COMPOSITE PANELING HAVING MULTIPLE FACESHEETS AND A CORE

• US 20190315091A1
• Filed: 04/13/2018
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Humfeld, Keith Daniel, Hartshorn, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 11,433,642 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 19/00 Casting in, on, or around objects which form part of the product B22D23/04 takes precedence; alumino-thermic welding B23K23/00; coating by casting molten material on the substrate C23C6/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/086 and with one or more layers of pure plastics material, e.g. foam layers applying a non-preformed coating, e.g. a gel-coat, B29C37/0025; with foam blocks B29C70/86
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0021 provided with plain or filled structures, e.g. cores, placed between two or more plates or sheets, e.g. in a matrix
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/01 all layers being exclusively metallic making layered metal workpieces by pressure cladding B23K20/22; making coatings with a metallic material characterised by its composition C23C30/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/02 2 layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/24 All layers being polymeric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2260/046 Synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/106 Carbon fibres, e.g. graphite fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/18 Aircraft
• 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 7/05 the layers not being connected over the whole surface, e.g. discontinuous connection or patterned connection using interposed adhesives or bonding materials applied in spaced arrangements B32B7/14
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/00 Fuselages; Constructional features common to fuselages, wings, stabilising surfaces or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2001/0072 from composite materials

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for fabricating composite parts. One embodiment is a method of forming a composite part. The method includes laying up opposing composite facesheets, placing a viscous material between the facesheets, increasing a distance between the facesheets, and solidifying the facesheets and the viscous material into an integral composite part.

Claims

1. A method of forming a composite part comprising:

laying up opposing composite facesheets;

placing a viscous material between the facesheets;

increasing a distance between the facesheets; and

solidifying the facesheets and the viscous material into an integral composite part.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

forming the facesheets and the viscous material into a shape.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

increasing the distance between the facesheets comprises applying suction to remove air.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

increasing the distance between the facesheets comprises supplying air between the facesheets.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

reducing the fraction of a volume between the facesheets that is filled by the viscous material while increasing the distance between the facesheets.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein:

reducing the fraction of a volume between the facesheets that is filled by the viscous material while increasing the distance between the facesheets forms tendrils of the viscous material.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

increasing an amount of empty volume between the facesheets when increasing the distance between the facesheets, by forcing air between the facesheets.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

applying a closed cell foam between the facesheets after the facesheets and the viscous material have been solidified into an integral composite part.

9. A method comprising:

placing a viscous material in contact with a first surface of a first facesheet;

placing the viscous material in contact with a second surface of a second facesheet that faces the first surface such that the viscous material is sandwiched between the first facesheet and the second facesheet;

drawing the second surface from the first surface in a direction away from the first surface; and

solidifying the viscous material while tendrils of the viscous material remain in contact with both the first surface and the second surface.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the viscous material comprises a thermoset resin; and

solidifying the viscous material comprises heating the thermoset resin to a curing temperature.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the viscous material comprises a thermoplastic resin; and

solidifying the viscous material comprises cooling the thermoplastic resin to a solid state.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the first facesheet and the second facesheet each comprise a laminate of uncured Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP); and

the method further comprises securing the first facesheet to a first part via vacuum, and securing the second facesheet to a second part via vacuum.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein:

drawing the second surface away from the first surface causes the viscous material to occupy at least ten percent of a volume between the facesheets.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein:

drawing the second surface from the first surface comprises displacing the second surface no more than two inches from the first surface.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the viscous material comprises a molten metal; and

solidifying the viscous material comprises cooling the molten metal.

16. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

applying a material to a volume between the first facesheet and the second facesheet after the viscous material has solidified.

17-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A manufacture comprising:

a first facesheet of fiber-reinforced polymer forming a first surface of the manufacture;

a second facesheet of fiber-reinforced polymer forming a second surface of the manufacture; and

tendrils of material disposed between the first facesheet and the second facesheet that contact the first surface and the second surface such that the tendrils are sandwiched between the first facesheet and the second facesheet.

27. The manufacture of claim 25 wherein:

the first facesheet comprises Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP); and

the second facesheet comprises CFRP.

28. The manufacture of claim 25 further comprising:

another material disposed between the first facesheet and the second facesheet.

30. An aircraft comprising the manufacture of claim 25.

31. The manufacture of claim 25 wherein:

the first surface is contoured.

32. The manufacture of claim 25 wherein:

the first surface is convex, and the second surface is concave.

33. The manufacture of claim 25 wherein:

the first facesheet, the second facesheet, and the material comprise metal.

26. (canceled)

29. (canceled)

34. (canceled)

35. A method comprising:

laying up opposing composite facesheets;

adding a core material between the facesheets;

making the core material viscous; and

drawing the facesheets apart to form the core material into tendrils between the facesheets.

36. (canceled)