Systems and methods for thermoplastic panel stretch/roll forming

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021237372-A1
Application number	US-202016779793-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 3, 2020
Priority date	Feb 3, 2020
Publication date	Aug 5, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A thermoforming method includes forming a skin comprising a plurality of plies thermoplastic resin and fiber, securing an edge of the skin to a mandrel, heating, via a heating element, the skin to a forming temperature, moving a thermoforming apparatus with respect to the mandrel, rolling at least one roller of the thermoforming apparatus along the skin in a direction away from the clamped edge of the skin in response to the thermoforming apparatus moving with respect to the mandrel, and in response to the at least one roller of the thermoforming apparatus rolling along the skin, compressing the skin between the at least one roller and the mandrel, consolidating the plurality of plies of material, and bending the skin to conform to a shape of the mandrel. The consolidated and formed skin is then cooled and removed from the mandrel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for forming a thermoplastic panel, comprising:
tacking together a plurality of plies of material comprising thermoplastic resin and fiber to form a skin, the plurality of plies of material are tacked together over a substantially planar surface; clamping an edge of the skin to a mandrel; heating, via a heating element, the skin to a forming temperature; moving a thermoforming apparatus with respect to the mandrel; rolling at least one roller of the thermoforming apparatus along the skin in a direction away from the clamped edge of the skin in response to the thermoforming apparatus moving with respect to the mandrel; and in response to the at least one roller of the thermoforming apparatus rolling along the skin, compressing the skin between the at least one roller and the mandrel, consolidating the plurality of plies of material, and bending the skin to conform to a shape of the mandrel; and cooling the skin after consolidating and conforming the skin to the mandrel to a temperature below a recrystallization temperature of the thermoplastic resin.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming temperature is greater than at least one of a recrystallization temperature and a glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic resin.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one roller and the heating element are coupled to the thermoforming apparatus, the at least one roller and the heating element move together with the thermoforming apparatus.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermoforming apparatus is moved along a track system with respect to the mandrel.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, in response to the thermoforming apparatus moving with respect to the mandrel, a trajectory of the thermoforming apparatus conforms to the shape of the mandrel.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one roller is compressed against the skin via a spring member.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising disposing a second plurality of plies of material comprising thermoplastic resin and fiber to form a stiffener feature in a channel disposed in the mandrel.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising heating, via the heating element, the stiffener feature to the forming temperature.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising compressing, via the at least one roller, the stiffener feature between the skin and the mandrel in response to the at least one roller of the thermoforming apparatus being rolled along the skin, wherein the stiffener feature and the skin are consolidated together in response to being compressed by the at least one roller.

10 . A method for forming a thermoplastic panel, comprising:
coupling an edge of a skin to a mandrel exhibiting a substantially convex geometry, the skin comprises a plurality of plies of material; heating, via a first heating element, the skin to a forming temperature; moving a thermoforming apparatus with respect to the mandrel; rolling a first row of rollers of the thermoforming apparatus along the skin in a direction away from the clamped edge of the skin in response to the thermoforming apparatus moving with respect to the mandrel; rolling a second row of rollers of the thermoforming apparatus along the skin in the direction away from the clamped edge of the skin in response to the thermoforming apparatus moving with respect to the mandrel, the first row of rollers is offset from the second row of rollers; compressing, via a first spring member, the skin between the first row of rollers and the mandrel in response to the thermoforming apparatus moving with respect to the mandrel, thereby consolidating the plurality of plies of material and causing the skin to conform to a shape of the mandrel; compressing, via a second spring member, the skin between the second row of rollers and the mandrel in response to the thermoforming apparatus moving with respect to the mandrel, thereby consolidating the plurality of plies of material and causing the skin to conform to the shape of the mandrel; and cooling the skin after consolidating and conforming the skin to the mandrel to a temperature below a recrystallization temperature.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising disposing a second plurality of plies of material in a channel disposed in the mandrel to form a stiffener feature.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising heating, via at least one of the first heating element and a second heating element, the stiffener feature to the forming temperature.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
compressing, via the first spring member, the stiffener feature between the first row of rollers and the mandrel in response to the thermoforming apparatus moving with respect to the mandrel, thereby consolidating the second plurality of plies of material of the stiffener feature and causing the stiffener feature to conform to the shape of the channel; compressing, via the second spring member, the stiffener feature between the second row of rollers and the mandrel in response to the thermoforming apparatus moving with respect to the mandrel, thereby consolidating the second plurality of plies of material of stiffener feature and causing the stiffener feature to conform to the shape of the channel; and cooling the stiffener feature after consolidating and conforming the stiffener feature to the mandrel to the temperature below the recrystallization temperature, wherein the stiffener feature and the skin are consolidated together in response to being compressed by the first row of rollers and the second row of rollers.

14 . A thermoforming apparatus for forming a thermoplastic panel, comprising:
a mandrel exhibiting a substantially convex geometry; a frame structure moveable with respect to the mandrel; a first row of rollers exhibiting a geometry configured to at least partially complementarily engage the mandrel as it rolls there along, the first row of rollers coupled with the frame structure; a second row of rollers exhibiting a geometry configured to at least partially complementarily engage the mandrel as it rolls there along, the second row of rollers coupled with the frame structure; a first spring member configured to apply a first desired force to the mandrel through the first row of rollers; a second spring member configured to apply a second desired force to the mandrel through the first row of rollers; and a first heating element coupled with the frame structure.

15 . The thermoforming apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the first heating element is configured to heat a first surface of a plurality of plies of material.

16 . The thermoforming apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a second heating element coupled with the frame structure.

17 . The thermoforming apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the second heating element is configured to heat a second surface of the plurality of plies of material.

18 . The thermoforming apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a channel disposed in the mandrel, the channel configured to receive a second plurality of plies of material.

19 . The thermoforming apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the second row of rollers is offset from the first row of rollers.

20 . The thermoforming apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the first row of rollers and the first heating element are configured to move together with the frame structure with respect to the mandrel.

Assignees

• Rohr Inc

Inventors

• Ward Stephen Harold

Classifications

• B29C70/38

  Automated lay-up, e.g. using robots, laying filaments according to predetermined patterns {(application heads for tyres B29D30/28)} · CPC title

• B29C2791/004

  Shaping under special conditions · CPC title

• B29C51/22

  rotatable about an axis · CPC title

• B29C70/504

  using rollers or pressure bands (for corrugating B29C53/22) · CPC title

• B29C70/32 Primary

  on a rotating mould, former or core · CPC title