PRODUCTION OF AIRFRAME COMPONENTS

• US 20170036781A1
• Filed: 04/13/2015
• Published: 02/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Inventors: Sanderson, Steven Neil, Scott, William Smith
• Granted Patent: US 10,640,235 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/061 Frames
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/10 Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4099 Surface or curve machining, making 3D objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/41348 Hydraulic pressure block

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of producing an airframe component. The method comprises: providing an initial component having a first surface; providing an over press tool having a second surface complementary to the first surface; applying, to the first surface, an adhesive (94), one or more layers of a material; at least for some time during curing of the adhesive, positioning the over press tool such that the second surface is in contact with an outer surface of the material and the material is between the first and second surfaces, and forcing the over press tool against the first surface such that a normal force is exerted on the first surface; and, thereafter removing the over press tool from the one or more layers of material, thereby providing the airframe component.

Claims

1. A method of producing an airframe component, the method comprising:

providing an initial airframe component having a first surface;

providing an over press tool having a second surface, the second surface being substantially complementary to the first surface;

coupling the one or more layers of material to the second surface of the over press tool;

applying an adhesive to the first surface and/or the one or more layers of material,

moving the over press tool with the one or more layers of material coupled thereto in such a way that the one or more layers of material are pressed against the first surface of the initial airframe component, the adhesive being between the one or more layers of material and the first surface of the initial airframe component;

at least for some time during curing of the adhesive;

positioning the over press tool such that the second surface is in contact with an outer surface of the one or more layers of material and the one or more layers of material are between the first and second surfaces; and

forcing the over press tool against the first surface such that the over press tool exerts a normal force on the first surface; and

thereafter removing the over press tool from the one or more layers of material, thereby providing the airframe component.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the airframe component is selected from the group of airframe components consisting of frames, longerons, beams, and keels.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the second surface is a deformable surface.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more layers of material are held against the over press tool by a vacuum.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein

the over press tool comprises one or more clamp receiving elements;

and

the step of forcing comprises clamping, using one or more clamps, the over press tool to the initial airframe component.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of forcing comprises an actuation device forcing the over press tool against the initial airframe component.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more layers are made of a composite material.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein

the method further comprises, prior to applying the one or more layers of material to the initial airframe component, moulding the one or more layers of material and

moulding the one or more layers of material comprises:

providing a mould tool having a mould surface the shape of which corresponds to that of the first surface;

applying the one or more layers the mould surface; and

heating the mould tool and one or more layers of material applied thereto to cure the one or more layers of material.

9. A method of producing at least part of an aircraft airframe, the at least part of an aircraft airframe being for attachment to a further system, the method comprising:

providing an initial airframe structure comprising an airframe component, the step of providing the initial airframe structure comprising performing a method according to claim 2 to produce the airframe component;

providing a reference structure;

positioning the initial airframe structure with respect to the reference structure such that the position and orientation of the initial airframe structure relative to the reference structure is the same as the position and orientation relative to the further system that the initial airframe structure would have if the at least part of the aircraft airframe was attached to the further system;

specifying a surface, the surface being a desired inner mould line for the at least part of the aircraft airframe; and

machining, using a cutting device, the one or more layers of material such that the position and orientation of the outer surface of the one or more layers of material with respect to the reference structure is the same as the position and orientation with respect to the further system that the specified surface would have if the at least part of the aircraft airframe was attached to the further system.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the step of providing an initial structure comprises:

providing a plurality of said airframe components of the at least part of an aircraft airframe;

for each component, determining a position and orientation relative to the further system that that component would have if the at least part of an aircraft airframe was attached to the further system;

arranging the components of the at least part of an aircraft airframe such that the position and orientation of each of said components relative to the reference structure is the same as the determined position and orientation of that component relative to the further system; and

attaching together the components such that the relative positions and orientations of those components are maintained.

15. An airframe component produced using a method according to claim 1.

11. Apparatus for producing an airframe component using an initial airframe component having a first surface, the apparatus comprising:

an over press tool having a second surface, the second surface being complementary to the first surface, the second surface being configured to releasably retain one or more layers of material against the second surface of the over press tool;

means for applying an adhesive to the first surface and/or the one or more layers of material;

actuation means for moving the over press tool with the one or more layers of material coupled thereto in such a way that the one or more layers of material are pressed against the first surface of the initial airframe component, the adhesive being between the one or more layers of material and the first surface of the initial airframe component; and

means for forcing the over press tool against the first surface such that the over press tool exerts a normal force on the first surface.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the airframe component is an airframe component selected from the group of airframe components consisting of frames, longerons, beams, and keels.

13. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the second surface is a deformable surface.

14. Apparatus according to claim 11, the apparatus further comprising a vacuum establishing system configured to establish a vacuum between the one or more layers of material and the second surface of the over press tool.