The Boeing Company

Vought Aircraft Company

Donald Chester Darrow

Darrell Darwin Jones

Kurtis Shuldberg Willden

Brian Gregory Robins

Michael A Lee

Kenneth Marvin Dull

Joseph Daniel Brennan

Michael Robert Anderson

Jennifer Sue Noel

William Stahl Hollensteiner

Douglas Alan McCarville

Andrew Elmer Modin

Daniel M Rotter

Juan C Guzman

Edoardo P Depase

Daniel Richard Smith, Jr

Mark Klewiada

Todd J Washburn

Thomas H Brayden, Jr

Kurtis S Wilden

Daniel Richard Smith

Edoardo Depase

Douglas A Mccarville

Danieal M Rotter

An apparatus for manufacturing composite parts. An expandable tool with a transfer system may be moved on a surface of the expandable tool into an outer mold line tool with a composite material laid up on the outer mold line tool. The expandable tool may be expanded in the outer mold line tool to change the surface from a retracted state to an expanded state. The transfer system may be transferred from the expandable tool with the surface in the expanded state to the outer mold line tool.

Composite stiffener positioning and vacuum bag installation device

A method is provided of fabricating a composite stiffener having a curved web and at least one curved flange. A substantially straight length of unidirectional prepreg tape is placed on a carrier. The at least one curved flange is formed by using the carrier to steer a first portion of the tape onto a first curved tool surface. The curved web is formed by using the carrier to form a second portion of the tape onto a second curved tool surface.

Method of fabricating a curved composite structure using composite prepreg tape

A method and apparatus for manufacturing composite parts. An expandable tool with a transfer system may be moved on a surface of the expandable tool into an outer mold line tool with a composite material laid up on the outer mold line tool. The expandable tool may be expanded in the outer mold line tool to change the surface from a retracted state to an expanded state. The transfer system may be transferred from the expandable tool with the surface in the expanded state to the outer mold line tool.

Composite stiffener positioning and vacuum bag installation

Wrinkles are removed from fiber reinforced resin plies of an uncured composite layup by subjecting the wrinkles to vibration and pressure.

Wrinkle reduction in uncured composite laminates

One embodiment of a composite part comprises a curved elongated section comprising a plurality of stacked reinforcement layers. The stacked reinforcement layers in the curved elongated section comprise at least one of non-continuous woven fabric and non-continuous reinforcement.

Contoured composite parts

A method of processing a composite structure in an autoclave involves producing a layup (10) with a low density honeycomb core (12) covered by resin impregnated composite face plies (14). The layup is sealed to a mold (18) under a vacuum bag (20). The layup is then cured in an autoclave under high temperatures and pressures. A vacuum is applied between the layup (10) and the vacuum bag (20) via a vacuum port (22), thus creating a pressure differential across the bag (20). This creates a compressive consolidating force on the composite face plies (14). Volatiles emitted during curing are drawn away through the vacuum port (22). The core (12) communicates with the autoclave by means of a pressurization tube (26) which penetrates the mold (18) and into the core (12), thus eliminating the pressure differential between the core (12) and the autoclave. Autoclave pressure is communicated throughout the entire core via perforations (13) in the honeycomb core (12).

Pressure balanced processing of composite structures

Growing community of inventors

Grand Prairie, TX, United States of America

Donald Chester Darrow