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
  • B29C70/04—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
  • B29C70/44—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles using isostatic pressure, e.g. pressure difference-moulding, vacuum bag-moulding, autoclave-moulding or expanding rubber-moulding
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29B—PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS
  • B29B11/00—Making preforms
  • B29B11/14—Making preforms characterised by structure or composition
  • B29B11/16—Making preforms characterised by structure or composition comprising fillers or 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
  • B29C70/541—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
  • B29D—PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE
  • B29D99/00—Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
  • B29D99/0003—Producing profiled members, e.g. beams
• • 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
  • B29C70/44—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles using isostatic pressure, e.g. pressure difference-moulding, vacuum bag-moulding, autoclave-moulding or expanding rubber-moulding
  • B29C70/443—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles using isostatic pressure, e.g. pressure difference-moulding, vacuum bag-moulding, autoclave-moulding or expanding rubber-moulding and impregnating by vacuum or injection

Definitions

• the gas may be air, or any other suitable gas.
• the first and second stages of the sequence are repeated in order, so that gas is alternately sucked and then not sucked through a second set of the vacuum openings.
• the sequence comprises five stages in which gas is sucked through vacuum openings in the first face, the male corner, the second face, the female corner and then the third face, in that order.
• the (or each) vacuum generator may be a pump such as a motorised pump, or any other suitable source of vacuum.
• Figure 5 is a perspective view of the base
• Figure 7 is a side view of the base 30 with the two dividing ribs 33' shown.
• the dividing ribs 33' and the mounting structure 31 segment the base 30 into three chambers labelled in Figure 7: a central vacuum chamber 35, and a pair of positive pressure chambers 36.
• the perforated ribs 32-34 enable gas to flow across the ribs within the chambers 35, 36; and the dividing ribs 33' prevent gas from flowing between the chambers 35, 36.
• the suction force between the tool and the bagging film 60 causes the bagging film 60 to press the laminate charge around and against the male corners of the forming tool.
• the clamping arrangement 62 increases the tension acting at the male corner region, enabling air present between the plies 51 adjacent surface la to be washed out preferentially to air present between the plies adjacent other surfaces of the charge being washed out during the forming process, which achieves a bulk reduction in the part and also prevents wrinkling at the male corners.
• the clamping arrangement is allowed to rotate which releases the bagging film, allowing the bagging film to press the laminate charge around and into the female corners of the forming tool.
• a peel ply 100 is laid onto the charge 50, followed by an infusion mesh 101, and a bagging film 102 which is sealed to the infusion tool by sealant tape 103.
• the infusion tool may be sealed by an integral vacuum system.
• a vacuum is applied via vacuum valves 104 in the bagging film.
• a liquid resin source 105 is coupled to infusion ports 106 in the bagging film.
• the dry-fibre plies of the laminate charge are infused with liquid resin from the source 105 which flows through the infusion mesh 101 and into the charge.
• the charge could be infused on a male infusion tool, but it has been found that a female tool, as shown in Figure 21, is preferred.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Composite Materials (AREA)
• Moulds For Moulding Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
• Laminated Bodies (AREA)
• Casting Or Compression Moulding Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
• Blow-Moulding Or Thermoforming Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
• Moulding By Coating Moulds (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (5)

Family Cites Families (19)

• 2016
  • 2016-09-07 GB GBGB1615213.4A patent/GB201615213D0/en not_active Ceased
• 2017
  • 2017-09-06 EP EP17767880.2A patent/EP3509810B1/en active Active
  • 2017-09-06 CN CN201780054408.9A patent/CN109689320B/zh active Active
  • 2017-09-06 WO PCT/GB2017/052591 patent/WO2018046908A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2017-09-06 US US16/330,904 patent/US11426955B2/en active Active
  • 2017-09-06 JP JP2019512969A patent/JP2019526474A/ja not_active Ceased

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