The Boeing Company

Samuel D Elrod

Devere V Lindh

Gerald O Miller

Charles N Anderson

Fiber reinforced resin composites formed of basic ply blankets is disclosed. The method of the invention uses design criteria, namely fiber orientation and fiber percentages in each orientation direction, to create a basic ply blanket having the same fiber orientation and percentage relationship. Specifically, a basic ply blanket comprises a plurality of plies, one in each fiber orientation direction. The fiber magnitude proportion that each blanket ply bears to the fiber magnitude of the blanket is based on the design criteria fiber proportion. The thickness of the basic ply blanket is divided into the design thickness at various locations and the results used to determine the number of blankets needed to meet the thickness requirement of the fiber reinforced resin composite at such locations. Basic ply blankets are then stacked to create the required thickness.

Fiber reinforced resin composites formed of basic ply blankets

Flat metal stock is contoured into a shaped blank prior to being superplastically formed into a finished part. The stock is shaped in steps.

Thinning control in superplastic metal forming

A superplastically formed structure is prepared from a grid patterned core material that is joined to a plate by diffusion bonding or by welding to alternate joint locations on one side and at each of the other joint locations to a plate on the other side of the core. The joined core and plates are then formed by superplastic forming.

Superplastically formed structure and method of making

An article of manufacture of a titanium reinforcing part having a grain structure to impart dimensional stability to the part at elevated temperatures is integrally joined to a titanium sheet having a grain structure to become superplastic at elevated temperatures. The completed composite titanium part is formed with the titanium sheet superplastically forming to intimately contact and to become diffusion bonded to the dimensionally stable titanium part.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Samuel D Elrod