Method, system and molding tool for manufacturing components from composite fiber materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9440408-B2
Application number	US-201314086295-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2013
Priority date	Dec 16, 2008
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

In a method for manufacturing components from composite fiber materials, at least one placeholder is inserted into a recess in a molding tool, wherein the unfinished component is subsequently produced, the placeholder is removed, at least one lifting pad is inserted into the recess and the unfinished component is removed from the molding tool by inflating the lifting pad. In a system for manufacturing components from composite fiber materials, the component removal process is monitored and controlled by a computer unit in order to prevent predetermined maximum component loads from being exceeded. The gentle component removal process makes it possible to avoid consequential costs for repairing or reworking the components.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A molding tool system for producing a component from composite fiber materials, the system comprising:
a molding tool having at least one recess;
a placeholder for each of the at least one recess;
at least one lifting pad;
wherein the at least one recess lies in a trimming region, the trimming region lying outside a desired shape of the component to be manufactured and into which trimming region the component to be manufactured extends,
wherein the molding tool comprises a first area and a second area peripheral to the first area, wherein the first area is configured such that the unfinished component lies flush there, and the second area is configured to receive the trimming region of the component, and wherein the at least one recess is arranged in the second area;
wherein the placeholder is dimensioned for being inserted into the at least one recess in the molding tool such that the at least one recess is filled out and such that the placeholder ends flush with the surface of the molding tool, wherein the at least one recess is dimensioned for receiving the respective placeholder such that when an unfinished component is produced in the molding tool, the respective placeholder is removable from the at least one recess and for subsequently inserting the at least one lifting pad into the at least one recess from outside the molding tool, and wherein the at least one lifting pad is adapted for being inflated after being inserted into the at least one recess.

2. The molding tool system of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one fluid source for inflating the at least one lifting pad;
at least one valve for the at least one lifting pad; and
at least one computer unit for controlling the at least one valve.

3. The molding tool system according to claim 2 , further comprising: wherein the computer unit is adapted for controlling the at least one lifting pad in such a way that a predetermined maximum elastic line of the unfinished component is not exceeded.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Jung Manuel
• Bechtold Michael

Classifications

• Y10T428/31504

  Composite [nonstructural laminate] · CPC title

• B29C33/46 Primary

  using fluid pressure · CPC title

• B29D99/0021 Primary

  provided with plain or filled structures, e.g. cores, placed between two or more plates or sheets, e.g. in a matrix · CPC title

• B29C70/30 Primary

  Shaping by lay-up, i.e. applying fibres, tape or broadsheet on a mould, former or core; Shaping by spray-up, i.e. spraying of fibres on a mould, former or core · CPC title

• Y02T50/433

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic