公开(公告)号：US20180141289A1

公开(公告)日：2018-05-24

申请号：US15568346

申请日：2016-04-25

Applicant: Composite Technology and Applications Limited

Inventor： Scott Barber

IPC: B29C70/76 ,  B29C70/38 ,  B29C70/46

CPC classification number: B29C70/766 ,  B29C70/386 ,  B29C70/462 ,  B29C70/56 ,  B29K2307/04 ,  B29L2023/22

Abstract: There is disclosed a tool (102) for forming a composite component having a curved body and an integral flange from a pre-form (200), the tool comprising: a curved body portion 104 having a lay-up surface (110); and a forming assembly (105) having a lay-up configuration and a forming configuration. The forming assembly comprises: a plurality of forming elements (106) each having a lay-up surface (120) and a primary flange-forming surface (122), the forming elements (106) being radially outwardly moveable between the lay-up configuration and the forming configuration, in which the forming elements are circumferentially spaced from one another; and a plurality of filler elements (107) each having a secondary flange-forming surface (156), the filler elements (107) being arranged to move into the circumferential gaps between the forming elements in the forming configuration so as to form a substantially continuous flange-forming surface. In use a pre-form (200) is disposed on the layup surfaces of the curved body portion (104) and the forming elements (106), and movement to the forming configuration causes the pre-form (200) to be deformed between the continuous flange-forming surface and a counteracting forming surface to form the integral flange (210).