Thermoplastic welding apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9586362-B2
Application number	US-201113109061-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2011
Priority date	May 17, 2011
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

A thermoplastic welding apparatus includes a thermoplastic welding tool, at least one tooling surface in the thermoplastic welding tool, a magnetic induction coil in the thermoplastic welding tool and generally encircling the at least one tooling surface and at least one smart susceptor in the thermoplastic welding tool at the at least one tooling surface. The magnetic induction coil is adapted to generate a magnetic flux field oriented generally parallel to a plane of the at least one smart susceptor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermoplastic welding apparatus comprising:
a first composite part and a second composite part;
a thermoplastic welding tool having a tooling surface defining at least a portion of a cavity of the welding tool, the cavity to receive the first and second composite parts;
a smart susceptor positioned in the cavity of the welding tool between opposing surfaces of the first composite part and the second composite part;
a tape attached only to a perimeter of the first and second composite parts and in contact with only a portion of the tooling surface defined by the perimeter of the first and second composite parts when the first and second composite parts are positioned in the cavity of the welding tool, the tape to provide a sealed portion in communication with the tooling surface and a non-sealed portion in communication with the cavity;
a vacuum apparatus to apply a vacuum to the sealed portion such that a welding joint between the sealed portion and the non-sealed portion is exposed to a pressure differential provided by the vacuum in the sealed portion and a pressure provided in the non-sealed portion, the pressure differential to compress the smart susceptor between the first and second composite part while the vacuum is applied to the welding joint during welding; and
a magnetic induction coil to extend through the welding tool and positioned adjacent the cavity, the magnetic induction coil to generate a magnetic flux field oriented generally parallel to a plane of the smart susceptor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the smart susceptor comprises molypermalloy.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a ferromagnetic material embedded in the tooling surface and positioned adjacent the cavity to direct the magnetic flux field to the smart susceptor and reduce leakage of the magnetic flux field into one of the parts.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a non-electrically conductive material positioned adjacent the tooling surface.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the non-electrically conductive material comprises an elastomeric material.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a ferromagnetic material embedded in the tooling surface adjacent the non-electrically conductive material.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the ferromagnetic material is embedded in the tooling surface on respective sides of the non-electrically conductive material and the smart susceptor.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the ferromagnetic material comprises ferrite powder.

9. A thermoplastic welding apparatus comprising:
a first composite part and a second composite part;
a thermoplastic welding tool having a tooling space to receive the first and second composite parts, wherein the tooling space defines a tooling surface to receive the first composite part;
at least one smart susceptor positioned between the first composite part and the second composite part;
a seal directly attached to only perimeter edges of the first composite part and the second composite part to form a gas seal over a welding joint defined by a portion of the first composite part, a portion of the second composite part and the smart susceptor, wherein tooling surface, the seal, and the portions of the first and second composite parts and the smart susceptor define a joint volume;
a vacuum generator to provide a vacuum to the portions of the first and second composite parts positioned within the joint volume at the welding joint when the first and second composite parts are welded together and to enable a gas pressure within the tooling space to be applied to portions of the first composite part or the second composite part positioned outside of the joint volume such that a pressure differential provided by the vacuum and the gas pressure applies a welding pressure to compress the smart susceptor between the first and second composite parts; and
a magnetic induction coil positioned in the thermoplastic welding tool adjacent the at least one tooling surface, the magnetic induction coil to generate a magnetic flux field oriented generally parallel to a plane of the at least one susceptor.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the smart susceptor comprises molypermalloy.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a ferromagnetic material embedded in the tooling surface adjacent the smart susceptor.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a non-electrically conductive material positioned in the tooling surface.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the non-electrically conductive material comprises an elastomeric material.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a ferromagnetic material embedded in the tooling surface adjacent the non-electrically conductive material.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the ferromagnetic material is embedded in the tooling surface on respective sides of the non-electrically conductive material.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the ferromagnetic material comprises ferrite powder.

17. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the seal comprises an L-shaped cross-section.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the seal comprises a first leg attached to a first side surface of the first composite part and a first side surface of the second composite part, and a second leg attached only to a portion of a second surface of the second composite part, the second surface of the second composite part being non-parallel relative to the first surface of the first composite part.

19. A thermoplastic welding apparatus comprising:
a first composite part;
a second composite part;
a smart susceptor positioned between the first and second composite parts;
a tool having a tooling surface to define a cavity to receive the first composite part, the second composite part and the smart susceptor positioned between the first and second composite parts;
a tape attached to a perimeter of the first composite part and in contact with only a portion of the tooling surface about perimeter edges of the first composite part and the second composite part, the tape to form a gas seal within a perimeter defined by the tape and defined by the smar susceptor and the first and second composite parts positioned within the cavity;
a vacuum generator to apply a vacuum to the tooling surface, the tape creating a seal between at least a portion of the tooling surface positioned inside the perimeter edges defined by the tape and the cavity, the seal to enable a welding pressure provided by a pressure differential between an internal gas pressure in the cavity and the vacuum provided to the tooling surface inside the perimeter of the tape during a welding process to cause the smart susceptor to compress between the first composite part and the second composite part; and
a first magnetic induction coil provided in the tool, the first magnetic induction coil to generate a first magnetic flux field adjacent the smart susceptor when the smart susceptor is positioned within the thermoplastic welding apparatus.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising a second magnetic inductor provided in the second tool adjacent the tooling surface, the second magnetic inductor to generate a second magnetic flux field adjacent the smart susceptor.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising a ferromagnetic material embedded in the tooling surface, the ferromagnetic material to direct the magnetic flux field toward the smart susceptor and away fro

Assignees

• Matsen Marc R
• Negley Mark A
• Geren William Preston
• Miller Robert James
• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Matsen Marc R
• Negley Mark A
• Geren William Preston
• Miller Robert James

Classifications

• B29C65/3612

  comprising fillers · CPC title

• B29C66/721

  Fibre-reinforced materials (B29C66/729 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05B6/105

  using a susceptor · CPC title

• B29C65/3644 Primary

  being a ribbon, band or strip · CPC title

• B29C66/00145

  Vacuum, e.g. partial vacuum · CPC title