Method of Manufacture of Composite Laminates, an Assembly Therefor, and Related Articles

• US 20100065367A1
• Filed: 09/17/2008
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Vernes, Terrence Paul, Kirkpatrick, Bowden, Vermilyea, Mark Ernest, Shoemaker, Philip Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 8,123,886 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 181/290
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/02 Heating or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanizing during moulding, e.g. in a mouldcold vulcanisation B29C35/18 ; vulcanising tyres, presses therefor B29D30/0601
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/00 Joining or sealing of preformed parts , e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor general aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts B29C66/00; using porous material formed by internal pressure generated therein for joining preformed parts B29C44/1228, B29C44/326
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7841 Holding or clamping means for handling purposes clamping means for the purpose of applying pressure on the parts to be joined, in the area to be joined B29C66/81; work holders in general B25B; devices for holding or positioning work for welding metal B23K37/04
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/43 Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles B29C66/45 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/721 Fibre-reinforced materials B29C66/729 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7212 characterised by the composition of the fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/72141 Fibres of continuous length
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/72143 Fibres of discontinuous lengths
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7392 characterised by the material of at least one of the parts being a thermoplastic
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7394 characterised by the material of at least one of the parts being a thermoset
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73941 characterised by the materials of both parts being thermosets
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/342 using isostatic pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/543 Fixing the position or configuration of fibrous reinforcements before or during moulding for non-woven fabrics D04H3/08
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/545 Perforating, cutting or machining during or after moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2001/00 Use of cellulose, modified cellulose or cellulose derivatives, e.g. viscose, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2001/12 Cellulose acetate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/18 : Polymers of hydrocarbons having four or more carbon atoms, e.g. polymers of butylene, e.g. PB, i.e. polybutylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2025/04 : Polymers of styrene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2025/06 : PS, i.e. polystyrene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/06 : PVC, i.e. polyvinylchloride
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/08 : PVDC, i.e. polyvinylidene chloride
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/12 : containing fluorine
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2031/04 : Polymers of vinyl acetate, e.g. PVAc, i.e. polyvinyl acetate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2033/08 : Polymers of acrylic acid esters, e.g. PMA, i.e. polymethylacrylate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2033/12 : Polymers of methacrylic acid esters, e.g. PMMA, i.e. polymethylmethacrylate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2055/02 : ABS polymers, i.e. acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2059/00 : Use of polyacetals , e.g. POM, i.e. polyoxymethylene or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2063/00 : Use of EP, i.e. epoxy resins or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/00 : Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2069/00 : Use of PC, i.e. polycarbonates or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 : Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2077/00 : Use of PA, i.e. polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2079/08 : PI, i.e. polyimides or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2079/085 : Thermoplastic polyimides, e.g. polyesterimides, PEI, i.e. polyetherimides, or polyamideimides; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2081/04 : Polysulfides, e.g. PPS, i.e. polyphenylene sulfide or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2081/06 : PSU, i.e. polysulfones; PES, i.e. polyethersulfones or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2101/12 : Thermoplastic materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/06 : containing reinforcements, fillers or inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/246 : Uncured, e.g. green
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2277/10 : Aromatic polyamides [Polyaramides] or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2307/04 : Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2309/08 : Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2707/04 : Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2709/08 : Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/737 : Articles provided with holes, e.g. grids, sieves nets B29L2028/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/04 : as impregnant, bonding, or embedding substance not used
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/12 : characterised by the relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers, e.g. the fibres or filaments being parallel or perpendicular to each other
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 1/827 : Sound absorbing structures or liners
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/96 : Preventing, counteracting or reducing vibration or noise
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/603 : Composites; e.g. fibre-reinforced
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/168 : Plural layers of different materials, e.g. sandwiches
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 : Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1056 : Perforating lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1062 : Prior to assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24074 : Strand or strand-portions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24273 : including aperture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7872 : Tool element mounted for adjustment

Abstract

A method is described for making a composite laminate formed by curing a stacked structure comprising at least two layers of strips of fibrous material impregnated with resin, wherein the strips in adjacent layers have different directional orientations. An apparatus is provided for simultaneously separating a band of fibrous material impregnated with resin into strips and depositing the strips between adjacent pin rows of a pinmat to form the stacked structure.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

introducing a band of fiber material impregnated with a resin to an apparatus comprising a band separating means and a pinmat, wherein the pinmat comprises a pin pattern having at least two directionally distinct sets of parallel rows of pins projecting from a surface, each one of the sets having a defined gap between each pair of adjacent rows;

selecting one of the directionally distinct sets of parallel pin rows;

separating the band to form a plurality of strips having a width less than or equal to the defined gap of a selected one of the sets;

disposing the strips between the selected one of the sets of the parallel pin rows to form a layer of strips;

repeating at least one time the steps of selecting one of the directionally distinct sets of parallel pin rows, separating the band, and disposing the strips to form a stacked structure comprising at least two layers of the strips, wherein the strips in adjacent layers have different directional orientations; and

compressing and curing the stacked structure to effect adhesion of the at least two layers so as to form a composite laminate sheet comprising through-holes in a hole pattern corresponding to the pin pattern.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein separating and disposing are performed simultaneously.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein repeating is for 2 to 20 times.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein curing comprises heating the compressed stacked structure at about 80°

C. to about 200°

C. for 1 minute to 10 hours.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein separating the band produces a strip having a thickness different from the thickness of the initial band.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein compressing is by means of a vacuum.

7. An apparatus configured to separate a band of fiber material impregnated with resin into a plurality of strips and dispose the strips between parallel pin rows of a pinmat to form a layer of strips, the apparatus comprising:

a pinmat-following roller comprising a first roller mounted on a first central axle on which the first roller can rotate and also slide transversely, a first circular rib surrounding the first roller having a size and shape capable of fitting between adjacent pin rows of a pinmat, and a circular groove in the first roller for coupling with the band-separating roller; and

a band-separating roller comprising a second roller mounted on a second central axle on which the second roller can rotate and also slide transversely, a plurality of radially projecting disks from the second roller for separating the band of fiber impregnated with a resin, and a second circular rib surrounding the second roller capable of coupling with the circular groove of the pinmat-following roller.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the band-separating roller comprises 2 to 20 radially projecting disks.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the radially projecting disks have an inverted V-shape for separating the band when tension is applied to the band.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the strips have a width of 3 mm to 8 mm and a thickness of 0.125 to 0.5 mm.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the pinmat has a planar shape.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the pinmat has a shape having at least one concave or convex surface.

13. A composite laminate comprising a plurality of through-holes, wherein

the through-holes form a pattern corresponding to an ordered array of a regular polygon selected from the group consisting of square, parallelogram, hexagon, or octagon, wherein the through-holes are positioned at intersecting points of the polygon sides;

the composite laminate is derived from a compressed and cured composite structure comprising at least two layers of strips of fibrous material impregnated with a resin, wherein each layer comprises strips arranged in parallel and the strips in adjacent layers have different directional orientation.

14. The composite laminate of claim 13, wherein the through-holes are not formed by puncturing, drilling, or lasing.

15. The composite laminate of claim 13, wherein the fibrous material comprises carbon or glass and the resin comprises thermosetting epoxy or thermoplastic.

16. The composite laminate of claim 13, wherein the polygon sides are not of equal length.

17. The composite laminate of claim 13, wherein the layers comprise different fibrous material, resin, or a combination thereof.

18. The composite laminate of claim 13, wherein the smallest circle encompassing the average through-hole of the composite laminate has a diameter of 0.5 to 1.5 mm.

19. The composite laminate of claim 13, having 10,000 to 100,000 through-holes per square meter.

20. An acoustic liner for a jet engine, comprising the composite laminate of claim 13.