Classifications

• • 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
  • B29C70/68—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts by incorporating or moulding on preformed parts, e.g. inserts or layers, e.g. foam blocks
  • B29C70/681—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
• • 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
  • B29C70/46—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs
  • B29C70/462—Moulding structures having an axis of symmetry or at least one channel, e.g. tubular structures, frames
• • 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
  • B29C70/30—Shaping by lay-up, i.e. applying fibres, tape or broadsheet on a mould, former or core; Shaping by spray-up, i.e. spraying of fibres on a mould, former or core
  • B29C70/38—Automated lay-up, e.g. using robots, laying filaments according to predetermined patterns
• • 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
  • B29C70/541—Positioning reinforcements in a mould, e.g. using clamping means for the reinforcement
• • 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
  • B29C70/56—Tensioning reinforcements before or during shaping
• • 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
  • B29K2307/00—Use of elements other than metals as reinforcement
  • B29K2307/04—Carbon
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29L—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
  • B29L2031/00—Other particular articles
  • B29L2031/748—Machines or parts thereof not otherwise provided for
  • B29L2031/7504—Turbines

Definitions

• each forming element may be a radially outer surface of the forming element, and the primary flange-forming surface of each forming element may extend radially inwardly from the respective lay-up surface.
• Each filler element may have a radially outer filler surface arranged to extend into a gap formed between the radially outer lay-up surfaces of the forming elements in the forming configuration to form a substantially continuous outer forming surface.
• the filler elements may be concealed radially within the forming elements when the forming assembly is in the lay- up configuration.
• the layup surface of the curved body portion may be substantially continuous with the layup surfaces of the forming elements in the layup configuration.
• the layup surface of the curved body portion may be radially spaced apart from the layup surfaces of the forming elements in the layup configuration.
• the casing 14 has a curved main body 28 which is generally cylindrical and is provided with forward and aft flanges 16, 18 extending radially outwardly with respect to the curvature of the main body.
• the drive units also include radial stops (not shown) for stopping the radial motion of the respective elements 106, 107.
• the drive units are configured to gradually drive the forming elements 106 and filler elements 107 from their respective lay-up positions to their respective forming positions.
• the compression spring 196 provides a lost-motion connection between the guide block 194 and the forming element 106 so that, in use, the forming element 106 reaches its respective forming position and the filler element 107 subsequently extends into its forming position between adjacent forming elements 106.
• the apparatus 100 is oriented on a support surface, such as a floor, so that its central axis extends vertically.
• the apparatus 100 is prepared for a lay-up operation by detaching the flange support structure 132, if attached. Additionally, the actuation mechanism 138 ( Figure 10) is controlled to return the forming assembly 105 to the lay- up configuration.
• the forming elements 106 are circumferentially adjacent one another.
• a lay-up operation is conducted in which unidirectional tapes of pre-impregnated composite material are applied over the continuous lay-up surface 132 in successive layers or plies using an automatic tape laying (ATL) apparatus, thereby forming a substantially cylindrical composite pre-form 200 on the tool 102.
• the tapes are applied in a combination of ⁇ 60 e and 90 e (i.e. vertical) orientations with respect to a plane normal to the axis of the tool, and extend over the lay-up surfaces 1 10, 120, of the body portion 104 and the forming elements 106.
• the lay-up operation may be conducted by hand, or using other methods such as Automatic Fibre Placement (AFP) or automatic tape winding.
• AFP Automatic Fibre Placement
• the body region 206 of the pre-form remains substantially in place against the body portion 104 of the tool 100, held in position by the

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Composite Materials (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Robotics (AREA)
• Moulding By Coating Moulds (AREA)

Priority Applications (5)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Cited By (1)

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Citations (2)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 2015
  • 2015-04-30 GB GBGB1507412.3A patent/GB201507412D0/en not_active Ceased
• 2016
  • 2016-04-25 US US15/568,359 patent/US20180154594A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2016-04-25 JP JP2017556707A patent/JP6752227B2/ja active Active
  • 2016-04-25 CN CN201680024459.2A patent/CN107530988B/zh active Active
  • 2016-04-25 WO PCT/GB2016/051156 patent/WO2016174401A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2016-04-25 EP EP16718901.8A patent/EP3288746B1/en active Active
  • 2016-04-25 CA CA2983065A patent/CA2983065A1/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (2)

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