Method for manufacturing a fiber reinforced synthetic composite structural element using fiber textile preforms
First Claim
1. A method of manufacturing a structural element of fiber reinforced synthetic composite material, comprising the steps:
- a) arranging respective fiber textile semi-finished materials respectively on plural carriers, which respectively have carrier contours that correspond to a positive or a negative of at least a portion of respective preform contours of respective preforms that are to be produced;
b) applying a binder respectively to said semi-finished materials, and fixing said semi-finished materials respectively with said binder to form thereof respective semi-finished articles;
c) removing said carriers from said semi-finished articles to form thereof said respective preforms having said respective preform contours, which respectively correspond to a positive or a negative of respective portions of a structural element contour of said structural element that is to be manufactured;
d) arranging said preforms together with one another, and compacting said preforms;
e) before, during or after said step d), impregnating said preforms with a matrix material comprising a curable resin; and
f) after said steps d) and e), curing said matrix material comprising said curable resin, to bond together, stiffen and harden said preforms, and thereby to form thereof said structural element having said structural element contour;
wherein each one of said preforms respectively has a plan shape surrounding an opening and has a cross-sectional shape including plural flanges that extend at an angle relative to each other, wherein said step d) comprises arranging said preforms so that respective adjacent ones of said flanges of neighboring ones of said preforms run parallel along one another so as to form thereof said structural element including a main frame body and a frame web protruding from said main frame body relative to a major plane of said structural element.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A fiber textile semi-finished material is fed directly and reformed onto a carrier and reforming tool, where it is fixed with a binder. The carrier has a contour matching the negative or positive shape of the final required geometry of a preform that is to be fabricated. The reformed semi-finished article fixed with the binder is removed from the carrier to provide the preform. Several preforms of different cross-sectional shapes are joined together, compacted to form a dense component having nearly the required finished contour, impregnated with a matrix system including a curable adhesive resin, and then cured under an elevated temperature and/or pressure. The result is a finished fiber reinforced composite structural element such as an aircraft window frame. This method is carried out on an apparatus including the rotating carrier and reforming tool, which may have a cylindrical and/or annular surface for receiving and reforming the material.
60 Citations
29 Claims
-
1. A method of manufacturing a structural element of fiber reinforced synthetic composite material, comprising the steps:
-
a) arranging respective fiber textile semi-finished materials respectively on plural carriers, which respectively have carrier contours that correspond to a positive or a negative of at least a portion of respective preform contours of respective preforms that are to be produced; b) applying a binder respectively to said semi-finished materials, and fixing said semi-finished materials respectively with said binder to form thereof respective semi-finished articles; c) removing said carriers from said semi-finished articles to form thereof said respective preforms having said respective preform contours, which respectively correspond to a positive or a negative of respective portions of a structural element contour of said structural element that is to be manufactured; d) arranging said preforms together with one another, and compacting said preforms; e) before, during or after said step d), impregnating said preforms with a matrix material comprising a curable resin; and f) after said steps d) and e), curing said matrix material comprising said curable resin, to bond together, stiffen and harden said preforms, and thereby to form thereof said structural element having said structural element contour; wherein each one of said preforms respectively has a plan shape surrounding an opening and has a cross-sectional shape including plural flanges that extend at an angle relative to each other, wherein said step d) comprises arranging said preforms so that respective adjacent ones of said flanges of neighboring ones of said preforms run parallel along one another so as to form thereof said structural element including a main frame body and a frame web protruding from said main frame body relative to a major plane of said structural element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
4. The method according to clam 1, wherein said arranging and said compacting of said preforms forms said preforms into an intermediate component that is highly densified and has a contour nearly corresponding to said structural element contour in a finished condition of said structural element.
Specification