Systems and methods for continuous fabrication of woven composite materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12110616-B2
Application number	US-202217822645-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2022
Priority date	May 16, 2016
Publication date	Oct 8, 2024
Grant date	Oct 8, 2024

Abstract

A machine and method are presented for continuously forming a woven composite with controllable internal fabric geometry. The machine may include one or more spools for dispensing one or more warp filaments, a roller assembly configured to receive a composite weave, a warp rack having warp heads for engaging the warp filaments and vertically adjusting position to dynamically create a weave pattern in response to the insertion of one or more weft filaments by a weft inserter stack.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of continuously forming on a single machine a consolidated woven composite comprising:
forming a woven composite material of repeating units created by a repeated sequence of warp and weft filament movements comprising:
receiving one or more polymer impregnated or coated warp filaments from a warp rack comprising warp heads; and
inserting one or more polymer impregnated or coated weft filaments between one or more warp filaments with a weft inserter; and

consolidating the woven composite material by heat and pressure to form a consolidated woven composite;
wherein the method is a method of continuously forming the consolidated woven composite from the woven composite material on the single machine.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
trimming a part portion of the consolidated woven composite; and
overmolding the trimmed part portion of the consolidated woven composite to form a finished component.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
feeding one or more layers of substrate material that is melt-compatible with one or more of the warp and/or weft filaments into a roller assembly;
wherein consolidating the woven composite material comprises co-consolidating the woven composite material concurrently with the substrate material through the roller assembly to form the consolidated woven composite having a cohesive bond between the substrate material and the woven composite material.

4. A method of continuously forming a consolidated woven composite comprising:
forming a woven composite material of repeating units created by a repeated sequence of warp and weft filament movements comprising:
receiving one or more polymer impregnated or coated warp filaments from a warp rack comprising warp heads; and
inserting one or more polymer impregnated or coated weft filaments between one or more warp filaments with a weft inserter; and

consolidating the woven composite material by heat and pressure in a consolidation zone to form a consolidated woven composite;
trimming a part portion of the consolidated woven composite; and
overmolding the trimmed part portion of the consolidated woven composite to form a finished component;
wherein each warp head is capable of independent vertical movement to adjust the height of the warp filament extending from the warp head toward a roller assembly in the consolidation zone.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein trimming and overmolding comprises receiving the consolidated woven composite as continuous stock in a compression mold or injection mold to trim and overmold the part portion.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the repeating units comprise a selectively chosen weave pattern having a specified internal geometry.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the repeating units comprise at least a set of first repeating units having a first weave pattern and a set of second repeating units having a second weave pattern;
wherein the first weave pattern is different than the second weave pattern.

8. The method of claim 4 further comprising:
heating the trimmed part portion; and
stamping the heated, trimmed part portion into a preform;
wherein overmolding comprises overmolding the preform by adding material that is cohesively bonded to the polymeric material of the trimmed part portion.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising one or more of:
selecting the selectively chosen weave pattern from among a variety of different weave patterns;
controlling with a controller the trimming;
controlling with a controller the overmolding; or
controlling with a controller the selecting.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the part portion comprises one or more of the repeating units.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein overmolding the preform allows for texturizing of the preform and the creation of non-structural protruding features.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the preform is over-molded multiple times to one or more:
add different materials to the preform;
add materials to different sides or portions of the preform; or
produce a variety of shapes.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising placing the preform into a mold cavity;
wherein overmolding comprising overmolding the preform in the mold cavity.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the shapes are selected from the group consisting of brackets, panels, vehicle body parts, parts with a flat contour, and parts with curvilinear contour.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:
removing the over-molded preform from the mold; and
finishing the removed over-molded preform;
wherein the finishing comprises one or more of:
trimming edges of the preform;
drilling holes in the preform; and
sanding down the preform.

16. The method of claim 3 , wherein at least one layer of the substrate material comprises a polymer film.

17. The method of claim 3 , wherein:
at least one layer of the substrate material comprises a polymer film; and
at least one layer of a second substrate material comprises a fiber mat that does not contain any polymer.

18. The method of claim 3 , wherein at least one layer of the substrate material comprises a fiber mat comprising a mixture of reinforcing fibers and polymer fibers, such that the polymer fibers melt during the consolidating and wet the reinforcing fibers to promote melt-adhesion to the woven composite material.

19. The method of claim 3 , wherein at least one layer of the substrate material is applied to each side of the woven composite material.

20. The method of claim 3 further comprising feeding one or more layers of a second substrate material;
wherein at least one layer of the second substrate material is applied to the opposite side of the woven composite material from the first substrate material; and
wherein the concurrent consolidation of the substrate materials with the woven composite material forms a consolidated woven composite having an additional cohesive bond between the second substrate and the woven composite material.

21. The method of claim 3 , wherein the substrate material is selected for gloss and/or surface texture for the purpose of obscuring or hiding the appearance of the woven composite material in the consolidated woven composite.

22. The method of claim 16 , wherein the polymer film is a pure polymer film, a polymer-infused fiber mat, or a combination of a pure polymer film and a polymer-infused fiber mat.

23. The method of claim 3 , wherein:
at least one layer of the substrate material comprises a polymer film;
at least one layer of a second substrate material comprises a fiber mat comprising a mixture of reinforcing fibers and polymer fibers, such that the polymer fibers melt during the consolidating and wet the reinforcing fibers to promote melt-adhesion to the woven composite material; and
the layer of polymer film is located in between the woven composite material and the layer of fiber mat, such that when the layer of polymer film is melted during the consolidating, it infuses the layer of fiber mat and provides melt-adhesion between the layer of fiber mat and the woven composite material.

24. A method of continuously forming on a single machine a consolidated woven composite comprising:
forming a woven composite material of repeating units created by a repeated sequence of warp and weft filament movements comprising:
receiving one or more polymer impregnated or coated warp fil

Assignees

• Georgia Tech Res Inst

Inventors

• Oberste Christopher Marc
• Cheng Phillip Sung Tse
• Wang Ben

Classifications

• D03D47/266

  Weft insertion mechanisms (D03D47/263 takes precedence) · CPC title

• D03D41/004 Primary

  Looms for three-dimensional fabrics · CPC title

• D03C13/02

  with independent drive motors (D03C1/146 and D03C3/205 take precedence) · CPC title

• D03C3/205 Primary

  Independently actuated lifting cords · CPC title

• B29C70/46

  using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs · CPC title