Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes – Mechanical shaping or molding to form or reform shaped article – To produce composite – plural part or multilayered article
Patent
1990-12-17
1992-03-17
Lowe, James
Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes
Mechanical shaping or molding to form or reform shaped article
To produce composite, plural part or multilayered article
264257, 264320, B29C 4310, B29C 4330
Patent
active
050966499
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a method of producing integral articles of hot-setting resins or thermoplasts reinforced with relatively long fibres so called composites, whereby during the hot-selling or thermoforming process pressure is applied along at least two co-ordinate axes between which the angle is 30.degree. to 90.degree..
Such fibre-reinforced plastics, i.e. composites, are used for the manufacturing of articles, whereby in the aircraft industry methods with increased air pressure i.e. autoclaves are usually used, and in other industries usually presses. Originally in manufacturing more complicated articles of composite material simpler parts were made separately and then put together to the desired article by means of gluing or mechanical joints. Regarding pure plastics and plastics reinforced with short fibres development has gone far in integrating form and function. This has been possible in that such material can float a long way in complicated closed tool moulds. For composites with relatively long, continuous fibres this possibility does not exist.
Articles that are intended to be manufactured according to the aforementioned method comprise for instance integrally set stiffeners in panels or integrally set ribs, spars and crusts in rudders. Hitherto, the required pressure has been attained for the manufacturing of the last-mentioned articles with the aid of double tools and with deformable reaction blocks or elements in the form of silicone inserts whereby the pressure has been attained in autoclave or through the thermal expansion of the silicone.
These hitherto known methods of manufacturing have not been entirely satisfactory in the manufacturing of integral articles, particularly not regarding such articles that have a relatively complicated form and/or articles on which there are extremely high demands on strength combined with low weight.
The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a method as mentioned in the introduction that admits a relatively simple and reliable method of manufacturing integral articles on which are placed the aforementioned demands.
According to the invention such a method is characterized primarily in that in order to attain the required pressures for each coordinate axis a pressure element movable relative to the article is pressed against the article from one co-ordinate direction, while from the opposite co-ordinate direction at least one principally form stable or rigid reaction block or element in conjunction with said pressure element is caused to provide a pressure that acts on the article and against the direction of the force of the pressure element.
In an appropriate embodiment of the invention the heal required for the hot-selling or thermoforming process is supplied at least partly via the reaction block or element.
There are also applications of the invention where it is advantageous that in addition to the rigid reaction blocks or elements, a deformable reaction block or element, such as a silicone insert, in conjunction with said pressure element is caused to provide a pressure that acts on the article and against the direction of the force of the pressure element.
Some articles have such an internal form that the bucker-up element must be separable so that it can be put in and out of the required working position.
The invention will now be described in detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a view of part of an aircraft rudder with suggested ribs:
FIG. 2 shows a cross-section along the marks II--II in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 shows a cross-section along the markings III--III in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 shows a vertical longitudinal section through a portion of another rudder (on a larger scale compared with FIGS. 1-3), with reaction blocks or elements positioned for the application of the method according to the invention; whereas
FIG. 5 shows a cross-section along the markings V--V in FIG. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In FIGS. 1-3 the upper composite crus
REFERENCES:
patent: 1284706 (1918-11-01), Kempton
patent: 4294639 (1981-10-01), Woelfel et al.
patent: 4388263 (1983-06-01), Prunty
patent: 4492607 (1985-01-01), Halcomb
patent: 4636344 (1987-01-01), McDougall
patent: 4769197 (1988-09-01), Kromrey
patent: 4937032 (1990-06-01), Krone et al.
Lowe James
Saab-Scania Aktiebolag
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