Staggered bevel for continuous compression molding tooling dies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9352518-B2
Application number	US-201313923446-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2013
Priority date	Jun 21, 2013
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

Continuous compression molded process and apparatus for fabricating thermoplastic composite parts from pre-formed thermoplastic composite laminates with tooling dies have a staggered bevel feature at an entry side of the tooling dies. Staggering the length of the bevel feature in each section between bends in a surface contour along the width of the incoming edge of the tooling dies prevents excess material from being trapped and forming wrinkles in the finished thermoplastic part. The length of the taper in each section along the width of the tooling dies is aligned with a pulsed advancement distance of the pre-formed part.

First claim

We claim:

1. A tooling die set for fabricating a thermoplastic composite part from a pre-formed composite laminate in a continuous compression molding process, the die set comprising:
upper and lower spaced tooling dies having complimentary contoured surfaces each with a cross-sectional configuration including at least a first bend forming at least a first segment and a second segment in the cross-sectional configuration, the second segment positioned closer than the first segment to an outer side edge of the die set; and
a staggered bevel feature bordering an entry side of at least one of the upper and lower tooling dies, the bevel feature comprising a first taper portion in the first segment extending a first length from the entry side and a second taper portion in the second segment extending a second length incrementally larger than the first length from the entry side.

2. The tooling die set of claim 1 , wherein the cross-sectional configuration further comprises at least a second bend forming a third segment in the cross-sectional configuration, the bevel feature further comprising a third taper portion in the third segment extending a third length from the entry side incrementally larger than the second length in the second segment, the third segment positioned closer than the second segment to the outer side edge of the tooling die.

3. The tooling diesel of claim 2 , wherein a difference between the second length and the first length is approximately equal to the difference between the third length and the second length.

4. The tooling die set of claim 3 , wherein each of the differences in length is in the range of about ⅛ inch to about 1 inch.

5. The tooling die set of claim 2 , wherein the first length, the second length, and the third length are in the range of about 2 inches to 6 inches.

6. The tooling die set of claim 2 , wherein the cross-sectional configuration further comprises:
two of the first bends, each at opposing ends of the first segment in the cross-sectional configuration such that two of the second segments are formed each extending from a respective first bend; and
two of the second bends, each at an end of a respective second segment opposing a respective first bend such that the two of the third segments are formed each extending from a respective second bend.

7. The tooling die set of claim 6 , wherein the entry side of the at least one tooling die comprises a rounded incoming edge.

8. The tooling die set of claim 6 , wherein the cross-sectional configuration is hat-shaped.

9. The tooling die set of claim 1 , wherein the first taper portion and the second taper portion extend from an incoming edge at the entry side of the at least one tooling die to a desired height such that the incoming edge is a desired depth below the desired height.

10. The tooling die set of claim 9 , wherein the desired depth is in the range of 0.050 inch to 0.300 inch.

11. The tooling die set of claim 1 , wherein the bevel feature comprises a flat section positioned between an incoming edge at the entry side of the at least one tooling die and each of the first taper portion and the second taper portion, the first taper portion and the second taper portion extending to a desired height such that the incoming edge and the flat section are a desired depth below the desired height.

12. The tooling die set of claim 11 , wherein the desired depth is in the range of 0.050 inch to 0.300 inch.

13. A tooling die set for fabricating a thermoplastic composite part from a pre-formed composite laminate in a continuous compression molding process, the die set comprising:
upper and lower spaced tooling dies having complimentary contoured surfaces each with a cross-sectional configuration including a first bend forming a first segment and a second segment and including a second bend forming a third segment, in the cross-sectional configuration; and
a staggered bevel feature bordering an entry side of at least one of the upper and lower tooling dies the bevel feature comprising a first taper portion in the first segment extending a first length from the entry side, a second taper portion in the second segment extending a second length from the entry side incrementally larger than the first length, and a third taper portion in the third segment extending a third length from the entry side incrementally larger than the second length, the second segment positioned closer than the first segment to an outer side edge of the tooling die, and the third segment positioned closer than the second segment to the outer side edge of the tooling die.

14. The tooling die set of claim 13 , wherein a difference between the second length and the first length is approximately equal to the difference between the third length and the second length.

15. The tooling die set of claim 14 , wherein each of the differences in length is in the range of about ⅛ inch to about 1 inch.

16. The tooling die set of claim 13 , wherein the first taper portion, the second taper portion, and the third taper portion each extend from an incoming edge at the entry side of the at least one tooling die to a desired height at a border of the contoured surface such that the incoming edge is a desired depth below the desired height.

17. The tooling die set of claim 13 , wherein the bevel feature comprises a flat section positioned between an incoming edge at the entry side of the at least one tooling die and each of the first taper portion, the second taper portion, and the third taper portion, the first taper portion, the second taper portion, and the third taper portion extending to a desired height such that the incoming edge and the flat section are a desired depth below the desired height.

18. The tooling die set of claim 13 , wherein the cross-sectional configuration further comprises:
two of the first bends, each at opposing ends of the first segment in the cross-sectional configuration such that two of the second segments are formed each extending from a respective first bend; and
two of the second bends, each at an end of a respective second segment opposing a respective first bend such that the two of the third segments are formed each extending from a respective second bend.

19. The tooling die set of claim 18 , wherein the entry side of the at least one tooling die comprises a rounded incoming edge.

20. The tooling die set of claim 18 , wherein the cross-sectional configuration is hat-shaped.

Assignees

• Boeing Co
• Froeschner Toni M

Inventors

• Prebil Charles Richard
• Wilkerson Randall Dow
• Froeschner Neal

Classifications

• B29C70/50 Primary

  for producing articles of indefinite length, e.g. prepregs, sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or cross moulding compounds [XMC] · CPC title

• B29C70/46 Primary

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

• B29C43/222

  characterised by the shape of the surface · CPC title

• B29K2101/12

  Thermoplastic materials · CPC title

• B29C70/526

  Pultrusion dies, e.g. dies with moving or rotating parts (B29C70/523 takes precedence) · CPC title