Partially automated fabrication of composite parts

• US 8,088,317 B1
• Filed: 11/17/2010
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abe Karem
• Original Assignee: Abe Karem
• Inventors: Karem, Abe
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Christina
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAUTH, GALEN H
• Application Number:
  US12/948,620
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 264/226, 264/227, 264/219
• US Class Current: 264/227
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/40 Plastics, e.g. foam or rubber
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/38 Automated lay-up, e.g. using robots, laying filaments according to predetermined patterns application heads for tyres B29D30/28
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3082 Fuselages
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/10 Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor

Abstract

A high quality finished prototype aircraft or other composite part is manufactured using a low temperature limit male mold, a cured female tool, and an at least partially automated layup process, and then touched up by hand to meet a tolerance or other specification. The female tool is preferably made from a male mold, by depositing layers of composite material over the mold, curing the tool together at a first cure temperature, separating the tool and mold, and then curing the tool at a second, higher temperature. The first cure temperature should be at or below an upper limit temperature no greater than 180° F. The second cure temperature is preferably in the range of 250° F. to 350° F. The step of hand touching up can comprise one or more of mechanically abrading and deforming a first portion of the composite part to mate with a second portion of a composite part.

Claims

1. A method of producing a composite part of an aircraft, comprising in sequence:

manufacturing a low-temp male mold from a material selected from the group consisting of a soft plastic and a foam, the material permanently deforming at or below an upper limit temperature that is no greater than 180°

F., using computer numerically controlled machining;

adding a plurality of composite layers to the male mold to create a female tool and at least partially curing the female tool at a primary cure temperature below the upper limit temperature, while at least a portion of the female tool is coupled to at least a portion of the male mold;

separating at least the portion of the female tool from the portion of the male mold;

curing the female tool at a secondary cure temperature above the upper limit temperature;

depositing a first composite material on the female tool, in a freestanding fashion, to create the composite part; and

hand touching up the composite part to meet a specification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of producing the composite part comprises at least one of in-mold automated trimming and drilling of the composite part subsequent to a cure of the composite part.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of producing a composite part comprises performing a hand touch-up of the part subsequent to a cure of the composite part.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the upper limit temperature is no greater than 160°

F.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary cure temperature is at least 140°

F.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the secondary cure temperature is at least 250°

F.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the secondary cure temperature is at least 350°

F.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of depositing a first composite material on the female tool comprises use of a fiber placement machine.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of hand touching up comprises mechanically abrading.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first composite material comprises at least one of carbon-epoxy and fiberglass-epoxy.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of using the female tool as a fixture for drilling the composite part.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of reusing the master tool to create a second female tool.