US20140014274A1 - Method and material efficient tooling for continuous compression molding - Google Patents
Method and material efficient tooling for continuous compression molding Download PDFInfo
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- US20140014274A1 US20140014274A1 US13/934,884 US201313934884A US2014014274A1 US 20140014274 A1 US20140014274 A1 US 20140014274A1 US 201313934884 A US201313934884 A US 201313934884A US 2014014274 A1 US2014014274 A1 US 2014014274A1
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- Prior art keywords
- tooling
- recess
- length
- molding line
- compression molding
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C70/00—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts
- B29C70/04—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts comprising reinforcements only, e.g. self-reinforcing plastics
- B29C70/28—Shaping operations therefor
- B29C70/54—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations, e.g. feeding or storage of prepregs or SMC after impregnation or during ageing
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C43/00—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor
- B29C43/02—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor of articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
- B29C43/14—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor of articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles in several steps
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C43/00—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor
- B29C43/22—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor of articles of indefinite length
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C43/00—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor
- B29C43/22—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor of articles of indefinite length
- B29C43/228—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor of articles of indefinite length using endless belts feeding the material between non-rotating pressure members, e.g. vibrating pressure members
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C70/00—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts
- B29C70/04—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts comprising reinforcements only, e.g. self-reinforcing plastics
- B29C70/28—Shaping operations therefor
- B29C70/40—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied
- B29C70/42—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C70/00—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts
- B29C70/04—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts comprising reinforcements only, e.g. self-reinforcing plastics
- B29C70/28—Shaping operations therefor
- B29C70/40—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied
- B29C70/50—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied for producing articles of indefinite length, e.g. prepregs, sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or cross moulding compounds [XMC]
- B29C70/52—Pultrusion, i.e. forming and compressing by continuously pulling through a die
- B29C70/525—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
- B29C70/526—Pultrusion dies, e.g. dies with moving or rotating parts
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29D—PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE
- B29D7/00—Producing flat articles, e.g. films or sheets
- B29D7/01—Films or sheets
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29K—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR MOULDS, REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS
- B29K2105/00—Condition, form or state of moulded material or of the material to be shaped
- B29K2105/06—Condition, form or state of moulded material or of the material to be shaped containing reinforcements, fillers or inserts
- B29K2105/08—Condition, form or state of moulded material or of the material to be shaped containing reinforcements, fillers or inserts of continuous length, e.g. cords, rovings, mats, fabrics, strands or yarns
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T156/00—Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
- Y10T156/10—Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
- Y10T156/1002—Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor with permanent bending or reshaping or surface deformation of self sustaining lamina
- Y10T156/1007—Running or continuous length work
- Y10T156/1008—Longitudinal bending
- Y10T156/101—Prior to or during assembly with additional lamina
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T156/00—Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
- Y10T156/17—Surface bonding means and/or assemblymeans with work feeding or handling means
- Y10T156/1702—For plural parts or plural areas of single part
- Y10T156/1712—Indefinite or running length work
- Y10T156/1737—Discontinuous, spaced area, and/or patterned pressing
Definitions
- This disclosure generally relates to processes and equipment for continuous compression molding of composite thermoplastic laminates, and deals more particularly with a continuous compression molding method and related tooling that reduces the amount of material required to manufacture the laminates.
- Continuous compression molding is a process used to fabricate thermoplastic composite (TPC) laminates in continuous lengths.
- TPC thermoplastic composite
- One CCM process is described in German Patent Application DE 4017978 C2, published Sep. 30, 1993. This process is capable of producing TPCs of various shapes and sizes in a semi-continuous manner.
- Long or continuous lengths of laminate plies are fed through a pre-forming operation where the plies are shaped into a continuous pre-form which is then passed through a consolidation operation.
- the consolidation operation includes a continuously operating compression press which forces the plies together and consolidates them into the final shape of the part.
- One disadvantage of the CCM process described above is material waste at the leading and trailing ends of each production run. This waste is a result of the position of the advance unit in relation to the starting point of the consolidation process, as well as the need to maintain a consistent gap in the press for proper alignment.
- the waste is commonly the shape of the part profile and may have a typical length of 6 to 8 feet, for example in some applications. This amount of waste may not be considered as significant in large production runs or production runs using less expensive materials. However, in the case of production runs that use more expensive materials, or relatively short production runs, the material waste may comprise a substantial amount of the cost of producing the parts.
- Embodiments of the disclosure are directed toward satisfying this need.
- tooling for use in continuous process for forming thermoplastic laminate parts using a lay-up of laminate plies.
- the tooling may include a rigid body having first and second ends.
- the body may include a recessed area in which the part is received.
- the first and second ends of the rigid body extend beyond the recess and also the ends of the part.
- the tooling body forms a carrier used to move the part through successive operations in the continuous forming process.
- the recess defines first and second shoulders in the body for respectively engaging opposite ends of the part to prevent movement of the part relative to the tooling body.
- the depth of the recess is substantially equal to the thickness of the consolidated part so that the exterior surfaces of the tooling body and the part form a continuous profile along the length of the tool body.
- the tooling body may be generally U-shaped in cross section.
- tooling for carrying a lay-up of laminate plies through a continuous compression molding line for producing a part.
- the tooling may comprise an elongated body having opposite first and second ends, and at least one recess in the body for receiving the lay-up.
- the first and second ends of the body extend respectively beyond the opposite ends of the lay-up and have outside surfaces forming an extension of the profile of the part when the lay-up is compressed into the shape of the part.
- the recess may be formed along the length of the body, between the first and second body ends.
- the depth of the recess may be substantially equal to the thickness of the part.
- the outside surfaces of the body are substantially coplanar with the exterior surfaces of the part so that the combination of the body and the part form a continuous smooth profile.
- a method for fabricating a thermoplastic laminate part using a continuous compression molding line.
- the method includes the steps of placing a laminate lay-up in a recess formed in a tool, and moving the tool through the molding line.
- the method may further include the steps of passing the tool through a pre-forming operation, shaping the lay-up into a preformed part, passing the tool through a consolidation operation, consolidating the preformed part, and removing the part from the tool after the part has been consolidated.
- a still further embodiment of the disclosure provides a method for fabricating a composite material part, comprising the steps of: supporting a lay-up of composite material on a tool; moving the tool through a continuous compression molding line; shaping the lay-up into a preformed part; consolidating the preformed part; and, removing the part from the tool after the preformed part has been consolidated.
- FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a continuous compression molding line for fabricating thermoplastic composite parts.
- FIG. 2 is a simplified, perspective illustration of the molding line shown in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 3 is a perspective illustration of a thermoplastic composite part before scrap material has been cut away from the part.
- FIG. 4 is a perspective illustration of tooling according to an embodiment that may be used in the molding line shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 .
- FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing a part held within a recess in the tooling.
- FIG. 6 is an illustration similar to FIG. 2 but showing the use of the tooling depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5 .
- FIG. 7 is a side view illustration of the area designated as “A” in FIG. 6 .
- FIG. 8 is a side view illustration similar to FIG. 7 but showing an alternate form of a tooling recess.
- Embodiments of the disclosure provide material efficient tooling for forming thermoplastic composite (TPC) laminates and laminated parts using continuous compression molding (CCM) techniques.
- TPC thermoplastic composite
- CCM continuous compression molding
- the laminates and laminate parts can be fabricated in a continuous process with reduced scrap material.
- the embodiments of the disclosure may be employed in a wide range of applications, and are especially suited for forming TPC stiffened members used in aircraft applications which may include, without limitation, fuselage skins, wing skins, control surfaces, door panels and access panels, keel beams, floor beams and deck beams.
- Various part cross section geometries can be fabricated including, without limitation, I-sections, Z-sections, U-sections, T-sections, etc. These parts may have uniform or non-uniform thicknesses, and can be either curved or straight along their length.
- a CCM fabrication line 10 broadly may include a pre-forming zone 20 , and a consolidation station 30 .
- Multiple plies 12 , 14 of composite materials are supplied either from continuous rolls (not shown) or in the form of tacked stacks (not shown) of pre-cut blanks.
- the plies 12 , 14 of composite material are fed along with sheet members forming mandrels 16 , 92 to the pre-forming zone 20 .
- Guides 18 or other tooling elements may be used to pre-align and guide the plies 12 , 14 along with mandrels 16 , as well as optional filler materials (not shown) into the preforming zone 20 .
- the preformed material plies 12 , 14 and mandrels 16 may be passed through an oven (not shown) to elevate the temperature of the ply materials in order to facilitate the pre-forming operations at preforming zone 20 .
- Various features such as part flanges (not shown), for example, may be preformed in the pre-forming zone 20 using pressure applied to the plies 12 , 14 using rollers 18 or other forming tools.
- the preformed part 22 which has the general shape of the final part, exits the pre-forming zone 20 and moves into the consolidating operation 30 .
- the consolidating operation 30 includes a plurality of standardized tool dies generally indicated at 36 , that are individually mated with tool members (not shown) which have smooth outer surfaces engaged by the standardized dies, and inner surfaces that have tooled features. These tooled features are imparted to the preformed part 22 during the consolidation process.
- the commonality of the surfaces between the standardized dies 36 and the outer surfaces of the tool members eliminates the need for part-specific matched dies.
- the consolidating operation 30 includes a pulsating drive mechanism 40 that moves the preformed part 22 forward within the consolidating operation 30 and away from the pre-forming zone 20 , in continuous, incremental steps. As the preformed part 22 moves forward, the preformed part 22 first enters a heating zone 26 that heats the preformed part 22 to a temperature which allows the free flow of the polymeric component of the matrix resin in the plies 12 , 14 .
- the preformed part 22 moves forward into a pressing zone or operation 32 wherein standardized dies 36 are brought down collectively or individually at predefined pressures sufficient to compress and consolidate (i.e. allow free-flow of the matrix resin) the various plies 12 , 14 into the desired shape and thickness.
- the preformed part 22 is incrementally advanced within the consolidation operation 30 , following which the dies 36 are closed again, causing successive sections of the part 22 to be compressed within different temperature zones, and thereby consolidate the laminate plies in the compressed section. This process is repeated for each temperature zone of the die 36 as the part 22 is incrementally advanced through the consolidation operation 30 .
- the fully formed and compressed (consolidated) part 22 then enters a cooling zone 34 which is separated from the pressing zone 32 , wherein the temperature is brought below the free-flowing temperature of the matrix resin in the plies 12 , 14 , thereby causing the fused or consolidated part 22 to harden to its ultimate pressed shape.
- the consolidated and cooled part 38 then exits the consolidating operation 30 , where the mandrels 16 are taken up on rollers 42 .
- the final formed TPC part 44 is removed at the end of the line 10 .
- FIG. 2 is a simplified view of the CCM line 10 shown in FIG. 1 in which a plurality of tacked plies 74 are advanced incrementally through the pre-forming zone 20 and the consolidating operation 30 . Movement of the tacked plies 74 is caused by the pulsating drive mechanism 40 which effectively grabs the end 83 , shown in FIG. 3 , of the finished, fully formed part 76 as it exits the consolidating operation 30 .
- FIG. 3 wherein the finished part 76 has a finished length 78 with connected links of excess material designated as scrap 80 , 82 respectively on the trailing and leading ends of the finished length 78 .
- the primary reason for the scrap 82 on the leading end of the part 76 is due to the fact that the pulsating drive mechanism 40 extends beyond the consolidating zone 30 , and a length of the fully formed part 76 must be advanced beyond the consolidating zone 30 before the pulsating drive mechanism 40 can grasp the end of the part 76 .
- the distance between the pulsating drive mechanism 40 and the end of the consolidating operation 30 therefore corresponds to the length of the scrap 82 at the leading end of the part 76 .
- the primary cause for the scrap 80 on the trailing end of the part 76 is a result of the need to maintain a constant gap throughout the length of the presses in the consolidating operations 30 . More particularly, is necessary to have the press elements (not shown) in the consolidating operation 30 applying constant pressure on the part 76 until the part 76 has completely exited the consolidating operations 30 . Otherwise, unequal pressure may be applied by press platens to the end of the part 76 during the consolidation process which could deform portions of the part 76 or result in uneven pressures being applied during the consolidation process.
- the length of the scrap 80 , 82 at the end of a production run may not be significant where the materials being used are inexpensive or where the production runs are high volume, however in the case of the use of expensive materials or short production runs, the cost of the scrap 80 , 82 may be significant. In accordance with the disclosed embodiments, this scrap may be eliminated using tooling 84 shown in FIGS. 4-7 .
- the finished part 76 is U-shaped in cross section ( FIG. 3 ) and has a uniform wall thickness throughout its length.
- the tooling 84 includes a tool body 86 having a central section 92 , and leading and trailing ends 98 , 100 respectively on opposite ends of the central section 92 .
- the tool body 86 has a U-shaped cross section defined by a top wall 86 a and side walls 86 b, 86 c which possess a thickness “t”.
- the central section 92 of tool body 86 has a reduced wall thickness defining a recess 88 in the outer surface of all three walls 86 a, 86 b, 86 c As best seen in FIG.
- the depth of the recess 88 is substantially equal to the wall thickness of the part 76 so that the outer surface of the part 76 and the tool body 86 are substantially coplanar after the part 76 has been fully consolidated.
- the length of the recess 88 corresponds to the length of the finished part 76 .
- the recess 88 defines a pair of oppositely facing shoulders 96 within the thickness of the walls 86 a, 86 b and 86 c against which the ends of the part 76 may abut so as to prevent longitudinal movement of the part 76 relative to the tool body 84 .
- the tooling 84 has been described in connection with its use to form a relatively simple, U-section part of constant wall thickness, other configurations of the tool body 86 can be employed to fabricate other part shapes.
- the recess 88 may possess surface features or a non-uniform depth in order to produce a part 76 having the same surface features or a non-uniform wall thickness.
- the tool body 86 may be curved along its length in order to produce parts 76 that are also curved along their length.
- FIG. 8 illustrates a tool body 86 with a recess 88 a having a sloping bottom 102 that extends along at least a portion of the length of body 86 .
- the depth of the recess 88 a may also vary across the width and/or the length of the body 86 .
- the recess 88 a may have areas that are of either uniform and non-uniform depth, or both.
- the sloping bottom 102 creates a depth variation in the recess 88 a which, during the consolidation process, causes the formation of a part 76 a having a tapered wall thickness.
- the recess 88 a may have tooling features such as the raised area 104 which produce corresponding shapes in the part 76 a.
- the raised area 104 forms a pocket 106 in a bottom surface of the part 76 a.
- the tacked laminate plies 74 are placed within the recess 88 of the tool body 86 , with the ends of the plies 74 engaging the shoulders 96 in the top wall 86 a.
- the combination of the tool body 84 and the laminate plies 74 are fed into the pre-forming zone 20 where the laminate plies 74 are partially formed over exterior surfaces of the tool body 84 , which in the illustrated embodiment, comprise the outside surfaces of the walls 86 b, 86 c.
- the leading end 98 of the tool body 84 enables the pulsating drive mechanism 40 to pull the tool body 84 along with the part 76 through the CCM line 10 .
- the leading end 98 of tool body 84 passes through the pulsating drive mechanism 40 just before the laminate plies 74 reach the pre-forming zone 20 .
- the length of the leading end 98 of tool body 84 is such that the pulsating drive mechanism 40 is able to grasp the tool body 84 , and begin advancing the tool body 84 before the laminate plies 74 actually reach the pre-forming zone 20 .
- mandrels FIG. 1
- mandrels FIG. 1
- FIG. 1 comprising thin steel sheets may be applied to the non-tooled sides of the part 76 .
- the laminate plies 74 are pressed over the tool body 84 so as to pre-form the part, following which the preformed part, designated as 76 a in FIG. 6 enters the consolidation operations 30 where the laminate plies are heated and compressed using the continuous compression molding techniques previously described. Pressing elements (not shown) in the consolidation station 30 bear against the mandrels 16 ( FIG. 1 ) which apply pressure to the preformed part 76 a until the part reaches the desired shape and is fully consolidated.
- the trailing end 100 of the tool body 84 functions, in effect as a shim to maintain the alignment of the presses within the consolidation operations 30 until the part 76 completes the consolidation cycle. Because the trailing end 100 of the tool body 84 remains within the consolidation operations 30 until consolidation of the part 76 is complete, gaps within the press elements within the consolidation operations 30 remain constant, even as the trailing end of the finished part 76 emerges from the consolidation operations 30 .
- the tool body 84 may be constructed from any of various metals such as, but not limited to, stainless steel, and may be reused.
- the recess 88 in the tool body 86 may be created by machining the outer surface of the tool body 84 to a depth equal to the thickness of the consolidated laminate plies of the part 76 .
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- Composite Materials (AREA)
- Casting Or Compression Moulding Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
Abstract
Thermoplastic laminates are fabricated in a continuous compression molding production line. A lay-up of laminate plies is placed in a recess on a carrying tool, and the tool is moved through successive forming operations on the line, including preforming and consolidation operations. The tool is separated from the fully formed part at the end of the line and may be reused. Use of the carrying tool reduces material scrap.
Description
- This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/701,789, filed Feb. 3, 2007, status pending.
- This disclosure generally relates to processes and equipment for continuous compression molding of composite thermoplastic laminates, and deals more particularly with a continuous compression molding method and related tooling that reduces the amount of material required to manufacture the laminates.
- Continuous compression molding (CCM) is a process used to fabricate thermoplastic composite (TPC) laminates in continuous lengths. One CCM process is described in German Patent Application DE 4017978 C2, published Sep. 30, 1993. This process is capable of producing TPCs of various shapes and sizes in a semi-continuous manner. Long or continuous lengths of laminate plies are fed through a pre-forming operation where the plies are shaped into a continuous pre-form which is then passed through a consolidation operation. The consolidation operation includes a continuously operating compression press which forces the plies together and consolidates them into the final shape of the part.
- One disadvantage of the CCM process described above is material waste at the leading and trailing ends of each production run. This waste is a result of the position of the advance unit in relation to the starting point of the consolidation process, as well as the need to maintain a consistent gap in the press for proper alignment. The waste is commonly the shape of the part profile and may have a typical length of 6 to 8 feet, for example in some applications. This amount of waste may not be considered as significant in large production runs or production runs using less expensive materials. However, in the case of production runs that use more expensive materials, or relatively short production runs, the material waste may comprise a substantial amount of the cost of producing the parts.
- Accordingly, there is a need for a method and related tooling that reduces the material waste. Embodiments of the disclosure are directed toward satisfying this need.
- In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, tooling is provided for use in continuous process for forming thermoplastic laminate parts using a lay-up of laminate plies. The tooling may include a rigid body having first and second ends. The body may include a recessed area in which the part is received. The first and second ends of the rigid body extend beyond the recess and also the ends of the part. The tooling body forms a carrier used to move the part through successive operations in the continuous forming process. The recess defines first and second shoulders in the body for respectively engaging opposite ends of the part to prevent movement of the part relative to the tooling body. The depth of the recess is substantially equal to the thickness of the consolidated part so that the exterior surfaces of the tooling body and the part form a continuous profile along the length of the tool body. In one application, without limitation, the tooling body may be generally U-shaped in cross section.
- According to another embodiment, tooling is provided for carrying a lay-up of laminate plies through a continuous compression molding line for producing a part. The tooling may comprise an elongated body having opposite first and second ends, and at least one recess in the body for receiving the lay-up. The first and second ends of the body extend respectively beyond the opposite ends of the lay-up and have outside surfaces forming an extension of the profile of the part when the lay-up is compressed into the shape of the part. The recess may be formed along the length of the body, between the first and second body ends. The depth of the recess may be substantially equal to the thickness of the part. The outside surfaces of the body are substantially coplanar with the exterior surfaces of the part so that the combination of the body and the part form a continuous smooth profile.
- According to another embodiment, a method is provided for fabricating a thermoplastic laminate part using a continuous compression molding line. The method includes the steps of placing a laminate lay-up in a recess formed in a tool, and moving the tool through the molding line. The method may further include the steps of passing the tool through a pre-forming operation, shaping the lay-up into a preformed part, passing the tool through a consolidation operation, consolidating the preformed part, and removing the part from the tool after the part has been consolidated.
- A still further embodiment of the disclosure provides a method for fabricating a composite material part, comprising the steps of: supporting a lay-up of composite material on a tool; moving the tool through a continuous compression molding line; shaping the lay-up into a preformed part; consolidating the preformed part; and, removing the part from the tool after the preformed part has been consolidated.
- These and further features, aspects and advantages of the embodiments will become better understood with reference to the following illustrations, description and claims.
-
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a continuous compression molding line for fabricating thermoplastic composite parts. -
FIG. 2 is a simplified, perspective illustration of the molding line shown inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 3 is a perspective illustration of a thermoplastic composite part before scrap material has been cut away from the part. -
FIG. 4 is a perspective illustration of tooling according to an embodiment that may be used in the molding line shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 . -
FIG. 5 is a view similar toFIG. 4 but showing a part held within a recess in the tooling. -
FIG. 6 is an illustration similar toFIG. 2 but showing the use of the tooling depicted inFIGS. 4 and 5 . -
FIG. 7 is a side view illustration of the area designated as “A” inFIG. 6 . -
FIG. 8 is a side view illustration similar toFIG. 7 but showing an alternate form of a tooling recess. - Embodiments of the disclosure provide material efficient tooling for forming thermoplastic composite (TPC) laminates and laminated parts using continuous compression molding (CCM) techniques. As will be described below in more detail, the laminates and laminate parts can be fabricated in a continuous process with reduced scrap material. The embodiments of the disclosure may be employed in a wide range of applications, and are especially suited for forming TPC stiffened members used in aircraft applications which may include, without limitation, fuselage skins, wing skins, control surfaces, door panels and access panels, keel beams, floor beams and deck beams. Various part cross section geometries can be fabricated including, without limitation, I-sections, Z-sections, U-sections, T-sections, etc. These parts may have uniform or non-uniform thicknesses, and can be either curved or straight along their length.
- The basic process for forming TPC parts of the type described above are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/347,122, filed Feb. 2, 2006, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/584,923, filed Oct. 20, 2006, and German Patent Application DE 4017978 C2, published Sep. 30, 1993. The entire disclosure of each of which are incorporated by reference herein.
- Referring to
FIG. 1 , aCCM fabrication line 10 broadly may include apre-forming zone 20, and aconsolidation station 30.Multiple plies plies members forming mandrels pre-forming zone 20.Guides 18 or other tooling elements may be used to pre-align and guide theplies mandrels 16, as well as optional filler materials (not shown) into the preformingzone 20. The preformedmaterial plies mandrels 16 may be passed through an oven (not shown) to elevate the temperature of the ply materials in order to facilitate the pre-forming operations at preformingzone 20. Various features such as part flanges (not shown), for example, may be preformed in thepre-forming zone 20 using pressure applied to theplies rollers 18 or other forming tools. - The
preformed part 22, which has the general shape of the final part, exits thepre-forming zone 20 and moves into theconsolidating operation 30. Theconsolidating operation 30 includes a plurality of standardized tool dies generally indicated at 36, that are individually mated with tool members (not shown) which have smooth outer surfaces engaged by the standardized dies, and inner surfaces that have tooled features. These tooled features are imparted to thepreformed part 22 during the consolidation process. The commonality of the surfaces between the standardized dies 36 and the outer surfaces of the tool members eliminates the need for part-specific matched dies. - The consolidating
operation 30 includes apulsating drive mechanism 40 that moves thepreformed part 22 forward within the consolidatingoperation 30 and away from thepre-forming zone 20, in continuous, incremental steps. As the preformedpart 22 moves forward, thepreformed part 22 first enters aheating zone 26 that heats the preformedpart 22 to a temperature which allows the free flow of the polymeric component of the matrix resin in theplies - Next, the
preformed part 22 moves forward into a pressing zone oroperation 32 wherein standardized dies 36 are brought down collectively or individually at predefined pressures sufficient to compress and consolidate (i.e. allow free-flow of the matrix resin) thevarious plies preformed part 22 is incrementally advanced within theconsolidation operation 30, following which the dies 36 are closed again, causing successive sections of thepart 22 to be compressed within different temperature zones, and thereby consolidate the laminate plies in the compressed section. This process is repeated for each temperature zone of the die 36 as thepart 22 is incrementally advanced through theconsolidation operation 30. - The fully formed and compressed (consolidated)
part 22 then enters acooling zone 34 which is separated from the pressingzone 32, wherein the temperature is brought below the free-flowing temperature of the matrix resin in theplies consolidated part 22 to harden to its ultimate pressed shape. The consolidated and cooledpart 38 then exits the consolidatingoperation 30, where themandrels 16 are taken up onrollers 42. The final formedTPC part 44 is removed at the end of theline 10. - Although a CCM process has been described above for purposes of illustration, it should be noted that other molding processes may be used, including, but not limited to pultrusion or roll forming.
-
FIG. 2 is a simplified view of theCCM line 10 shown inFIG. 1 in which a plurality of tacked plies 74 are advanced incrementally through thepre-forming zone 20 and the consolidatingoperation 30. Movement of the tacked plies 74 is caused by the pulsatingdrive mechanism 40 which effectively grabs theend 83, shown inFIG. 3 , of the finished, fully formedpart 76 as it exits the consolidatingoperation 30. - At the end of a production run, some amount of the
ply materials 74 are excess because portions of theply materials 74 remain within theCCM line 10 when production is terminated. This excess material is illustrated inFIG. 3 , wherein thefinished part 76 has a finishedlength 78 with connected links of excess material designated asscrap finished length 78. The primary reason for thescrap 82 on the leading end of thepart 76 is due to the fact that thepulsating drive mechanism 40 extends beyond the consolidatingzone 30, and a length of the fully formedpart 76 must be advanced beyond the consolidatingzone 30 before thepulsating drive mechanism 40 can grasp the end of thepart 76. The distance between thepulsating drive mechanism 40 and the end of the consolidatingoperation 30 therefore corresponds to the length of thescrap 82 at the leading end of thepart 76. - The primary cause for the
scrap 80 on the trailing end of thepart 76 is a result of the need to maintain a constant gap throughout the length of the presses in the consolidatingoperations 30. More particularly, is necessary to have the press elements (not shown) in the consolidatingoperation 30 applying constant pressure on thepart 76 until thepart 76 has completely exited the consolidatingoperations 30. Otherwise, unequal pressure may be applied by press platens to the end of thepart 76 during the consolidation process which could deform portions of thepart 76 or result in uneven pressures being applied during the consolidation process. - As previously discussed, the length of the
scrap scrap tooling 84 shown inFIGS. 4-7 . - In the illustrated example, the
finished part 76 is U-shaped in cross section (FIG. 3 ) and has a uniform wall thickness throughout its length. Thetooling 84 includes atool body 86 having acentral section 92, and leading and trailing ends 98, 100 respectively on opposite ends of thecentral section 92. Thetool body 86 has a U-shaped cross section defined by atop wall 86 a andside walls central section 92 oftool body 86 has a reduced wall thickness defining arecess 88 in the outer surface of all threewalls FIG. 7 , the depth of therecess 88 is substantially equal to the wall thickness of thepart 76 so that the outer surface of thepart 76 and thetool body 86 are substantially coplanar after thepart 76 has been fully consolidated. The length of therecess 88 corresponds to the length of thefinished part 76. - The
recess 88 defines a pair ofoppositely facing shoulders 96 within the thickness of thewalls part 76 may abut so as to prevent longitudinal movement of thepart 76 relative to thetool body 84. - Although the
tooling 84 has been described in connection with its use to form a relatively simple, U-section part of constant wall thickness, other configurations of thetool body 86 can be employed to fabricate other part shapes. For example, therecess 88 may possess surface features or a non-uniform depth in order to produce apart 76 having the same surface features or a non-uniform wall thickness. Furthermore, thetool body 86 may be curved along its length in order to produceparts 76 that are also curved along their length. -
FIG. 8 illustrates atool body 86 with arecess 88 a having asloping bottom 102 that extends along at least a portion of the length ofbody 86. It should be noted however, that the depth of therecess 88 a may also vary across the width and/or the length of thebody 86. Therecess 88 a may have areas that are of either uniform and non-uniform depth, or both. Thesloping bottom 102 creates a depth variation in therecess 88 a which, during the consolidation process, causes the formation of apart 76 a having a tapered wall thickness. Therecess 88 a may have tooling features such as the raisedarea 104 which produce corresponding shapes in thepart 76 a. In the example illustrated inFIG. 8 , the raisedarea 104 forms apocket 106 in a bottom surface of thepart 76 a. - In use, as best seen in
FIG. 6 , the tacked laminate plies 74 are placed within therecess 88 of thetool body 86, with the ends of theplies 74 engaging theshoulders 96 in thetop wall 86 a. The combination of thetool body 84 and the laminate plies 74 are fed into thepre-forming zone 20 where the laminate plies 74 are partially formed over exterior surfaces of thetool body 84, which in the illustrated embodiment, comprise the outside surfaces of thewalls end 98 of thetool body 84 enables thepulsating drive mechanism 40 to pull thetool body 84 along with thepart 76 through theCCM line 10. - During the initial feed process, the leading
end 98 oftool body 84 passes through thepulsating drive mechanism 40 just before the laminate plies 74 reach thepre-forming zone 20. In other words, the length of theleading end 98 oftool body 84 is such that thepulsating drive mechanism 40 is able to grasp thetool body 84, and begin advancing thetool body 84 before the laminate plies 74 actually reach thepre-forming zone 20. Although not specifically shown inFIGS. 2-7 , mandrels (FIG. 1 ) comprising thin steel sheets may be applied to the non-tooled sides of thepart 76. - As the
pulsating drive mechanism 40 pulls thetool body 84 forwardly, the laminate plies 74 are pressed over thetool body 84 so as to pre-form the part, following which the preformed part, designated as 76 a inFIG. 6 enters theconsolidation operations 30 where the laminate plies are heated and compressed using the continuous compression molding techniques previously described. Pressing elements (not shown) in theconsolidation station 30 bear against the mandrels 16 (FIG. 1 ) which apply pressure to the preformedpart 76 a until the part reaches the desired shape and is fully consolidated. - Continued movement of the
tool body 84 carries thefinished part 76 completely through the consolidation operations, with the trailingend 100 oftool body 84 remaining in theconsolidation station 30 until thefinished part 76 has completely emerged from the pulsatingdrive mechanism 40 and any other related processing equipment, and until thepart 76 can be removed from thetool body 84. The trailingend 100 of thetool body 84 functions, in effect as a shim to maintain the alignment of the presses within theconsolidation operations 30 until thepart 76 completes the consolidation cycle. Because the trailingend 100 of thetool body 84 remains within theconsolidation operations 30 until consolidation of thepart 76 is complete, gaps within the press elements within theconsolidation operations 30 remain constant, even as the trailing end of thefinished part 76 emerges from theconsolidation operations 30. - It can be appreciated that by using
tooling 84 having atool body 86 that has extended leading and trailing ends 98, 100, the scrap represented at 80, 82 shown inFIG. 3 is eliminated since these twoscrap sections respective length 94. - The
tool body 84 may be constructed from any of various metals such as, but not limited to, stainless steel, and may be reused. Therecess 88 in thetool body 86 may be created by machining the outer surface of thetool body 84 to a depth equal to the thickness of the consolidated laminate plies of thepart 76. - Although the embodiments of this disclosure have been described with respect to certain exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the specific embodiments are for purposes of illustration and not limitation, as other variations will occur to those of skill in the art.
Claims (28)
1. Tooling used in a continuous process for forming laminated thermoplastic parts using a lay-up of laminate plies, comprising:
a rigid body having first and second ends,
the body including a recessed area,
the first and second ends of the rigid body extending beyond the recessed area.
2. The tooling of claim 1 , wherein the recess defines first and second shoulders in the body for respectively engaging an end of the part.
3. The tooling of claim 1 , wherein the recess has a depth substantially equal to a thickness of the part.
4. The tooling of claim 1 , wherein the recess has a depth such that outer surfaces of the tooling are substantially coplanar with outer surfaces of the part.
5. The tooling of claim 1 , wherein the body has a cross sectional shape generally matching the cross sectional shape of the consolidated part.
6. The tooling of claim 1 , wherein the body is elongate and the recess is formed in the body between the first and second ends of the body.
7. The tooling of claim 1 , wherein the first and second ends of the body have an outer surface extending substantially coplanar with an outer surface of the part.
8. The tooling of claim 1 , wherein the recessed area has the general shape of a part and the part is carried in the recessed area.
9. The tooling of claim 1 , wherein the recessed area has a depth that varies in at least one direction across the recessed area.
10. The tooling of claim 1 , wherein the body includes tooling features within the recessed area for forming shapes in a part.
11. Tooling for carrying a lay-up of laminate plies though a continuous compression molding line used to produce a part, comprising:
an elongate body having opposite first and second ends,
the body having at least one recess,
the first and second ends of the rigid body extending respectively beyond opposite ends of the at least one recess lay-up and having outside surfaces forming an extension of the profile of the part when the lay-up is compressed into the shape of the part.
12. The tooling of claim 11 , wherein the at least one recess has the general shape of the part and the lay-up is received within the at least one recess.
13. The tooling of claim 11 , wherein the recess has a depth substantially equal to a thickness of the part.
14. The tooling of claim 11 , wherein the outside surfaces of the body are substantially coplanar with exterior surfaces of the compressed part.
15. The tooling of claim 11 , wherein the recess defines first and second shoulders in the body, and the first and second shoulders engage opposite ends of the part.
16. The tooling of claim 11 , wherein body has a cross sectional shape generally matching the cross sectional shape of the part.
17. The tooling of claim 11 , wherein the first end of the body extends beyond the recess a length sufficient such that at least portions of the first end of the body pass through the molding line before the lay-up enters the molding line.
18. The tooling of claim 11 , wherein the second end of the body extends beyond the recess a length sufficient such that at least portions of the second end of the body pass remain in the molding line after the lay-up has passed through the molding line.
19. The tooling of claim 11 , wherein the at least one recess has a non-uniform depth.
20. The tooling of claim 11 , wherein the body includes tooling features within the at least one recess for forming shapes in the part.
21-27. (canceled)
28. A tool for carrying a lay-up of laminate plies though a continuous compression molding line used to produce a part, comprising:
an elongate body having a leading end, a central section, and a trailing end, in which a length of the leading end of the tool is greater than or equal to a distance between a pulsating drive mechanism and a pre-forming zone of the continuous compression molding line; and
at least one recess positioned within the central section,
29. The tool of claim 28 , wherein the at least one recess has a non-uniform depth.
30. The tool of claim 28 , wherein a length of the trailing end of the tool is greater than or equal to a length of a consolidation station of the continuous compression molding line.
31. The tooling of claim 1 , wherein a length of the first end of the tooling is greater than or equal to a distance between a pulsating drive mechanism and a pre-forming zone of the continuous compression molding line.
32. The tooling of claim 11 , wherein a length of the first end of the tooling is greater than or equal to a distance between a pulsating drive mechanism and a pre-forming zone of the continuous compression molding line.
33. The tooling of claim 1 , wherein a length of the second end of the tooling is greater than or equal to a length of a consolidation station of the continuous compression molding line.
34. The tooling of claim 11 , wherein a length of the second end of the tooling is greater than or equal to a length of a consolidation station of the continuous compression molding line.
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US15/831,388 US10414107B2 (en) | 2007-02-03 | 2017-12-04 | Method and material efficient tooling for continuous compression molding |
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2007
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2008
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- 2008-02-01 CA CA2673448A patent/CA2673448C/en active Active
- 2008-02-01 EP EP12164482.7A patent/EP2479021B1/en active Active
- 2008-02-01 WO PCT/US2008/052806 patent/WO2008097847A1/en active Application Filing
- 2008-02-01 ES ES08728832.0T patent/ES2396299T5/en active Active
- 2008-02-01 EP EP08728832.0A patent/EP2114660B2/en active Active
- 2008-02-01 CN CN2008800034706A patent/CN101594983B/en active Active
- 2008-02-01 ES ES12164482.7T patent/ES2439081T3/en active Active
-
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- 2010-05-14 HK HK10104736.9A patent/HK1139105A1/en unknown
-
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- 2013-07-03 US US13/934,884 patent/US20140014274A1/en not_active Abandoned
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US10449736B2 (en) | 2006-02-02 | 2019-10-22 | The Boeing Company | Apparatus for fabricating thermoplastic composite parts |
US11524471B2 (en) | 2006-02-02 | 2022-12-13 | The Boeing Company | Method for fabricating thermoplastic composite parts |
US10414107B2 (en) | 2007-02-03 | 2019-09-17 | The Boeing Company | Method and material efficient tooling for continuous compression molding |
US11904510B2 (en) | 2022-02-10 | 2024-02-20 | The Boeing Company | Continuous compression molding machines and methods of continuous compression molding a consolidated thermoplastic matrix composite material |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
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CA2673448C (en) | 2015-06-16 |
EP2114660A1 (en) | 2009-11-11 |
ES2396299T5 (en) | 2017-02-24 |
PT2479021E (en) | 2013-10-17 |
US20180154596A1 (en) | 2018-06-07 |
US10414107B2 (en) | 2019-09-17 |
HK1139105A1 (en) | 2010-09-10 |
WO2008097847A1 (en) | 2008-08-14 |
CN101594983B (en) | 2013-09-25 |
EP2114660B2 (en) | 2016-08-17 |
ES2396299T3 (en) | 2013-02-20 |
US8491745B2 (en) | 2013-07-23 |
EP2479021B1 (en) | 2013-09-11 |
CA2673448A1 (en) | 2008-08-14 |
EP2114660B1 (en) | 2012-09-12 |
EP2479021A1 (en) | 2012-07-25 |
ES2439081T3 (en) | 2014-01-21 |
CN101594983A (en) | 2009-12-02 |
US20080185756A1 (en) | 2008-08-07 |
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