Continuous fabrication of parts using in-feed spools of fiber reinforced thermoplastic

• US 8,425,708 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2007
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Rubin, Alexander M., Fox, James R., Wilkerson, Randall D.
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHATZ, CHRISTOPHER T
• Application Number:
  US11/697,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20070175572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,209 Days
• Field of Search: 156/196, 156/212, 156/201, 156221-223, 156/290, 156/291, 156226-228, 156264-266, 156/304.1, 156/304.6, 428/105, 428/300.7
• US Class Current: 156/212
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/525 Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/545 Perforating, cutting or machining during or after moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0007 having a variable cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2101/12 Thermoplastic materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1002 with permanent bending or reshaping or surface deformation of self sustaining lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1007 Running or continuous length work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1008 Longitudinal bending
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/101 Prior to or during assembly with additional lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1011 Overedge bending or overedge folding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1028 by bending, drawing or stretch forming sheet to assume shape of configured lamina while in contact therewith
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1034 Overedge bending of lamina about edges of sheetlike base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1043 Subsequent to assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1044 of parallel stacked sheets only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1046 Bending of one lamina only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1049 Folding only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1051 by folding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1075 of plural laminae from single stock and assembling to each other or to additional lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1077 Applying plural cut laminae to single face of additional lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1079 : Joining of cut laminae end-to-end

Abstract

Thermoplastic composite laminate parts with tailored and varying thickness and/or curved sections are manufactured in a continuous process. Automated equipment or hand lay-up is used to collate parts or components into a multi-layer stack. Each stack contains all plies, including ply build-up areas, tacked in the proper location to maintain orientation and location. Some or all of the plies may be continuously fed from spools of single or multiply ply material. Ply consolidation tooling contains all necessary part features and is coordinated to the customized multiple ply stacks to form a single integrated thermoplastic composite laminate potentially having areas of differing thickness from the multiple ply stacks.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

feeding a first length of thermoplastic material from a first spool, wherein the first length of thermoplastic material comprises generally parallel fibers, and wherein feeding further comprises;

receiving the first length of thermoplastic material from the first spool;

dividing the first length of thermoplastic material into separate sections;

rotating the separate sections to change angles of the generally parallel fibers in the separate sections relative to a reference direction of fiber orientation, wherein rotated sections are formed; and

joining the rotated sections together to form a second length of thermoplastic material; and

winding the second length of thermoplastic material onto a second spool.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein joining is performed by melting together abutting areas of the rotated sections.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

placing the second length of thermoplastic material in registered relationship over a second length of tape such that the second length of thermoplastic material and the second length of tape are in face-to-face contact, and

tacking together the second length of thermoplastic material and the second length of tape.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein an aircraft part is made from the second length of thermoplastic material.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

preforming a part in a preforming structure using the second length of thermoplastic material to form a preformed part;

feeding the preformed part through a press; and

pressing the preformed part between dies to compact and shape the continuous length of thermoplastic material.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

additionally feeding a set of tooling into the preforming structure.

5. A method of manufacturing a reinforced thermoplastic or laminate part in a continuous compression molding process, comprising the steps of:

continuously feeding a multi-ply thermoplastic material from at least one spool into a preforming structure, said multi-ply thermoplastic material previously plied by tacking together plies of fiber reinforced thermoplastic material, wherein making said previously plied thermoplastic material further includes the steps of;

providing a length of a thermoplastic material reinforced by generally parallel fibers;

dividing the length of the thermoplastic material into separate lengths;

rotating ones of the separate lengths to change an angle of the fibers in each section relative to a reference direction of fiber orientation; and

joining rotated separate lengths together to form a continuous length of material;

preforming the part in the preforming structure using the multi-ply thermoplastic material, such that a preformed part is formed;

continuously feeding the preformed part through a press as the multi-ply thermoplastic material is continuously fed; and

pressing the preformed part between dies to compact and shape the plies of fiber reinforced thermoplastic material while heating said plies.