Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation

Neil W Cawthra

Christian A Rogg

Jeffrey George Sauer

Jonathan Bremmer

Robert A Lacko

William E Hovan, Iii

Paul H Denavit

David M Cournoyer

Thomas Arthur Carstensen

Edward Joseph Fabian

Michael G Osiecki

A tool for forming a panel including a core area, at which plies sandwich a core, and a trim area surrounding the core, at which the plies are bonded together, is provided and includes a body having a surface on which the panel is formable, an assembly to apply bonding pressure to the plies at least at the core and trim areas and a clamping device external to the assembly to apply a clamping force to the vacuum bag and the plies.

External to bagging mechanical clamp

A reinforcement tube includes at least one composite ply material strip in a coil configuration. The coil configuration defines a tube rectilinear in cross-section and a helical opening.

Composite core densification

A caul plate system for a laminate structure includes a plurality of layers of curable caul plies disposed over a laminate structure and substantially conforming to a surface of the laminate structure. A resin is applied to the plurality of layers of caul plies. Co-curing of the plurality of layers of caul plies with the laminate structure hardens the plurality of layers of caul plies such that a normal pressure is applied to the laminate structure during cure of the laminate structure.

Co-curing reusable elastomeric caul plate

The composite molding apparatus includes a rigid base member and a complementary semi-rigid mold member or &ldquo;black bag&rdquo; caul plate having a sieve member formed therein. The sieve member layer of the semi-rigid mold member engages pins which extend from the sandwich core to limit penetration into the semi-rigid mold member to a predetermined depth. The semi-rigid mold member is supported relative to the rigid mold member by the pins to provide uniform pressure transfer to the composite article during a high pressure co-cure molding process without crushing the sandwich core.

High pressure co-cure of lightweight core composite article utilizing a core having a plurality of protruding pins

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Shelton, CT, United States of America

Neil W Cawthra