Technical production method, tension module and sewing material holder for creating textile preforms for the production of fibre-reinforced plastic components

• US 20040074587A1
• Filed: 10/21/2003
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Defence and Space GmbH
• Original Assignee: EADS Deutschland GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Koerwien, Thomas, Filsinger, Juergen, Bauer, Ernst-Joachim
• Granted Patent: US 7,056,402 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/93
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/222 the structure being shaped to form a three dimensional configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/24 oriented in at least three directions forming a three dimensional structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1051 by folding

Abstract

Ready-made technical process for manufacturing fiber-reinforced plastic building components that envisions the use of a link and optionally of a flange and/or a base using textile blanks (10) as starting material, and, initially, at least two layers of the textile blanks are positioned vis-à-vis one another, clamped in and undergo a first sewing-up process, and a preform is fashioned featuring the architecture of the product that is to be manufactured, and subsequently the preform is infiltrated with resin in order to realize the plastic building component, as well as of a tension module for realizing a flange on a textile preform and a sewing material holder that receives a textile preform in order to implement the referred to steps.

Claims

1. Ready-made technical process for manufacturing fiber-reinforced plastic building components comprised of a link and at least one flange that extends in the longitudinal direction using textile blanks (10) as starting material including the steps of:

the positioning vis-à

-vis one another, clamping in and initial sewing-up of at least two layers of textile blanks in order to fix the former into place relative to one another for the purpose of realizing a preform,

infiltrating the preform with resin for the purpose of manufacturing the plastic building component,

wherein,

following the initial sewing-up of the textile preforms, an end area (1a) of the at least two layers that extend in the longitudinal direction is turned up (step 30) by a predetermined angle in order to create the flange,

the turned up edge area is applied (step 40) to a linearly extending contact surface (42) of a form element (41), the link area (2) is fixed in place relative to the turned up edge area in a sewing material holder (52) and the layers are sewed up in at least one of the sewing windows (87) envisioned in the sewing material holder (52).

2. Ready-made technical process for manufacturing fiber-reinforced plastic building components comprised of a link and at least one flange that extends in the longitudinal direction as claimed in claim 1 wherein the same clamping apparatus (21) is used for clamping in the two layers in order to fix them in place and for turning up the preform (20).

3. Ready-made technical process for manufacturing fiber-reinforced plastic building components comprised of a link and at least one base that extends linearly in the longitudinal direction using textile blanks (10) as starting material wherein these steps are followed:

the positioning vis-à

-vis one another, clamping in and initial sewing-up of at least two layers of textile blanks in order to fix the former into place relative to one another for the purpose of realizing a preform,

infiltrating the preform with resin for the purpose of manufacturing the plastic building component,

wherein,

following the initial sewing-up of the textile performs, a contour seam (66) is inserted along the end area (1b) of the preform (step 50b), and the free edge areas (1b) comprised of at least two layers are turned up at a predetermined angle in order to realize the course of the base that is to be created, a spacer (65) extending in a longitudinal direction of the contour seam (66) is inserted between two layers, the two layers are sewed up in at least one sewing window (87) envisioned in the sewing material holder (52),

the free end area (1b) of the base that is to be created is fixed in place by way of stiffening elements (91).

4. Ready-made technical process for manufacturing fiber-reinforced plastic building components comprised of a link and at least one base that extends linearly in the longitudinal direction as claimed in claim 3 wherein a fastening seam (67) is inserted in the at least two layers in order to fix the spacer (65) in place.

5. Ready-made technical process for manufacturing fiber-reinforced plastic building components comprised of a link and at least one base that extends linearly in the longitudinal direction as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the spacer (67) is pressed against the contour seam (66) by way of a press-on means.

6. Ready-made technical process for manufacturing fiber-reinforced plastic building components comprised of a link and at least one base that extends linearly in the longitudinal direction as claimed in claim 3, 4 or 5 wherein a flange is realized on another end area (1a) by way of clamping in and turning up (step 30) the end area (1a) extending in the longitudinal direction of the at least two layers by a predetermined angle in order to realize the flange, the turned up edge area is applied against (step 40) a linearly extending contact area (42) of a form element (41), the link area (2) is fixed in place relative to the turned up edge area inside the sewing material holder (52) and the layers are sewed up in at least one sewing window (87) envisioned in the sewing material holder (52).

7. Ready-made technical process for manufacturing fiber-reinforced plastic building components comprised of a link and at least one flange that is curved in the longitudinal direction using textile blanks (10) as starting material including the steps of:

the positioning vis-à

-vis one another of at least two layers of textile semi-finished products, clamping in and sewing-up of said layers in order to fix the former into place relative to one another for the purpose of realizing a preform (20),

infiltrating the preform (20) with resin for the purpose of manufacturing the plastic building component,

wherein,

in order to realize the flange (3), an edge area (1a) of the preform (20) is clamped into a tension module (21) that is flexible in its longitudinal direction and the edge area (1a) of the preform (20) is turned up by a predetermined angle and the tension module (21) is applied (40) with the turned up edge area to the curved contact surface (42) of a form element (41),

the preform (20) is inserted into a sewing material holder (52), the link area (3) is draped in order to realize the curvature in the longitudinal direction and the preform (20) is fixed in place by way of inserting the seams (60).

8. Ready-made technical process for manufacturing fiber-reinforced plastic building components comprised of a link and at least one flange that is curved in the longitudinal direction as claimed in claim 7 wherein the same clamping apparatus (21) is used for clamping in the two layers in order to fix them in place and for turning up the preform (20).

9. Ready-made technical process for manufacturing fiber-reinforced plastic building components comprised of a link and at least one flange that is curved in the longitudinal direction as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8 wherein, in order to realize a base vis-à

-vis the flange area, following the initial sewing-up of the preform, a contour seam (66) is inserted along an end area (1b) of the preform (step 50b) and the free edge areas (1b) of at least two layers are turned up by a predetermined angle in order to realize the course of the base (5) that is to be created.

10. Ready-made technical process for manufacturing fiber-reinforced plastic building components comprised of a link and at least one flange that is curved in the longitudinal direction using textile blanks (10) as starting material including the steps of:

the positioning vis-à

-vis one another, clamping in and initial sewing-up of at least two layers of textile blanks in order to fix the former into place relative to one another for the purpose of realizing a preform (20),

infiltrating the preform with resin for the purpose of manufacturing the plastic building component,

wherein

the preform (20) is inserted into a sewing material holder (52), the link area (3) is draped in order to realize the curvature in the longitudinal direction and the preform (20) is fixed in place by way of inserting the seams (60).

following the initial sewing-up of the textile performs, a contour seam (66) is inserted along the end area (1b) of the preform (step 50b), and the free edges areas (1b) comprised of at least two layers are turned up at a predetermined angle in order to realize the course of the base (5) that is to be created,

a sewing process is implemented in order to sew up the layers inside a sewing window (87) envisioned in the sewing material holder (52),

the free end area (1b) of the base that is to be created is fixed in place by way of stiffening elements (91).

11. Ready-made technical process for manufacturing fiber-reinforced plastic building components comprised of a link and at least one flange that is curved in the longitudinal direction as claimed in claim 10 wherein a spacer (65) is inserted between the layers of the preform (20) in the area of the base (5) that is to be created after the preform (20) has been inserted in a sewing material holder (52) and a fastening seam (67) is inserted in order to fix the spacer in place on the preform (20).

12. Ready-made technical process for manufacturing fiber-reinforced plastic building components comprised of a link and at least one flange that is curved in the longitudinal direction as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11 wherein in order to realize the flange (3), an edge area (1a) of the preform (20) is clamped into a tension module (21) that is flexible in its longitudinal direction and the edge area (1a) of the preform (20) is turned up by a predetermined angle and the tension module (21) is applied (40) with the turned up edge area to the curved contact surface (42) of a form element (41).

13. Tension module 21 for realizing a flange on a textile preform for manufacturing fiber-reinforced plastic building components wherein the tension module 21 is comprised of a flexible clamping rail (21a) and several champing jaws (25) that are arranged in the longitudinal direction (22) of the clamping rail in order to clamp in the area of the flange (3) that is to created.

14. Sewing material holder (52) for receiving a textile preform (20) for the manufacture of a fiber-reinforced plastic building component wherein the sewing material holder (52) is comprised of

a first (55) and of a second (56) support surface for receiving the preform (20),

a holding device (54) on the second (56) support surface for fixing a second edge area of the preform (20) in place,

a tension module (21) for clamping in the preform (20) with a first edge area (1a),

at least one sewing window (57) that is arranged between the support surfaces (55, 56) in order to fix the layers of the preform in place by way of the seams (60).

15. Sewing material holder (52) for realizing a base that extends linearly in its longitudinal direction on the textile preform (20) for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced plastic building component as claimed in claim sda wherein the holding device (54), in order to press on a spacer (67) to be applied between two layers, comprises a contour seam (66) inserted on the spacer, a needle bar (88) and a comb metal (89), acting in conjunction with the latter and that is movable by way of an adjusting mechanism (74).

16. Sewing material holder (52) for realizing a base that is curved in its longitudinal direction on the textile preform (20) for manufacturing fiber-reinforced plastic building components as claimed in claim 15 wherein the holding apparatus (54), in order to press on a spacer (67) to be applied between two layers, comprises a contour seam (66) inserted on the spacer, a needle bar (88) and a push metal (69, 69a), acting in conjunction with the latter and that is movable by way of an adjusting mechanism (74).