DEVICE AND METHOD FOR FORMING A COMPOSITE PANEL FROM A THERMOPLASTIC MATRIX

• US 20160288405A1
• Filed: 11/04/2014
• Published: 10/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daher Aerospace (Sogemarco Daher)
• Original Assignee: Daher Aerospace (Sogemarco Daher)
• Inventors: ZAWADKA, LAURENT
• Granted Patent: US 10,639,840 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/145 having at least one layer of textile or fibrous material combined with at least one plastics layer
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/262 Clamping means for the sheets, e.g. clamping frames
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/005 characterised by the choice of material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/026 of layered or coated substantially flat surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/42 for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/541 Positioning reinforcements in a mould, e.g. using clamping means for the reinforcement positioning inserts in moulds B29C33/12; lay-up on a mould B29C70/30
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2101/12 Thermoplastic materials

Abstract

An apparatus and method for stamping a thermoplastic matrix composite blank, in view of heating and stamping the blank. The apparatus includes a machined blank and a frame. A plurality of cleats are fixed on the frame, extend towards the interior of the frame. The cleats delimit an internal opening surface of the frame, free from any obstacle. A locator is linked with a cleat and configured to cooperate with a hole machined in the blank. A heat sink is located near the locator and configured to maintain locally the blank temperature under the melting temperature of the polymer constituting the matrix, during the heating and transfer of the blank.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. Apparatus for stamping a thermoplastic matrix composite blank, said apparatus comprises for heating and stamping the thermoplastic composite blank:

a machined blank;

a frame;

a plurality of cleats fixed on the frame and extending towards an interior of the frame and delimiting an internal opening surface of the frame, free from any obstacle;

a locator linked to a cleat and configured to cooperate with a guiding hole machined in the machined blank; and

a heat sink in a vicinity of the locator.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the heat sink is constituted by the cleat holding the locator to provide a heat sink cleat.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the heat sink cleat is made of a material whose thermal diffusivity is higher or equal to 10 times a thermal diffusivity of a polymer of the thermoplastic matrix composite blank.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the cleat comprises a surface treatment to limit its absorption of an infrared radiation.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the machined blank further comprises, on its periphery, a guiding hole not occupied by the locator when the machined blank lies on the frame.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a stamping die whose perimeter, in accordance with a closing plane, is inscribed in the internal opening surface of the frame.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a stamping die whose perimeter, in accordance with a closing plane, is inscribed in the internal opening surface of the frame;

and wherein the stamping die comprises a centering finger configured to cooperate with the guiding hole not occupied by the locator.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the guiding hole not occupied by the locator is a slotted hole.

19. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the machined blank comprises, on its periphery, a guiding hole not occupied by the locator when the machined blank lies on the frame;

and wherein the stamping die comprises a centering finger configured to cooperate with the guiding hole not occupied by the locator.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the guiding hole not occupied by the locator is a slotted hole.

21. A method for stamping a composite blank comprising a continuous fibrous reinforcement in a thermoplastic matrix, using an apparatus for stamping the composite blank comprising the steps of:

adjusting positions of cleats on a frame of said apparatus depending on a geometry of the composite blank, said apparatus comprises for heating and stamping the composite blank;

the frame;

a plurality of cleats fixed on the frame and extending towards an interior of the frame and delimiting an internal opening surface of the frame, free from any obstacle;

placing the composite blank on the cleats and introducing a locator of said apparatus in the guiding hole of the blank, the locator is linked to a cleat and configured to cooperate with a guiding hole machined in the composite blank;

heating the composite blank laying on the cleats of the frame up to a temperature equal to or higher than a melting temperature of the thermoplastic matrix of the composite blank;

transferring the composite blank maintained on the cleats onto a stamping die via the frame, wherein a perimeter of the stamping die, in accordance with a closing plane, is inscribed in the internal opening surface of the frame;

separating the frame from the composite blank;

engaging a centering finger of the stamping die in a slotted hole on a periphery of the composite blank, wherein the centering finger of the stamping die is configured to cooperate with the slotted hole; and

stamping the composite blank.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising, prior to the adjusting step, the step of machining the slotted hole in the composite blank, prior to adjusting he so that a major axis of the slotted hole is oriented parallel to a sliding direction of the composite blank during the stamping step.