The Boeing Company

Other

Randall Dow Wilkerson

James Rodney Fox

Alexander Rubin

Charles Richard Prebil

Gregory James Schoepen Hickman

Marc Rollo Matsen

Aaron William Bartel

Mike P Matlack

Daniel David Bloch

Amol Ogale

Eric E Moyes

Aaron Ross Cowin

Justin Joseph Schell

Philip P Steinacher

Donald C Besselsen

Thomas Karl Tsotsis

Jeffery Lee Marcoe

Lee Charles Firth

Michael Palmore Matlack

Neal A Froeschner

Tunde Abiodun Olaniyan

Robert Darel Morrow

Zachary L Green

Alexandre D Curaudeau

Stephen J Morgan

Ryan Joseph Merriman

Robin L Westberg

Leonard Joseph England

Alan James Scott

David Phillip Bruk

Trevor David Charest

Richard R Rosman

David Eric Gideon

Ian E Schroeder

Carey E Wilkinson

Paul Gabriel Werntges

Ravi Verma

Samuel Joseph Easley

Roger Alan Burgess

Camille Doristine Carter

Eileen E Miller

Scott E Martin

Greg M Reyneke

Nicole Renee Williams

Cori A Jackson

Julie Frances Murphy

Alex Rubin

Gregory J S Hickman

Joshua Paul Koehn

Kristin L Hall

Franz Jürgen Kumpers

Ayham Younes

Gregor Baumgart

Mark A Monzyk

Adam David Knebel

Megan C Kinney

Kin M Ng

Sharon Sher Ying Wong

John Emil Larson

Jerry Lee Newland

Garrett Denard Williams

Neal Froeschner

Nicole R Williams

Gregory JS Hickman

David E Gideon

Charles R Prebil

Continuous compression molding machines (CCMMs) and methods of continuous compression molding a consolidated thermoplastic matrix composite material are disclosed herein. The CCMMs include a mold, a heat zone heating structure, a consolidation zone heating structure, and a stress relaxation zone heating structure. The CCMMs also include a press structure, a demold structure, and a supply structure. The methods include providing a thermoplastic matrix composite material (TMCM) that includes a thermoplastic material to a CCMM. During the providing, the methods also include heating the TMCM within a heat zone of the CCMM, cooling and consolidating the TMCM within a consolidation zone of the CCMM, relaxing stress within the TMCM within a stress relaxation zone of the CCMM, demolding the TMCM within a demold zone of the CCMM at a mold temperature that is greater than a glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic material, and periodically compressing the TMCM.

Continuous compression molding machines and methods of continuous compression molding a consolidated thermoplastic matrix composite material

Methods and apparatus for manufacturing a thermoplastic structure include laying a first plurality of braided plies on a mandrel, and laying one or more unidirectional plies on the plurality of braided plies. A second plurality of braided plies is laid on the one or more unidirectional plies. The layup thereby forms a thermoplastic structure having combined braided and unidirectional plies.

Methods and apparatus for manufacturing a thermoplastic structure

A braiding apparatus for forming braided tubing comprises a braiding wheel and a plurality of bobbins. The plurality of bobbins are configured to move circumferentially around the braiding wheel. Each bobbin includes a spool, a first pulley assembly, and a second pulley assembly. The spool is configured to hold a tow formed from a braiding material. The first pulley assembly is coupled to the spool at a first distance from the spool. The first pulley assembly is configured to facilitate passing the tow over a pulley of the first pulley assembly. The second pulley assembly is coupled to the spool at a second distance that is less than the first distance. The second pulley assembly is configured to facilitate receiving the tow from the first pulley assembly and passing the tow over a pulley of the second pulley assembly and towards a section of the braiding apparatus at which a plurality of tows come together to form the braided tubing.

Braiding apparatus for braiding broad tape

Systems and methods are provided for creating precursors for consolidating composite parts. One embodiment is a method for forming a metallic structure. The method includes forming a precursor for a pressure membrane that includes a contour having a linearized length corresponding with a linearized length of a surface of a forming tool. The method also includes affixing a perimeter of the precursor to a perimeter of a base member, leaving a volume between the base member and the precursor, altering a shape of the precursor at a superplastic temperature by forcing the precursor into complementary contact with the surface of the forming tool, and setting the shape of the precursor while the precursor is held in complementary contact.

Precursor fabrication for high-temperature pressure membranes

A method and apparatus for a continuous compression molding machine. The continuous compression molding machine comprises a tooling die, extending through a heating zone and a cooling zone, a tooling sleeve, and a biasing system. The tooling sleeve corresponds to the tooling die and is for use in forming a thermoplastic composite part from a thermoplastic composite charge when the tooling sleeve with the thermoplastic composite charge is moved with respect to the tooling die through the heating zone and the cooling zone. The biasing system is configured to hold the thermoplastic charge at a first angle within the heating zone and hold the thermoplastic composite charge at a second angle within the cooling zone, as the tooling sleeve moves through the heating zone and the cooling zone with the thermoplastic composite charge. The first angle is different from the second angle.

Thermoplastic composite part manufacturing system and method

A method and structure for processing a plurality of prepreg sheets includes a conveyor assembly having a first conveyor, a second conveyor, and a processing zone positioned between the first and second conveyors. In an implementation, a plurality of prepreg sheets are advanced from a plurality of material supply creels into the processing zone by a first conveyor and a second conveyor turning in opposite directions. Within the processing zone, a compressive pressure is applied to the prepreg sheets by first pressure plates attached to first conveyor and second pressure plates attached to the second conveyor. A thermoplastic within the prepreg sheets is melted within the processing zone by a heater to consolidate the prepreg sheets into a consolidated laminate.

Method and apparatus for rapid continuous consolidation of thermoplastic components

A tool for forming a part includes a first tool portion including a first tool surface. The tool further includes a second tool portion comprising a second tool surface facing the first tool surface, wherein the first tool surface and the second tool surface define a tool chamber for forming the part. The tool further includes a bladder subassembly disposed in the tool chamber between the first tool surface and the second tool surface. The bladder subassembly includes a plurality of inner bladders disposed within tool chamber, wherein each inner bladder of the plurality of inner bladders includes an inner bladder chamber that is independently inflatable to selectively apply pressure to the part. The bladder subassembly further includes a bladder cover disposed over the plurality of inner bladders within the tool chamber to provide a barrier between the plurality of inner bladders and the part.

Multi-chamber conformable bladder for composite part tooling

This disclosure is directed to a thermoplastic composite material forming method and tooling used to perform the method. More specifically, this disclosure is directed to a method of fabricating large, complex thermoplastic composite part shapes with a consolidation tool having a conformable tooling bladder that heat thermoplastic material in the tool and provide thermoplastic material consolidation pressure in directions in the tool to form a part shape of thermoplastic composite material. A novel tooling concept is used to fabricate large, complex thermoplastic composite part shapes which are not easily producible using traditional methods. The tooling concept employs a consolidation tool that provides a method to apply thermoplastic material consolidation pressure by a conformable tooling bladder that provides thermoplastic material consolidation pressure in directions in the tool that are not achievable by conventional clamshell type molds where the mold parts move in substantially vertical tool opening and tool closing directions.

Fabrication method and apparatus for creating large and/or complex thermoplastic composite components

Methods and apparatus for semi-automated tack welding of plies of a thermoplastic composite layup are described. An example welding tool includes a stabilization foot, a housing, a compaction foot, and a welder. The stabilization foot has a stabilization surface. The housing has a central axis. The housing is movable relative to the stabilization surface along the central axis of the housing. The compaction foot has a central axis and a compaction surface. The compaction surface is movable relative to the stabilization surface and to the housing along the central axis of the compaction surface. The welder has a central axis and a welding surface. The welding surface is movable relative to the stabilization surface, to the housing, and to the compaction surface along the central axis of the welder.

Methods and apparatus for semi-automated tack welding of plies of a thermoplastic composite layup

An elongate thermoplastic composite member is fabricated by a continuous molding process. A pre-consolidated thermoplastic laminate is softened by heating it to a temperature below its melting layup, and is fed substantially continuously through multiple sets of tool dies. The tool dies incrementally mold portions of softened laminate over a mandrel to form the laminate into a shape having a closed cross section.

Continuous molding of thermoplastic laminates

Systems and methods are provided for composite part fabrication. One embodiment is a method that includes placing a laminate onto a base of a mandrel between side walls of the mandrel, placing edge dams between the side walls and the laminate that each abut the laminate and abut one of the side walls, each edge dam having a Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) greater than a CTE of the mandrel, the CTE of the mandrel being greater than a CTE of the laminate, heating the laminate, edge dams, and mandrel, and during the heating, thermally expanding the edge dams an amount that corresponds with a difference in thermal expansion between the laminate and the mandrel.

Edge dams for fabrication of composite parts

Multifunction end effector apparatus and methods for assembling thermoplastic composite articles are disclosed. An example apparatus for assembling a thermoplastic composite article includes a robot and an end effector coupled to the robot. The end effector includes a cutting head, a vacuum head, and a welding head.

Multifunction end effector apparatus and methods for assembling thermoplastic composite articles

Systems and methods are provided for forming composite parts. One embodiment is a method that includes receiving flat unidirectional tape that is continuous and fiber-reinforced, and drawing the tape through a fixed die that heats and plastically deforms the tape into a gap filler having a non-flat cross section.

Die-based composite fabrication

Growing community of inventors

O'Fallon, MO, United States of America

Randall Dow Wilkerson