Spatial reference film in core-stiffened composite

• US 10,391,751 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2016
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Polus, Jeffrey Edward, Polus, Dylan Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Powers, Laura C
• Application Number:
  US15/133,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20170305131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/40 Symmetrical or sandwich layers, e.g. ABA, ABCBA, ABCCBA
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/732 Dimensional properties
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2405/00 Adhesive articles, e.g. adhesive tapes
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/18 Aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/06 as the main or only constituent of a layer, which is next to another layer of the same or of a different material next to a layer of a particular substance B32B9/045; next to a bituminous or tarry layer B32B11/046; next to a water setting substance layer B32B13/12; next to a metal layer B32B15/08; next to a glass layer B32B17/10; next to a layer formed of natural mineral fibres or particles B32B19/045; next to a wood layer B32B21/08; next to a cellulosic plastic layer B32B23/08; next to a natural or synthetic rubber layer B32B25/08
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/10 characterised by a discontinuous layer, i.e. formed of separate pieces of material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/12 characterised by a layer of regularly- arranged cells, e.g. a honeycomb structure
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/12 characterised by using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/14 characterised by the properties of the layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/26 another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/02 Physical, chemical or physicochemical properties
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/04 Interconnection of layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/12 using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/12 Construction or attachment of skin panels
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2001/0072 from composite materials
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/10 Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24149 Honeycomb-like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24612 Composite web or sheet

Abstract

A core-stiffened composite product has an interior core and layers of composite laminates sandwiched together about the core. The core-stiffened composite product includes at least one layer of adhesive film containing a visual target spatially scanned by an automated tracking system to produce a dimensionally corrected reference volume to collate successive layers of film as applied to the interior core. The visual target is positioned to assure an as-designed alignment of each applied layer of laminate onto the core to minimize cumulative tolerance build-ups during a laminate layering process. At least one layer of adhesive film remains within the completed composite product.

Claims

1. A core-stiffened composite product comprising:

an interior core formed of a plurality of core components, each core component formed of a separate honeycomb structure, the core components being individually segmented and spaced apart;

layers of composite laminates sandwiched together about the interior core; and

at least one layer of adhesive film containing a visual target;

wherein the visual target is configured to be spatially scanned by an automated tracking system to produce a dimensionally corrected reference volume to collate successive layers of film as applied to the interior core, the visual target positioned to assure an as-designed alignment of each applied layer of laminate onto the interior core to minimize cumulative tolerance build-ups during a laminate layering process;

wherein the at least one layer of adhesive film remains within the completed core-stiffened composite product; and

wherein the core-stiffened composite product further includes exterior surfaces formed of layers of composite laminates, and the layers of composite laminates covering the adhesive film.

2. The core-stiffened composite product of claim 1, wherein the interior core has a thickness of about one order of magnitude greater than the thickness of any laminate layer within the composite product.

3. The core-stiffened composite product of claim 1, wherein the visual target is configured to be spatially scanned by an optical scanner.

4. The core-stiffened composite product of claim 3, wherein the visual target is configured to be spatially scanned by a laser scanner.

5. The core stiffened composite product of claim 1, wherein the at least one layer of adhesive film is configured to be cured in an autoclave.

6. The core stiffened composite product of claim 1, wherein the composite product comprises prepreg composite fibers not requiring heat for curing.

7. An aircraft component including a first core-stiffened composite product secured to a second core-stiffened composite product to form the aircraft component, the first and second core-stiffened composite products being reversely identical, each core-stiffened composite product comprising:

an interior core formed of a plurality of core components, each core component formed of a separate honeycomb structure, the core components being individually segmented and spaced apart;

layers of composite laminates sandwiched together about the interior core; and

at least one layer of adhesive film containing a visual target;

wherein the visual target is configured to be spatially scanned by an automated tracking system to produce a dimensionally corrected reference volume to collate successive layers of film as applied to the interior core, the visual target positioned to assure an as-designed alignment of each applied layer of laminate onto the interior core to minimize cumulative tolerance build-ups during a laminate layering process;

wherein the at least one layer of adhesive film remains within each of the core stiffened composite products of the completed aircraft component;

wherein the aircraft component further includes exterior surfaces formed of layers of composite laminates, and the layers of composite laminates covering the adhesive film; and

wherein the core components of the first core stiffened composite product are aligned with the core components of the second core-stiffened composite product when the first core-stiffened composite product is secured to the second core-stiffened composite product.

8. The aircraft component of claim 7, wherein the visual target is configured to be spatially scanned into a point cloud to generate the dimensionally corrected reference volume.

9. The aircraft component of claim 8, wherein the point cloud defines a computer-generated frame of reference for accurately applying the at least one layer of adhesive film to the core.

10. The aircraft component of claim 7, wherein the interior core has a thickness of about one order of magnitude greater than the thickness of any composite laminate layer within the composite product.

11. The aircraft component of claim 8, wherein the point cloud is used to make real-time comparisons of an as-built core stiffened composite product with a predetermined, as-designed composite product.

12. The aircraft component of claim 8, wherein the spatially scanned visual target is compared in real time against as-designed parameters for minimizing tolerance build-ups in the as-built component.

13. A process of manufacturing a lightweight aircraft core-stiffened composite product having an interior core and layers of laminates sandwiched about the interior core, the process including the steps of:

placing a first prepreg laminate layer on a work surface of a composite layup tool;

placing a first adhesive layer over the first prepreg laminate;

placing the interior core over the first laminate, the interior core formed of a plurality of core components, each core component formed of a separate honeycomb structure, the core components being individually segmented and spaced apart;

applying a second adhesive layer over the interior core, the second adhesive layer containing a visual laser target, and wherein the second adhesive layer remains within the core-stiffened composite product;

using an optical scanner to track the visual target to generate a spatial reference for accurate positioning of a second prepreg laminate layer; and

placing the second prepreg laminate layer over the second adhesive layer in accordance with a dimensionally corrected reference volume generated by the optical scanner, such that exterior surfaces of layers of composite laminates are formed on the core-stiffened composite product, with the layers of composite laminates covering the adhesive layers.

14. The process of claim 13, wherein using the optical scanner comprises providing a tracked reference in three orthogonal dimensions for positioning of the second prepreg laminate layer.

15. The process of claim 14, wherein using the optical scanner comprises reading along a visual tracking sight path having X and Y dimensions, and wherein the optical scanner also reads vertically along a Z dimension.

16. The process of claim 13, further comprising the core stiffened product including the visual target is cured in an autoclave.

17. The process of claim 13, further comprising curing the core-stiffened product without application of heat.