The Boeing Company

Edoardo P Depase

Andrew Elmer Modin

Kurtis Shuldberg Willden

David Paul Banks

James Niemann Buttrick

Robert Dennis Hawkins

Jesus Sanchez

Dennis Wayne Stewart

Max Urban Kismarton

Grant C Zenkner

Michael L Glain

Benjamin Adam Mussi

Michael Robert Anderson

Donald Chester Darrow

Mark Klewiada

Daniel Richard Smith, Jr

Christopher Vernon Grubbs

Christopher V Grubbs

Dennis W Stewart

Daniel Richard Smith

A forming module for forming a composite laminate part over a tool is provided. The forming module comprises a base, a ply carrier control assembly adapted for controlling the position of a flexible ply carrier on which composite resin plies are mounted, and a head section mounted on the base and adapted for automatically forming the composite resin plies from the ply carrier onto the tool.

Method and apparatus for fabricating contoured laminate structures

A plurality of identical fabrication modules are linked together and configurable to fabricate any of a plurality of differing laminate structures in a family of structures having common features. Each of the fabrication modules is locally adapted to fabricate a section of the laminate structure on a corresponding tool. A controller controls and coordinates automated operation of the fabrication modules.

A method is presented. The method comprises identifying a desired shape of a ply on a tool, in which the ply has a fiber orientation; identifying a cut shape for the ply, in which the cut shape is different than the desired shape; cutting a composite prepreg ply to have the cut shape, the composite prepreg ply having the fiber orientation; using a deformable carrier to apply the composite prepreg ply having the cut shape to the tool such that the composite prepreg ply has the desired shape on the tool.

Method of laying up prepreg plies on contoured tools using a deformable carrier film

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

Composite prepreg is laid up over a tool by placing prepreg material on a carrier film and using the carrier film to apply the prepreg material to the tool. The prepreg is conformed to contours of the tool by deforming the carrier film.

A curved composite element is laid up over a tool having first and second curved tool surfaces possessing differing radii of curvatures. A plurality of composite fiber ply segments are arranged in substantially side-by-side relationship into a group. The ply segments are formed as a group onto the first curved tool surface, and the group is then formed from the first curved tool surface onto the second curved tool surface.

Method of manufacturing curved composite structural elements

Three simple tools are used to both preform and mold a composite layup into a J-beam. A first composite charge is preformed into a C-channel using a first tool, and a second composite charge is formed into a Z-channel using both the first tool and a second tool. The C-channel and Z-channel are laid up between the first and second tools, following which a perform composite cap and third tool are added to complete the layup and the tool assembly. The layup may be molded using vacuum bagging techniques and subsequently cured while held in the tool assembly.

Method and tools for fabricating composite beams

A method of forming a support beam is provided. One exemplary method of forming a support beam includes supporting a C-shaped charge upon a first forming tool and placing an additional composite charge upon at least a portion of the C-shaped charge and a second forming tool proximate the first forming tool. The method of forming a support beam further includes positioning a fixed forming tool proximate a first portion of the additional charge and bending the additional charge about the forming tool.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Edoardo P Depase