THERMOPLASTIC WELDING APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20120291948A1
• Filed: 05/17/2011
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: MATSEN, Marc R., NEGLEY, Mark A., GEREN, William Preston, MILLER, Robert James
• Granted Patent: US 9,586,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/272.4
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/3612 comprising fillers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/3644 being a ribbon, band or strip
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/3668 characterised by the means for supplying heat to said heated elements which remain in the join, e.g. special induction coils
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/3676 being metallic
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/00145 Vacuum, e.g. partial vacuum
• 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 66/41 Joining substantially flat articles B29C66/47 and subgroups take precedence; Making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles B29C66/51 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/474 said single elements being substantially non-flat
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/524 Joining profiled elements
• 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 66/7392 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 66/8122 characterised by the composition of the material constituting the pressing elements, e.g. constituting the welding jaws or clamps
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8126 characterised by the intensive physical properties or by the optical properties of the material constituting the pressing elements, e.g. constituting the welding jaws or clamps
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81457 comprising a block or layer of deformable material, e.g. sponge, foam, rubber pressing elements supported or backed-up by resilient material B29C66/8161
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2307/04 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2309/08 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2905/12 Iron
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2909/02 : Ceramics
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0008 : Magnetic or paramagnetic
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3076 : Aircrafts blades, propellers B29L2031/08
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2206/023 : using the curie point of the material in which heating current is being generated to control the heating temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/105 : using a susceptor

Abstract

A thermoplastic welding apparatus includes a thermoplastic welding tool, at least one tooling surface in the thermoplastic welding tool, a magnetic induction coil in the thermoplastic welding tool and generally encircling the at least one tooling surface and at least one smart susceptor in the thermoplastic welding tool at the at least one tooling surface. The magnetic induction coil is adapted to generate a magnetic flux field oriented generally parallel to a plane of the at least one smart susceptor.

Claims

1. A thermoplastic welding apparatus, comprising:

a thermoplastic welding tool;

at least one tooling surface in said thermoplastic welding tool;

a magnetic induction coil in said thermoplastic welding tool and generally encircling said at least one tooling surface;

at least one smart susceptor in said thermoplastic welding tool at said at least one tooling surface; and

said magnetic induction coil is adapted to generate a magnetic flux field oriented generally parallel to a plane of said at least one smart susceptor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one smart susceptor comprises molypermalloy.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a ferromagnetic material embedded in said at least one tooling surface.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a non electrically-conductive material in said at least one tooling surface.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said non electrically-conductive material comprises an elastomeric material.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a ferromagnetic material embedded in said at least one tooling surface next to said non electrically-conductive material.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said ferromagnetic material is embedded in said at least one tooling surface on respective sides of said non electrically-conductive material.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said ferromagnetic material comprises ferrite powder.

9. A thermoplastic welding apparatus, comprising:

a thermoplastic welding tool;

at least one tooling space in said thermoplastic welding tool;

at least one tooling surface in said at least one tooling space;

a magnetic induction coil in said thermoplastic welding tool and generally encircling said at least one tooling surface;

a first composite part on said tooling surface;

at least one smart susceptor on said first composite part;

a second composite part on said at least one smart susceptor; and

said magnetic induction coil is adapted to generate a magnetic flux field oriented generally parallel to a plane of said at least one smart susceptor.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said at least one smart susceptor comprises molypermalloy.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a ferromagnetic material embedded in said at least one tooling surface.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a non electrically-conductive material in said at least one tooling surface.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said non electrically-conductive material comprises an elastomeric material.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a ferromagnetic material embedded in said at least one tooling surface next to said non electrically-conductive material.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said ferromagnetic material is embedded in said at least one tooling surface on respective sides of said non electrically-conductive material.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said ferromagnetic material comprises ferrite powder.

17. A thermoplastic welding method, comprising:

providing first and second composite parts;

placing a smart susceptor between said first and second composite parts; and

generating a magnetic flux field in parallel relationship to a plane of said smart susceptor.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said placing a smart susceptor between said first and second composite parts comprises placing a molypermalloy between said first and second composite parts.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising supply welding pressure by applying a tooling force against said first and second composite parts.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein generating a magnetic flux field in parallel relationship to a plane of said smart susceptor comprises placing a non electrically-conductive material in contact with said first composite part and providing at least one ferrite material next to said non electrically-conductive material.