Device for manufacturing a casing made of a composite material and manufacturing method using such a device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9399315-B2
Application number	US-201113641974-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2011
Priority date	Apr 20, 2010
Publication date	Jul 26, 2016
Grant date	Jul 26, 2016

Abstract

A device for manufacturing a fan casing of a turbomachine made of composite material, in which a mold includes a cylindrical body of lengthways axis and side flanges, and in which a counter-mold includes a cylindrical body and side counter-flanges. The counter-flanges are configured to be attached securely to the flanges, the body of the mold and the body of the counter-mold are concentric, the preform is configured to be positioned between the body of the mold and the body of the counter-mold, and the material of the body of the mold has an appreciably higher expansion coefficient than that of the body of the counter-mold.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for manufacturing parts with a rotational shape or a fan casing of a turbomachine made of composite material from a preform made of woven fibers, comprising:
a rigid mold configured to contain the preform, the mold including a cylindrical body of lengthways axis and side flanges;
a counter-mold including a cylindrical body and side counter-flanges, the counter-flanges being configured to he attached to the side flanges of the mold, the cylindrical body of the mold and the cylindrical body of the counter-mold being concentric, the preform being intended to be positioned in a space delimited by the cylindrical body of the mold and the cylindrical body of the counter-mold, a material of the cylindrical body of the mold having an appreciably higher thermal expansion coefficient than a thermal expansion coefficient of a material of the cylindrical body of the counter-mold;
a device for injection under pressure of a resin into the space, the injection pressure being less than 4 Bar; and
a device configured to produce a vacuum pressure in the space delimited by the mold and the counter-mold,
wherein the counter-flanges and the flanges have substantially equal thermal expansion coefficients.

2. A manufacturing device according to claim 1 , in which a difference between the expansion coefficients of the mold and the counter-mold is less than or equal to 23.10 −6 K −1 .

3. A manufacturing device according to claim 1 , in which the counter-mold is made of a composite material.

4. A manufacturing device according to claim 1 , in which the mold is made of steel or an aluminum alloy.

5. A manufacturing device according to claim 1 , further comprising a first clamping device for exerting a clamping force along a lengthways axis on the counter-flanges towards an outside of the device, and a second clamping device for exerting a radial clamping force on the counter-flanges aligned with the lengthways axis.

6. A manufacturing device according to claim 5 , wherein the first clamping device includes screws which traverse the side flanges and the side counter-flanges.

7. A manufacturing device according to claim 5 , wherein the second clamping device includes stop blocks provided on the stop flanges and locking screws which are installed in the stop blocks and press against the side counter-flanges radially towards the lengthways axis.

8. A manufacturing device according to claim 1 , in which the sides of the body of the counter-mold in contact with the counter-flanges are inclined relative to the lengthways axis.

9. A manufacturing device according to claim 1 , in which the counter-flanges are in plural portions, a mating surface between two portions of a counter-flange being inclined relative to the lengthways axis.

10. A method of manufacture of a turbomachine casing through use of a manufacturing device including a rigid mold configured to contain a preform made of woven fibers, the mold including a cylindrical body of lengthways axis and side flanges, a counter-mold including a cylindrical body and side counter-flanges, the counter-flanges being configured to be attached to the side flanges of the mold, the cylindrical body of the mold and the cylindrical body of the counter-mold being concentric, the preform being intended to be positioned in a space delimited by the cylindrical body of the mold and the cylindrical body of the preform, a material of the cylindrical body of the mold having an appreciably higher thermal expansion coefficient than a thermal expansion coefficient of a material of the cylindrical body of the counter-mold, a device for injection under pressure a resin into the space, the injection pressure being less than 4 Bar, and a device configured to produce a vacuum pressure in the space delimited by the mold and the counter-mold, the method comprising:
a) manufacturing the preform made of woven fibers;
b) installing the preform on the mold;
c) installing the counter-mold on the preform;
d) producing a vacuum pressure in the space between the mold and the counter-mold;
e) injecting the resin under a pressure of less than 4 bar;
f) heating the device;
g) polymerisation of the resin; and
h) removing the counter-mold and the mold,
wherein the counter-flanges and the flanges have substantially equal thermal expansion coefficients.

11. A method of manufacture according to claim 10 , in which the manufacturing a) and the installing b) are simultaneous, the preform being produced directly on the mold.

12. A method of manufacture according to claim 10 , the method further comprising:
after the c) installing the counter-mold on the preform, applying clamping forces between the mold and the counter-mold.

13. A method of manufacture according to claim 12 , in which the clamping forces comprise axial forces on the counter-flanges along the lengthways axis towards an outside, and radial forces on the counter-flanges towards an inside.

14. A method of manufacture according to claim 12 , in which, after the polymerisation, the clamping forces are slackened, and the counter-mold and the mold are left in position.

Assignees

• Plante Romain
• Cauchois Jean-Pierre
• Bettega Louis
• Castanie Jean-Louis Robert Marcel
• Snecma

Inventors

• Plante Romain
• Cauchois Jean-Pierre
• Bettega Louis
• Castanie Jean-Louis Robert Marcel

Classifications

• B29C33/38

  characterised by the material or the manufacturing process (B29C33/44 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F05D2300/603

  Composites; e.g. fibre-reinforced · CPC title

• F01D21/045

  special arrangements in stators or in rotors dealing with breaking-off of part of rotor · CPC title

• B29C33/3828

  Moulds made of at least two different materials having different thermal conductivities · CPC title

• B29C70/48

  and impregnating the reinforcements in the closed mould, e.g. resin transfer moulding [RTM] {, e.g. by vacuum} · CPC title