Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Japan Aircraft Development Corporation

Hideki Miyabe

Toshikazu Sana

Shunichi Bandoh

Tatsuya Yamamoto

Shinichi Shimizu

Seizi Itahana

Yasuhiro Itoh

Katsuji Sakamoto

A manufacturing method of composite articles is provided by which it is possible to constantly mold thick composite articles as primary structure component parts for aircraft, such as rotor hubs of helicopters, which are highly accurate in dimensions and have a favorable internal quality with no internal defects such as molding cracks, voids and so forth. Therefore, this manufacturing method of composite articles includes the steps of laying up resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber materials in a molding cavity within a molding jig of a matched die type, evacuating the interior of the molding jig so that the resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber materials are under reduced pressure and thereafter closing and heating the dies of the molding cavity, causing the resin to overflow from the laid up materials into a trap located remote from the molding cavity, and molding the laid up materials inside of the molding jig.

Manufacturing method of composite articles from prepregs which avoids

The apparatus includes a pair of molds each having a peripheral flange provided with a mating surface. The molds are clamped by a suitable number of clamp assemblies for clamping the flanges of the molds so that the molds are secured together with the mating surfaces in contact with each other. The clamp assembly includes a pair of clamp members for engagement with the flanges of the molds, a shaft passing through the clamp members, a first stop member provided on the shaft for engagement with one of the clamp members, a spacer provided on the shaft for axial slidable movement and adapted for engagement with the other of the clamp members, a second stop member provided on the shaft for engagement with the spacer at an end opposite to the other of the clamp members. The shaft is made of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion which is smaller than that of a material from which the spacer is made so that the spacer has a thermal expansion in the axial direction which is not smaller than a thermal expansion in the axial direction of the shaft under the same temperature increase.

Apparatus for forming thermoplastic material

An apparatus for molding and curing a resin matrix composite material under pressure and heat by a use of a bag provided in an autoclave for covering the material and applying the pressure to the material. The apparatus comprises a plurality of heater elements arranged along surfaces of the structure to heat the same, a temperature control device for controlling the heating elements, a pressurizing device for adjusting the pressure difference across the bag to thereby pressurize the material, a pressure control device for controlling the pressurized device, temperature detectors for detecting temperatures at predetermined regions on the structures and generating electric signals representing temperatures at respective regions, pressure detectors for detecting pressures within the autoclave and the bag and generating electric signals representing the detected pressures, a regulating device for controlling the temperature control device and the pressure control device to heat and pressurize the structure in accordance with a predetermined condition when the regulating device receives the electric signals from the temperature control device and the pressure control device and for controlling the temperature control device to equalize the temperature at the regions on the material in heating and cooling steps.

Apparatus for molding and solidifying a resinous composite structure

Growing community of inventors

Kakamigahara, Japan

Hideki Miyabe