Abstract:
L'invention concerne un procédé et une installation de réalisation d'une pièce en matériau composite dans lequel on dépose des plis (12) de fibres continues et électriquement conductrices pour former un empilement de plis (12) sur un support (11). Selon l'invention, au moins la face dudit support (11) portant ledit empilement est électriquement isolante et on réalise les étapes suivantes: a) introduire une borne (13, 18) électrique entre les extrémités d'au moins deux plis (12) placés directement l'un au dessus de l'autre dans ledit empilement, et sur au moins deux côtés opposés de ces plis (12), b) lorsque lesdites fibres sont sèches, introduire une résine pour imprégner lesdites fibres, c) faire circuler un courant entre lesdites bornes (13, 18) électriques au travers desdits plis (12) pour durcir ladite résine par chauffage par effet Joule.
Abstract:
One aspect of the invention provides an articulating device including: an inflatable elastic layer and a textile shell surrounding or impregnated within at least a portion of the inflatable elastic layer. The textile shell includes at least two regions having different material properties or knit patterns. The textile shell selectively constrains expansion of the inflatable elastic layer to produce controlled bending or torsion. Another aspect of the invention provides an articulating device including: an inflatable elastic layer and a textile shell surrounding or impregnated within at least a portion of the inflatable elastic layer. The textile shell has a curved profile and selectively constrains expansion of the inflatable elastic layer to produce controlled bending.
Abstract:
A method for forming a shaped composite structure. The method includes laying a composite laminate stack (12) onto a mold (18), where the composite laminate stack (12) comprises fabric laminate (14,16) and resin and wherein the mold (18) presents a predetermined shape, draping a vacuum film (22) comprising polyethylene onto the composite laminate stack (12), thereby establishing an evacuatable volume between the vacuum film (22) and the mold (18), applying suction to the evacuatable volume between the mold (18) and the vacuum film (22) to establish at least a partial vacuum within the evacuatable volume, thereby compressing the composite laminate stack (12) via pressure applied to the vacuum film (22) responsive to the at least partial vacuum within the evacuatable volume, and heating the composite laminate stack (12) while applying suction to the evacuatable volume, thereby at least partially consolidating the laminate stack (12).
Abstract:
A method of making an airdam (25) to be placed along the edge of a composite work piece (10) during a curing process comprising forming a strip of peel ply (28), forming a strip of tacky putty (26) and automatically affixing the strip of tacky putty (26) to the strip of peel ply (28) without human assistance to form a laminate comprising at least one layer of peel ply (28) and at least one layer of tacky putty (26).
Abstract:
The sailing boat rudder production process of rudders in one piece, i.e. the monocoque system: a two-part symmetric mould from a firm material is covered in a release agent, then the laminated rudder shell is produced and the rudder axis with spokes is inserted into the laminated bottom half of the shell. Next, a layer of "combi flou" is applied and the bag is positioned into the mould. A strip of three layers of glass fibre fabric is attached over the "combi flou" fabric and the bag, so that half of the strip width covers the bag. A layer of glass fibre fabric is placed under the rudder axis and Termanto strips are placed under the spokes. The glass fibre and mat fabric are applied over the spokes and wound around them. Pipes for a two-way airflow are attached to the bag and the air is sucked out of it. The two halves of the mould are firmly attached together and air is blown into the bag. After an hour, the bag is removed from the mould. When the resin in the rudder has dried, PU-foam is injected into the mould. After about an hour the mould is opened and the rudder can be removed from it. The excess resin is then trimmed off and the openings that formed during filling with PU are sealed.
Abstract:
A vacuum table 1 comprises a base 3 on which a sealing tape 5 is installed along an uninterrupted circumferential line. A vacuum foil is to be installed on the sealing tape so that between this vacuum foil and the base a vacuum space is formed inside which the product 7 to be processed is present. For evacuating this space the vacuum table is equipped with vacuum valves 9 which are connected to each other. A vacuum hose 13 emanating from a vacuum pump is connected to one of the vacuum valves. The vacuum valves are provided with connecting openings to which connecting nipples 15 can be connected or which can be shut off by caps 17 as desired. The vacuum valves 9 are installed with their bottom on the sealing tape 5. Sections of a further sealing tape 19 are attached to the top of the vacuum valves. With this vacuum table there is no need for providing holes in the vacuum foil for installing the vacuum valves.
Abstract:
A method for shaping dry preform material prior to resin infusion is disclosed. The starting material to be shaped is a preform blank (e.g. flat sheet) of dry, fibrous material. The shaping process is a vacuum forming process that relies on controlling the vacuum pressure and deformation speed to produce a shaped preform with three-dimensional configuration. The purpose of the shaping process described herein is to enable an automated process to replace the conventional hand lay-up operation.
Abstract:
A tooling system may include an outer mold line (OML) tool (202) and one or more inner mold line (IML) tools (250, 252). The OML tool (202) may have an OML tool surface (203). Each one of the IML tools (250, 252) may have an IML tool surface (258) and may be receivable within the OML tool (202). Each IML tool (250, 252) may be formed of expandable material. Each IML tool (250, 252) may apply an internal compaction pressure to a composite assembly (154) positioned between the OML tool surface (203) and the IML tool surface (258) when the expandable material is heated.
Abstract:
The present disclosure provides an apparatus and method for forming a composite structure (200). The apparatus comprises a bond assembly jig (100) having a support plate (105), an anchor member (110) attached to the support plate (105), and a block member (140) connected to the anchor member (110) such that the block member (140) is permitted to move in a vertical direction. The bond assembly jig (100) can be arranged within an autoclave and may further comprise a shroud (160) that is arranged to shield the anchor member (110) and the block member (140) from the pressures exerted within the autoclave. The method (300) is accomplished by assembling the anchor member (110) and block member (140) on the support plate (105), arranging the composite materials, placing a caul component (195) over the composite materials and a shroud (160) over the anchor member (110) and block member (140), and applying heat and pressure to the bond assembly jig (100) to cure the composite materials.
Abstract:
A method for consolidating a preform (40) made of composite material. The preform and a compliant metal alloy sheet (44) are placed between less compliant matched confronting forming/molding surfaces (18,20) with the preform being sandwiched between the metal alloy sheet and a matched confronting surface. The matched confronting surfaces and compliant metal alloy sheet are heated until the preform reaches at least its consolidation temperature. During heating, force is applied so that the matched confronting surfaces exert sufficient compressive force on the preform and metal alloy sheet to cause the composite material to consolidate at the consolidation temperature. The metal alloy sheet has a tensile yield point in a range of 0.17-2 Mpa (25-300 psi) at the consolidation temperature at a strain rate of about 1 % to 10% strain per minute.