Fibre pre-form manufacturing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9914991-B2
Application number	US-201514683601-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2015
Priority date	May 6, 2014
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

A method of forming a metal matrix composite (MMC). The method comprises providing a fiber ( 26 ) comprising a ceramic material coated with a metal, providing a winding head ( 12 ) having a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending alternate first and second finger members ( 18, 20 ), the finger members each defining a winding surface ( 22, 24 ), the winding surface of each first finger member facing a first axial direction, and the winding surface of each second finger member facing a generally opposite axial direction, wherein adjacent winding surfaces ( 22, 24 ) of the first and second finger members ( 18, 20 ) are spaced in a circumferential direction, and define an axial spacing less than the diameter of the fiber ( 26 ), and winding the fiber around the winding head ( 12 ) between the winding surfaces ( 22, 24 ) of the first and second finger members ( 18, 20 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of forming a fibre composite article comprising at least one ceramic fibre embedded in a metal matrix, the method comprising:
providing a fibre having a diameter comprising a ceramic material coated with a metal;
providing a winding head having a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending alternate first and second finger members, the finger members each defining a winding surface, the winding surface of each first finger member facing a first axial direction, and the winding surface of each second finger member facing a generally opposite axial direction, wherein adjacent winding surfaces of the first and second finger members are spaced in a circumferential direction, and define an axial spacing less than the diameter of the fibre; and
winding the fibre around the winding head between the winding surfaces of the first and second finger members.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second finger members at least partially overlap in a circumferential direction.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises winding a plurality of fibres onto the winding head simultaneously.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein each fibre is anchored to a respective finger member.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the metal comprises any of the group consisting of aluminium, titanium and magnesium.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the ceramic material comprises any of the group consisting of silicon carbide, alumina and sapphire.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the fibre comprises a titanium coated silicon carbide filament.

8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the fibre has a diameter of approximately 240 μm.

9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the axial spacing is approximately 0.5 times the diameter of the fibre.

10. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the circumferential spacing between the respective first and second fingers is approximately 5 mm at an inner diameter of the winding head, to 15 mm at an outer diameter of the winding head.

11. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises rotating the winding head while spooling the fibre onto the winding surfaces of the finger members.

12. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises varying the tension on the fibre as further fibre is wound on to the head.

13. A method according to claim 12 , wherein a first layer of fibre is wound on to the head at a relatively high tension, and a final layer of fibre is wound on the head at a relatively low tension.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Plc

Inventors

• Twigg Edwin Stephen
• Turton Christopher John

Classifications

• F05D2300/6032

  Metal matrix composites [MMC] · CPC title

• F05D2300/125

  Magnesium · CPC title

• C22C47/04

  by coating, e.g. with a protective or activated covering · CPC title

• F05D2300/2261

  of silicon · CPC title

• C22C47/064 Primary

  Winding wires · CPC title