperature below the second temperature.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for curing a composite panel to produce a smooth surface, comprising:
constructing a panel layup assembly upon a mold, the panel layup assembly including the composite panel, wherein the composite panel comprises at least a core and a resin formulation, and a release film between the mold and the composite panel, wherein a smooth release surface of the release film is in contact with the composite panel upon construction;
initiating curing of the composite panel at a first temperature within a lowermost ten percent of a curing temperature range of the resin formulation;
continuing curing of the composite panel at a second temperature above the lowermost ten percent of the curing temperature range; and
completing curing of the composite panel at a third temperature below the second temperature.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the release film is a polypropylene release film.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the release film is a bi-axially oriented polypropylene release film.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising initiating, prior to the initiating curing of the composite panel at the first temperature, heating of the composite panel at a temperature below the first temperature.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third temperature is within the lowermost ten percent of the curing temperature range.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resin formulation is pre-impregnated within a fabric reinforcement.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first temperature and the third temperature are less than 150° F.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second temperature is approximately 200-350° F. and the composite panel is cured at the second temperature for approximately 60-90 minutes.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein a temperature ramp up rate from the first temperature to the second temperature is less than 15° F. per minute.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein a temperature ramp down rate from the second temperature to the third temperature is less than 15° F. per minute.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the smooth surface is paint-ready without need for application of a primer.

Assignees

• Be Aerospace Inc

Inventors

• Franck Iii George T
• Bartolome Alvin S
• Jarvis-Shean Patrick G

Classifications

• B32B37/182 Primary

  one or more of the layers being plastic · CPC title

• B29C35/02

  Heating or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanizing {during moulding, e.g. in a mould}(cold vulcanisation B29C35/18 {; vulcanising tyres, presses therefor B29D30/0601}) · CPC title

• B29C37/0075

  using release sheets · CPC title

• B29C65/02

  by heating, with or without pressure · CPC title

• B29C66/7254

  honeycomb structures · CPC title