Method for producing a component comprising at least one hollow profile

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9193114-B2
Application number	US-201113695133-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2011
Priority date	Apr 29, 2010
Publication date	Nov 24, 2015
Grant date	Nov 24, 2015

Abstract

A method for producing a component with at least one hollow profile from a fiber composite material includes producing a component blank from the fiber composite material. The component blank includes a hollow profile with open ends. The component blank is thermally treated. Each open end of the hollow profile is closed with a stopper that includes at least an outer circumference of a closed-pore foam. The thermally treated component blank is tested using ultrasound in accordance with a non-destructive material-testing method. The component blank is then mechanically treated so as to obtain a finished component and the stoppers are removed. Alternatively, the component blank is mechanically treated to obtain the finished product before the ultrasound testing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing a component including at least one hollow profile from a fiber composite material, the method comprising:
a) producing a component blank from the fiber composite material, the component blank including a hollow profile with open ends;
b) thermally treating the component blank;
c) after removing a core from the component blank, closing each open end of the hollow profile with a stopper, each stopper including at least an outer circumference of a closed-pore foam;
d) testing the thermally treated component blank using ultrasound in accordance with a non-destructive material-testing method while each open end of the hollow profile is closed with the stopper;
e) mechanically processing the component blank so as to obtain a finished component; and
f) removing the stoppers.

2. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein the foam of the stoppers is polyethylene.

3. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein the foam of the stoppers is predominantly polyethylene.

4. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein the foam of the stoppers has a density no greater than 30 kg/m 3 .

5. The method recited in claim 4 , wherein the foam of the stoppers has a density in a range of 10 kg/m 3 to 20 kg/m 3 .

6. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein the foam of the stoppers has a size no greater than 2 mm.

7. The method recited in claim 6 , wherein the foam of the stoppers has a size in a range of 0.6 mm to 1.2 mm.

8. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the fiber composite material is a carbon fiber reinforced plastics material.

9. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein the mechanical processing includes machining.

10. The method recited in claim 9 , wherein the machining includes at least one of sawing, milling, grinding, planing or cutting.

11. A method for producing a component including at least one hollow profile from a fiber composite material, the method comprising:
a) producing a component blank from the fibre composite material, the component blank including a hollow profile with open ends;
b) thermally treating the component blank;
c) after removing a core from the component blank, closing each open end of the hollow profile with a stopper, each stopper including at least an outer circumference of a closed-pore foam;
d) mechanically processing the component blank so as to obtain a finished component;
e) testing the finished component using ultrasound in accordance with a non-destructive material-testing method while each open end of the hollow profile is closed with the stopper; and
f) removing the stoppers.

12. The method recited in claim 11 , wherein the foam of the stoppers is polyethylene.

13. The method recited in claim 11 , wherein the foam of the stoppers is predominantly polyethylene.

14. The method recited in claim 11 , wherein the foam of the stoppers has a density no greater than 30 kg/m 3 .

15. The method recited in claim 14 , wherein the foam of the stoppers has a density in a range of 10 kg/m 3 to 20 kg/m 3 .

16. The method recited in claim 11 , wherein the foam of the stoppers has a size no greater than 2 mm.

17. The method recited in claim 16 , wherein the foam of the stoppers has a size in a range of 0.6 mm to 1.2 mm.

18. The method recited in claim 11 wherein the fiber composite material is a carbon fiber reinforced plastics material.

19. The method recited in claim 11 , wherein the mechanical processing includes machining.

20. The method recited in claim 19 , wherein the machining includes at least one of sawing, milling, grinding, planing or cutting.

Assignees

• Arnold Ralph
• Eisenbeiss Fred
• Premium Aerotec Gmbh

Inventors

• Arnold Ralph
• Eisenbeiss Fred

Classifications

• B29C70/742

  Forming a hollow body around the preformed part · CPC title

• Y10T29/49867

  of skin on frame member · CPC title

• B29C70/54

  Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations {, e.g. feeding or storage of prepregs or SMC after impregnation or during ageing} · CPC title

• B29C70/545 Primary

  Perforating, cutting or machining during or after moulding · CPC title

• Y10T29/49865

  by temperature differential [e.g., shrink fit] · CPC title