Abstract:
A method for manufacturing an elongate stiffening element and a rigid shell structure integrated with at least one elongate stiffening element. The method includes providing a preformed, form-stable reinforcement member, which has a hat profile with two inwardly directed, opposing flange portions, covering the reinforcement member with a curable composite material to form an external hat profile having outwardly directed flanges, and integrating this assembly with either a curable or preformed shell structure of composite material.
Abstract:
A method for producing an article of composite material comprising the steps of: providing a moulding tool of male type; placing one or several prepregs on the moulding tool, forming a fibre stack; placing a dry layer, e.g. fabric, externally on the fibre stack, forming a fibre stack having a dry surface; providing a moulding tool of female type; overturning or tilting the stack having a dry surface from the male tool to the female tool. The method may further comprise the step of arranging said dry fibre layer so that this comprises the edge of the fibre stack. The dry layer may be made of a metal net or other suitable metal structures, or be made of glass fibre fabric or another similar glass fibre structure, or a combination of glass fibre and metal. The fact that metal is an electrically conducting material and that glass fibre is an electrical isolator may be exploited, particularly when producing aircraft components.
Abstract:
Automatic tape laying (ATL-) apparatus for laying tape (1) containing fibre onto a surface (7) to form a composite article, which comprises means (2) to divide the tape into a plurality of inter-connected or separate, substantially longitudinal strips (3) before the tape is laid onto the surface (7).
Abstract:
This invention concerns a method for fabricating a curved beam from fiber composite material. A flat fiber composite laminate (2) comprising a plurality of layers and at least two different fiber directions is formed. The fiber composite laminate (2) is disposed in contact with a male tool (1) comprised of a first flange (1a), a second flange (1c) and an intermediate web (1b), which male tool (1) is curved in its longitudinal direction with a radius of curvature R in such a way that the first flange (1a) has a shorter longitudinal extent than the second flange (1c). The fiber composite laminate (2) is brought into contact with and secured to the first flange (1a) of the male tool (1). The male tool (1) and the fiber composite laminate (2) are then rotated relative to one another so that the fiber composite laminate (2) is brought into contact with the intermediate web (1b) of the male tool (1) in a first rotational movement, and brought into contact with the second flange (1c) of the male tool (1) in a second rotational movement. The fiber composite laminate (2) hardens on the male tool (1), and the finished beam is separated from the tool (1). The invention also relates to a beam of fiber composite material fabricated according to the method.
Abstract:
A method for producing an article of composite material. A female molding tool is provided. A form bag is provided. At least one prepreg is placed in the molding tool. A heel shaped hard tool part. A hard tool part is placed at the female tool close to an edge of the laminate being placed in the mold. The form bag is placed in the female tool so that the bag seals towards the heel shaped tool part, in such a way that, at a later air evacuation of the bag, an increased pressure that the bag will apply towards the laminate reaches a radius before the pressure reaches an edge.
Abstract:
A curved beam of fiber composite material. The beam includes a first flange curved in a longitudinal direction, a second flange curved in a longitudinal direction and having a greater longitudinal extent than the first flange, and a web curved in a longitudinal direction and extending between the first flange and the second flange. The beam includes a fiber composite laminate including layers of fibers having different fiber directions, wherein a fiber density per unit of area of the second flange is lower than a fiber density per unit of area of the first flange, and wherein the first flange, the second flange and the web are seamless, continuous, and unfolded in a longitudinal direction.
Abstract:
A method and an apparatus for manufacturing of a curved elongated structural element of composite material. The curved elongated structural element includes a first elongated portion and a second elongated portion in an angled relation. A substantially flat blank of composite material including a first and second elongated edge is provided. The blank is folded over a first portion forming surface and a second portion forming surface of a forming tool's flexible tool body for forming the first elongated portion and the second elongated portion. The forming tool's tool body is bent such that its bending moment center prevails essentially adjacent the first portion forming surface.
Abstract:
In a method for filling pores between two adjacent layers of a laminate for a component with high demands upon strength and comprising several layers of fibre composite having within each layer substantially parallel fibres embedded in a matrix, a connection path is created, through which a medium may move inside the laminate, between the exterior of the laminate and the pore by exerting the laminate at least in the region of the pore for forces making slots to propagate substantially in the matrix through each laminate layer along the fibre direction of the layer. A flowing, curable material is after that applied at an outer surface of the laminate and this is brought to fill the pore through the connection path. Finally, the material filling the pore is brought to cure.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to methods for forming composite structures and composite structures formed by these methods. The methods include arranging a stack of prepreg sheets on a mold. The composite material is substantially sealed within a vacuum bag. One or more vacuum ports extend through the vacuum bag. Vacuum is applied through the vacuum ports for drawing air from the stack of prepreg sheets. Air in the space between adjacent prepreg sheets in the stack is evacuated through at least one less-impregnated layer within a least one of the two adjacent prepreg sheets. The less impregnated layer communicates with the vaccum port. The process may be repeated until the stack comprises a predetermined number of prepreg sheets. The composite material is cured and the structure is released from the mold and the vacuum bag, thus providing a composite structure formed from evacuated, cured stack of prepreg sheets.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a method for producing a bending-resistant, elongated body, preferably a shaft or beam. The invention is characterized in that an elongated blank is produced having at least one cavity extending essentially along the entire length of the blank, the inner surface of which cavity is at a distance from the mass center of the blank seen in a section at right angles to its longitudinal axis and that affixed in the cavity is a fiber composite body with an outer surface essentially congruent with the inner surface of the cavity and that majority of the fibers in the fiber composite body both extend essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated blank and are elongated along the whole of its length. The invention also relates to an arrangement produced according to the method.