The Boeing Company

Jennifer Sue Noel

Marc Rollo Matsen

Kurtis Shuldberg Willden

Robert James Miller

Daniel M Rotter

Brian Gregory Robins

Darrell Darwin Jones

Brad Andrew Coxon

Joseph Daniel Brennan

William Stahl Hollensteiner

Joseph D Anderson

Stephen Keith Kirchmeier

Kimberlee Madden

Henry Macias

Douglas Alan McCarville

Paul Elfes Nelson

Mark Alan Negley

William Chet Dykstra

Lee Charles Firth

Stephen Lee Metschan

Kenneth Marvin Dull

Richard V Phillips

Christopher John Hottes

James M Kestner

Arvid J Berg

Gregory Alan Foltz

Andrew M Hopkins

Mark E King

Donald Chester Darrow

Donald John Sutkus, Jr

Paul Chih-Yung Chang

Scott Allen Boner

Darren R Walker

Eugene H Jeppesen

Michael Leslie Hand

Juan C Guzman

Shane Edward Arthur

Michael A Lee

John Dempsey Morris

Joseph L Sweetin

Patrick Bickford Stickler

Disclosed herein are induction heating cells and methods of using these cells for processing. An induction heating cell may be used for processing (e.g., consolidating and/or curing a composite layup having a non-planar portion. The induction heating cell comprises a caul, configured to position over and conform to this non-planar portion. Furthermore, the cell comprises a mandrel, configured to position over the caul and force the caul again the surface of the feature. The CTE of the caul may be closer to the CTE of the composite layup than to the CTE of the mandrel. As such, the caul isolates the composite layup from the dimensional changes of the mandrel, driven by temperature fluctuations. At the same time, the caul may conform to the surface of the mandrel, which can be used to define the shape and transfer pressure to the non-planar portion.

Induction heating cells with cauls over mandrels methods of using thereof

A composite manufacturing system for aircraft structures is provided. The composite manufacturing system comprises a tool for forming a composite structure, a vacuum bag, and a tool base. The tool comprises cured composite planks and layers of flexible material. The cured composite planks run parallel to each other. The layers of flexible material are positioned between and bonded to the cured composite planks. The vacuum bag surrounds the tool and is configured to apply pressure to the tool during curing of the composite structure. The tool is configured to deform in response to the pressure and prevent poor quality laminate and/or anomalies from developing in the composite structure during curing. The tool base is configured to hold the tool in place as it deforms.

Flexible mandrel for forming composite structures

A composite part is cured out-of-autoclave using an inductively heated, stand-alone tooling. The part in placed on a tool and is covered by a heating blanket. One side of the part is heated by inductive coil circuits in the tool, and the other side of the part is heated by inductive coil circuits in the blanket.

Curing composites out-of-autoclave using induction heating with smart susceptors

A processing apparatus such as a heating and/or debulking apparatus that may be used to debulk a plurality of uncured composite layers to form an article such as an aircraft component may include a plurality of interconnected smart susceptor heater blankets. The plurality of smart susceptor heater blankets may be connected in series or in parallel, and may be controlled to uniformly heat the component during formation.

Integrated smart susceptor heater blanket debulk system for composites

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 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

Systems and methods for assembling a skin of a composite structure on an outer surface of an inner mold line layup mandrel. The systems and methods include receiving a plurality of ply kits, assembling the plurality of ply kits to form a skin segment that defines a portion of the skin, and affixing the skin segment to the outer surface of the layup mandrel. The assembling includes transferring a respective ply kit of the plurality of ply kits to a non-planar transfer tool, compacting the respective ply kit on the non-planar transfer tool, and repeating the transferring and the compacting for each ply kit in the plurality of ply kits to form the skin segment.

Systems and methods for assembling a skin of a composite structure

Methods of assembling a stiffened composite structure include loading, with a stiffener loading tool, a respective stiffener from a supply of stiffeners onto an inner mold line layup mandrel; repeating the loading to load a plurality of stiffeners onto the inner mold line layup mandrel; and following the repeating, affixing a respective skin segment from a supply of skin segments to the plurality of stiffeners loaded on the inner mold line layup mandrel to form at least a portion of the stiffened composite structure. Systems for assembling stiffened composite structures include a supply of stiffeners; an inner mold line layup mandrel; and a stiffener loading tool configured to load the respective stiffener onto the inner mold line layup mandrel.

Systems and methods for assembling stiffened composite structures

A method is provided for forming a composite part contoured along its length and having at least one leg. The method includes forming a stack of fiber reinforced, pre-preg plies by laying down individual segments of unidirectional fibers in each ply. Each of the segments is placed in a preselected orientation related to the contour of the part. The leg is formed by bending a portion of the stack over a tool.

Method for producing contoured composite structures and structures produced thereby

A tool is used to form a joint between a composite dome and a surrounding composite skirt. The tool includes a tool shell on which composite plies may be laid up to form the skirt and a spacer connected with the shell for filling a gap between the dome and the skirt.

Method and device for forming joints in composite structures

A method for manufacturing composite parts. A temporary removal layer may be placed on an inner mold line tool. A composite material may be laid up on the inner mold line tool for a composite part. The inner mold line tool may be positioned with the composite part inside an outer mold line tool. The composite part and the temporary removal layer may be transferred from the inner mold line tool to the outer mold line tool. The inner mold line tool and the temporary removal layer may be removed from inside of the outer mold line tool after transferring the composite part and the temporary removal layer to the outer mold line tool.

Manufacturing one-piece composite sections using outer mold line tooling

Growing community of inventors

Kent, WA, United States of America

Jennifer Sue Noel