The Boeing Company

Theboeing Company

Michael John Cloud

Jason Turner

Karen Lee Hills

Douglas Alan Brown

Richard V Phillips

Robert Cook

John V Dovey

Sergio H Sanchez

Jeffrey T Wirrick

Hun Sok Basom

DeWayne F Wendt

Jason Christopher Lail

Joseph D Walters

Christopher Harold Childers

Mitchell Zachary Kotlik

Michael B Black

Andrew Anthony Pillar

Nicholas Sondker

Dewayne F Wendt

Karen L Hills

A thermoforming system and related methods for manufacturing thermoplastic parts, such as interior panels for aircraft, may include a roll-to-roll operation and a forming press having at least one selectively rotatable tool. The rotatable tool, which may include a mold and/or a die, may be multifaceted, such that different faces of the tool have different mold arrangements for different forming characteristics.

Modular thermoforming system

A composite laminate structure includes a cellular core and a first laminate layer coupled to the cellular core. The first laminate layer includes a first thermoplastic layer and a first fiber-reinforced polymer layer, where a first surface of the first fiber-reinforced polymer layer is thermally consolidated to a second surface of the first thermoplastic layer. A first surface of the first thermoplastic layer is directly in contact with and bound to a first surface of the cellular core by temperature reduction of the first thermoplastic layer below a glass transition temperature of the first thermoplastic layer while the cellular core is pressed against the first thermoplastic layer when the first thermoplastic layer is above the glass transition temperature of the first thermoplastic layer and the cellular core is below a temperature where materials of the cellular core flow or degrade.

Composite laminate structure having a cellular core formed using a continuous compression molding process

A method for making a structural sandwich panel includes the steps of positioning a first and second thermoplastic skin elements in overlying relationship with respect to a heated male and heated female die molds respectively. A first pressure reduction is applied between the first thermoplastic skin element and the heated male die mold and a second pressure reduction is applied between the second thermoplastic and the heated female die mold. A core panel element is positioned between the heated male die mold and the heated female die mold wherein the core panel element has a first adhesive on a first side and has a second adhesive on a second opposing side. The male and female die molds are closed and exert a pressure onto the core panel element to secure the first and second thermoplastic skin elements to the core panel element and form the core panel element.

Method for fabricating thermoplastic sandwich structural panel using thermoforming and compression molding

An apparatus includes a matched die mold including a male die mold and a female die mold wherein the male die mold includes a first contoured surface and the female die mold includes a second contoured surface. The apparatus further includes a frame which defines an opening wherein the frame is positioned between the male die mold and the female die mold such that the frame is adapted to position a film layer across the opening and the opening is positioned in alignment with at least one of the first contoured surface and the second contoured surface.

In-mold apparatus and method for decorative application

A method of manufacturing a protective cover () for a component of a vehicle includes assembling multiple layers to form a charge (). The charge () is formed within a mold () of the component to form a multi-contoured laminate (). The protective cover () is separated from the multi-contoured laminate (). A method of forming a down stream part structure or mold () for a component includes assembling multiple layers to form a charge (). The charge () is formed within an original mold of the component to form a multi-contoured laminate (). A splash is separated from the multi-contoured laminate (). A protective cover, such as the cover (), is for a vehicle component and includes a contour holding layer () and a protective laminate layer (). The contour holding layer () and the protective laminate layer () are formed within a mold of the vehicle component to form the protective cover.

Protective cover and tool splash for vehicle components

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Snohomish, WA, United States of America

Michael John Cloud