System and method of joining components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9358764-B2
Application number	US-201414183006-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2014
Priority date	Dec 17, 2013
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

A method of forming a structural assembly may include providing a first component and a second component to be joined together. The method may additionally include scanning a contour of a first mating surface of the first component and scanning a contour of a second mating surface of the second component. The method may further include producing a thermoplastic element having opposing first and second element surfaces substantially matching a contour of the first mating surface and the second mating surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of joining components, comprising the steps of:
providing a first component having a first mating surface, the first mating surface having a first contour;
providing a second component having a second mating surface to be joined to the first mating surface, the second mating surface having a second contour; and
scanning at least one of the first mating surface and the second mating surface to respectively determine the first contour and the second contour;
additively manufacturing, based on the scanning, a unitary solid thermoplastic element directly onto at least one of the first component and the second component prior to assembly with a remaining one of the first component and the second component, the thermoplastic element having at least one of a first element surface and a second element surface respectively substantially matching the first contour and the second contour.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first contour of the first mating surface has a mismatch with the second contour of the second mating surface.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of additively manufacturing the thermoplastic element comprises:
additively manufacturing a thermoplastic sheet having at least one of a first sheet surface and a second sheet surface substantially matching the first contour and the second contour.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of additively manufacturing the thermoplastic element comprises:
producing the thermoplastic element with at least one of opposing first and second element surfaces substantially matching a respective contour of a first thermoplastic film and a second thermoplastic film respectively applied to the first mating surface and the second mating surface.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first mating surface includes a first radius surface, the step of additively manufacturing the thermoplastic element comprises:
additively manufacturing a thermoplastic radius filler having at least one of a radius filler side surface and a radius filler base surface substantially matching a respective contour of the first radius surface and the second mating surface.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of additively manufacturing the thermoplastic element comprises:
integrally forming a thermoplastic sheet with the thermoplastic radius filler; and
the thermoplastic sheet having at least one of a first sheet surface and a second sheet surface substantially matching the first contour and the second contour.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of scanning includes:
scanning using a digital scanner, a camera, a coordinate-measuring machine, or any combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of additively manufacturing the thermoplastic element directly onto at least one of the first component and the second component comprises:
additively manufacturing the thermoplastic element directly onto at least one of a first thermoplastic film of the first component or a second thermoplastic film of the second component.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
assembling the first component and the second component with the thermoplastic element sandwiched therebetween; and
fusing together the thermoplastic element, a first thermoplastic film, and a second thermoplastic film to form a thermoplastic joint joining the first component to the second component.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of fusing comprises:
heating at least one of the thermoplastic element, the first thermoplastic film, and/or the second thermoplastic film to at least a glass transition temperature thereof.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the thermoplastic element includes a thermoplastic sheet, the step of fusing includes:
compressing a thermoplastic sheet sandwiched between the first component and the second component.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of additively manufacturing the thermoplastic element includes:
additively manufacturing the thermoplastic element from material having a glass transition temperature that is lower than a melt temperature of the first component and/or the second component.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of additively manufacturing the thermoplastic element includes:
additively manufacturing the thermoplastic element from material that is substantially similar to the material of the first thermoplastic film and/or the second thermoplastic film.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first component and/or the second component is formed of a thermoset material or a thermoplastic material.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the first component and the second component comprises:
forming the first component and/or the second component by co-consolidating a thermoplastic film with a stack of plies of thermoplastic prepreg.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the first component and the second component comprises:
forming the first component and/or the second component by co-curing a thermoplastic film with a stack of plies of thermoset prepreg.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of additively manufacturing comprises one of:
three-dimensional printing, stereolithography, and direct digital manufacturing.

18. A method of joining components, comprising the steps of:
providing a first component having a first thermoplastic film applied to a first mating surface;
providing a second component having a second thermoplastic film applied to a second mating surface;
scanning the first thermoplastic film and the second thermoplastic film to determine a contour thereof;
additively manufacturing, based on the scanning, a unitary solid thermoplastic element directly onto at least one of the first thermoplastic film and the second thermoplastic film prior to assembly with a remaining one of the first component and the second component, the thermoplastic sheet being formed from material that is substantially similar to the first thermoplastic film and/or the second thermoplastic film, the thermoplastic sheet having at least one of a first sheet surface and a second sheet surface respectively matching the contour of the first mating surface and the second mating surface;
assembling the first component and the second component with the thermoplastic sheet sandwiched therebetween;
applying heat and compactive pressure to the thermoplastic sheet, the first thermoplastic film, and/or the second thermoplastic film; and
fusing together the thermoplastic sheet, the first thermoplastic film, and the second thermoplastic film to join the first component to the second component to form a structural assembly.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the step of additively manufacturing comprises one of:
three-dimensional printing, stereolithography, and direct digital manufacturing.

20. A method of joining components, comprising the steps of:
providing a first component having a first thermoplastic film applied to a first mating surface, the first mating surface including a first radius surface;
providing a second component having a second thermoplastic film applied to a second mating surface;
scanning the first thermoplastic film and the second thermoplastic film to determine a contour thereof;
additively manufacturing, based on the scanning, a unitary solid thermoplastic radius filler directly onto the second mating surface prior to assembly with the first component, the radius filler havi

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Prebil Charles R
• Fox James R

Classifications

• B29C66/112

  Single lapped joints · CPC title

• Y10T156/10

  Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor · CPC title

• B29C66/3494

  while keeping the welding zone under pressure · CPC title

• B32B37/18

  involving the assembly of discrete sheets or panels only · CPC title

• B29C66/72143

  Fibres of discontinuous lengths · CPC title