公开(公告)号：US20170066159A1

公开(公告)日：2017-03-09

申请号：US15123189

申请日：2015-02-27

Applicant: Composite Technology and Applications Limited

Inventor： Gary Wiles

IPC: B29C33/08 ,  B29C70/44

CPC classification number: B29C33/08 ,  B29C33/00 ,  B29C33/02 ,  B29C70/44 ,  B29C70/446 ,  B29K2105/0872 ,  B29K2307/04 ,  B29K2995/0012

Abstract: There is disclosed a self-heating tool (10) for manufacturing a composite component, comprising: a support structure (24); a mandrel (26) onto which composite material can be applied; a heater (58) for heating the mandrel (26) during a curing operation; and a plurality of extendible support members (28) extending between the support structure (24) and the mandrel (26) to support the mandrel (26). Each extendible support member (28) is configured to change in length in response to thermal expansion of the mandrel (28) during a curing operation. A method of manufacturing a composite component using a self-heating tool is also disclosed.

Abstract translation: 公开了一种用于制造复合部件的自加热工具（10），包括：支撑结构（24）; 芯棒（26），复合材料可以在其上施加; 用于在固化操作期间加热心轴（26）的加热器（58） 以及在所述支撑结构（24）和所述心轴（26）之间延伸以支撑所述心轴（26）的多个可延伸的支撑构件（28）。 每个可延伸的支撑构件（28）构造成在固化操作期间响应于心轴（28）的热膨胀而改变长度。 还公开了使用自加热工具制造复合部件的方法。

公开(公告)号：US20180154594A1

公开(公告)日：2018-06-07

申请号：US15568359

申请日：2016-04-25

Applicant: Composite Technology and Applications Limited

Inventor： Jonathan Paul Moram ,  Gary Wiles ,  Giovanni Antonio Marengo ,  Terence Mark Barton-Smith

IPC: B29C70/68 ,  B29C70/38 ,  B29C70/46

CPC classification number: B29C70/681 ,  B29C70/38 ,  B29C70/462 ,  B29C70/56 ,  B29K2307/04 ,  B29L2031/7504

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of forming a composite component having a curved body and an integral flange from a pre-form (200) using forming apparatus comprising: a tool (102) comprising a curved body portion (104) having a lay-up surface (110) and a forming assembly (105) comprising a plurality of forming elements (106) each having a lay-up surface (120) and a primary flange-forming surface (122); and a plurality of filler elements (107) each having a secondary flange-forming surface (156). The method comprises: providing a pre-form (200) over the lay-up surfaces (110, 120) of the curved body portion 104 and the forming elements (106) of the tool (102) in a layup configuration of the forming assembly (105); moving the forming elements (106) radially outwardly from the layup configuration to respective forming positions so that the forming elements (106) are circumferentially spaced apart from one another to form gaps therebetween; moving the filler elements (107) radially outwardly to respective forming positions in the circumferential gaps between the forming elements (106) so that the primary and secondary flange-forming surfaces (122, 156) form a substantially continuous flange-forming surface in a forming configuration of the forming assembly (105). Movement of the forming assembly (105) from the layup configuration to the forming configuration causes a region of the pre-form (200) to deform between the continuous flange-forming surface and a counteracting forming surface to form the integral flange of the component.