Continuous Fabrication of Parts Using In-Feed Spools of Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic

• US 20070175572A1
• Filed: 04/06/2007
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Fox, James, Wilkerson, Randall, Rubin, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 8,425,708 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/196
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/525 Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/545 Perforating, cutting or machining during or after moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0007 having a variable cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2101/12 Thermoplastic materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1002 with permanent bending or reshaping or surface deformation of self sustaining lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1007 Running or continuous length work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1008 Longitudinal bending
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/101 Prior to or during assembly with additional lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1011 Overedge bending or overedge folding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1028 by bending, drawing or stretch forming sheet to assume shape of configured lamina while in contact therewith
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1034 Overedge bending of lamina about edges of sheetlike base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1043 Subsequent to assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1044 of parallel stacked sheets only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1046 Bending of one lamina only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1049 Folding only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1051 by folding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1075 of plural laminae from single stock and assembling to each other or to additional lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1077 Applying plural cut laminae to single face of additional lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1079 : Joining of cut laminae end-to-end

Abstract

Thermoplastic composite laminate parts with tailored and varying thickness and/or curved sections are manufactured in a continuous process. Automated equipment or hand lay-up is used to collate parts or components into a multi-layer stack. Each stack contains all plies, including ply build-up areas, tacked in the proper location to maintain orientation and location. Some or all of the plies may be continuously fed from spools of single or multiply ply material. Ply consolidation tooling contains all necessary part features and is coordinated to the customized multiple ply stacks to form a single integrated thermoplastic composite laminate potentially having areas of differing thickness from the multiple ply stacks.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a reinforced thermoplastic laminate part in a continuous process, comprising the steps of:

(A) continuously feeding multiple plies of thermoplastic materials from at least one spool into a preforming structure;

(B) preforming the part in the performing structure using the materials continuously fed in step (A);

(C) feeding the preformed part through a press; and

,

(D) pressing the preformed part to compact the plies of thermoplastic materials.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(E) forming a length of multi-ply reinforced thermoplastic material; and

,

(F) winding the multi-ply length formed in step (E) onto one of the at least two spools.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein step (E) includes tacking together the plies of the multi-ply reinforced thermoplastic material.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the tacking is performed at locations spaced along the length of the multi-ply reinforced thermoplastic material.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(E) providing a length of a thermoplastic material reinforced by generally parallel fibers;

(F) dividing the length of the fiber reinforced thermoplastic material into separate sections;

(G) rotating each of the sections to change the angle of the fibers in each section relative to a reference direction of fiber orientation; and

(H) joining the rotated sections together to form a continuous length of material.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

(I) rolling the length of material formed in step (H) onto one of the spools used in step (A).

7. The method of claim 5, wherein step (H) is performed by melting together abutting areas of the sections.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein step (E) is performed by:

placing a first ply of fiber reinforced thermoplastic material in registered relationship over a second ply of fiber reinforced thermoplastic material such that the plies are on face-to-face contact, and

joining the first and second plies together such that the plies may be unrolled from the one spool as a single length of material.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(E) feeding a multiple ply blank of thermoplastic material into the performing structure along with the materials fed in step (A).

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(E) feeding a set of tooling into the performing structure along with the materials fed on step (A).

11. The method of claim 1, wherein step (C) includes continuously feeding the preformed part through the press as the thermoplastic materials are fed in step (A).

12. A reinforced thermoplastic laminate part manufactured by the method of claim 1.

13. A method of manufacturing a thermoplastic composite laminate part, comprising the steps of:

(A) continuously feeding multiple rolls of reinforced thermoplastic plies into a preforming structure;

(B) feeding tooling into the preforming structure as the plies are being fed in step (A);

(C) preforming the part while the plies are being fed in step (A);

(D) feeding the preformed part into a press; and

,

(E) pressing the preformed part to compact the plies.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

(F) forming first and second lengths of fiber reinforced thermoplastic plies;

(G) joining together the first and second lengths of the fiber reinforced thermoplastic plies in face-to-face relationship; and

,

(H) rolling the joined lengths onto a spool.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein step (G) includes tacking the first and second lengths together at spaced apart locations.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

(F) providing a length of a fiber reinforced thermoplastic material;

(G) dividing the length of the fiber reinforced thermoplastic material into separate sections;

(H) rotating each of the sections; and

(I) joining the rotated sections together to form a continuous length of material used in at least one of the rolls of plies continuously fed in step (A);

(J) winding the continuous length onto a roll.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein step (I) is performed by melting together abutting areas of the sections.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein step (D) is performed by incrementally moving the preformed part into the press.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein step (E) is performed each time the preformed part is incrementally moved.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

(F) feeding a multiple ply blank of thermoplastic material into the performing structure along with the rolls of plies fed in step (A).

21. A thermoplastic composite laminate structural beam manufactured by the method of claim 13.

22. A manufacturing method, comprising the steps of:

(A) forming a roll of fiber reinforced thermoplastic material having at least two plies;

(B) continuously feeding material from the roll formed in step (A) into a preforming structure;

(C) preforming a part in the performing structure as the material is being continuously fed in step (B); and

,

(D) consolidating the part preformed in step (C).

23. The method of claim 22, wherein step (A) includes:

placing the two plies in face-to-face relationship,

attaching the plies together, and

winding the attached plies onto a spool.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein step (A) includes:

providing first and second lengths of fiber reinforced thermoplastic material,

dividing the first length of material into separate sections,

rotating each of the sections,

joining the rotated sections together to form a modified first length of material in which the orientation of the reinforcing fibers is different from the orientation of the fibers in the second length of material, and

winding the modified first length and the second lengths of material onto a spool.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein step (A) further includes attaching the modified first length and the second length before the winding is performed.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein step (A) includes:

providing first and second lengths of fiber reinforced thermoplastic material,

modifying the angle of the fibers in the first length relative to the angle of the fibers in the second length, and

winding the first and second lengths, onto a spool.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein step (D) is performed using a continuous compression molding press.

28. A structural beam for aircraft manufactured by the method of claim 22.