Zexel USA Corporation

Nagendra N Murching

A rotor vane and a method for fabricating the rotor vane are provided in which the vane is formed of a thermoplastic matrix material having chopped fibers uniformly dispersed throughout the thermoplastic material, with the fibers aligned to extend in directions which are approximately parallel to a radial dimension in which the vane extends. A billet formed of the thermoplastic matrix material with the chopped fibers randomly oriented and uniformly dispersed within the thermoplastic matrix material is placed in vane forming dies. The dies have an interior surface which is in the shape of the vane. The billet is placed within the dies with the longitudinal length of the billet extending perpendicular to the radial dimension of the vane being formed and completely across the axial dimension of the vane being formed. The billet is heated to a softening temperature and compressed within the dies to deform the billet into the shape of the interior surface of the dies, causing the thermoplastic matrix material to flow in flow directions which are approximately parallel to radial dimension of the vane being formed. Flowing of the thermoplastic matrix material in the flow directions aligns a substantial portion of the fibers with the flow directions, approximately parallel to the radial dimension of the vane. Then the thermoplastic matrix material is cooled to temperature below the softening temperature and the vane is removed from the dies.

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Decatur, IL, United States of America

Nagendra N Murching