The Boeing Company

William Thomas Kline

Christopher Gary Harris

Scott Edward Krajca

Thomas Joseph Kennedy

Nicholas Boroughs

Thomas Dean Wilson

Bruno Zbinden

Dalton C Bergan

Joseph Fount Warren, Jr

Jeffrey D Kendall

Sayata Ghose

Erik Lund

Gabriel Zane Forston

Andrew M Hopkins

Robert F Mittelstadt

Larry Earl Gross

Joseph Warren

Joseph L Sweetin

Dan Dresskell Day

Geoffrey Allen Butler

Luis A Perla

Charles Yuanxin Hu

Tristan E Lee

Donald John Sutkus, Jr

Robert G Meyer

Elise Rae Ermitano Castorina

Matt Christner

George V Neilson

Wilbur L Gants

Peter J VanVoast

Jonathan T Sneddon

Charles J Nelson

Thang D Phung

Curtis M Groth

Richard A Ransom

Justin L Holland

Joseph F Warren

Ply wrinkling during hot drape forming of a composite laminate is reduced at corner radii. A tensioning material placed over an uncured composite laminate charge maintains a compressive force on the laminate charge as the charge is formed over a tool.

Method and apparatus for reducing ply wrinkling of composite laminates during forming

Ply wrinkling during hot drape forming of a composite laminate is reduced at outside corner radii of a forming tool. First and second tensioning materials placed between a composite laminate charge and the forming tool maintain the laminate charge in tension at the radius corners as the charge is formed down over corner radii.

A wrinkle mitigation system includes at least one tooling rod disposed against a tool surface at a location on the tool where a composite ply is configured to overlap the tooling rod. The tooling rod may has an elongated shape and is generally oriented along a direction of wrinkle formation in the composite ply. The tooling rod has a rod width that results in the composite ply assuming a corrugated shape when compaction pressure is applied to the composite ply.

System for minimizing wrinkles in composites

Systems and methods for forming radius fillers for composite structures are disclosed herein. The systems include a sheet-locating structure that has a support surface and a support surface edge. The systems further include a separation device, a conveyance structure, and a layup surface. The methods include locating a sheet of composite material on a first support surface and translating the sheet of composite material such that a first portion of the sheet is supported by the first support surface and a second portion of the sheet extends past the support surface edge. The methods also include separating the second portion of the sheet from the first portion of the sheet to form a strip of composite material. The methods further include conveying the strip of composite material onto a layup surface and repeating the methods to form the radius filler from a plurality of strips of composite material.

Systems and methods for forming radius fillers for composite structures

Methods for forming radius fillers for composite structures are disclosed herein. The methods include locating a sheet of composite material on a first support surface and translating the sheet of composite material such that a first portion of the sheet is supported by the first support surface and a second portion of the sheet extends past the support surface edge. The methods also include supporting the second portion of the sheet with a second support surface and separating the second portion of the sheet from the first portion of the sheet to form a strip of composite material. The methods further include conveying the strip of composite material onto a layup surface.

Methods for forming radius fillers for composite structures

A wrinkle mitigation system may include at least one tooling rod disposed against a tool surface at a location on the tool where a composite ply is configured to overlap the tooling rod. The tooling rod may have an elongated shape and may be generally oriented along a direction of wrinkle formation in the composite ply. The tooling rod may have a rod width that results in the composite ply assuming a corrugated shape when compaction pressure is applied to the composite ply.

System and method for minimizing wrinkles in composites

A method for forming a structural member and a structural member produced thereby includes positioning a first composite section and a second composite section within a tool. The tool has an inner surface and a wall intersection and is supported by a tool platform. The tool platform and a pressure platform are relatively movable between an open position and a closed position. The tool has a non-planar outer surface against which the member may be pressed. A composite splice member is positioned at least partially overlapping both the first composite section and the second composite section to form a joint in the composite structural member. The composite structural member is pressed against the non-planar outer surface of the tool by applying pressure to the joint from a pressure bladder. Heat is applied to the composite structural member at the joint to cure the composite splice member to the first composite section and the second composite section.

Aircraft skin attachment system

A system for diffusing wrinkles in a composite laminate may include at least one wrinkle diffuser. The wrinkle diffuser may include a diffuser body may be mounted to a tool in a manner such that a composite ply at least partially overlaps the wrinkle diffuser. A plurality of diffuser elements may be formed in the diffuser body to define a corrugated surface. The corrugated surface may cause a portion of the composite ply to assume a corrugated shape when a compaction pressure is applied to force the composite ply against the corrugated surface. The wrinkle diffuser may include an indexing feature to index the wrinkle diffuser to a ply edge of the composite ply.

Wrinkle diffuser system for composites

Systems and methods for forming radius fillers for composite structures are disclosed herein. The systems include a sheet-locating structure that has a first support surface and a support surface edge. The systems further include a second support surface, a separation device, a conveyance structure, and a layup surface. The methods include locating a sheet of composite material on a first support surface and translating the sheet of composite material such that a first portion of the sheet is supported by the first support surface and a second portion of the sheet extends past the support surface edge. The methods also include supporting the second portion of the sheet with a second support surface and separating the second portion of the sheet from the first portion of the sheet to form a strip of composite material. The methods further include conveying the strip of composite material onto a layup surface.

Methodfor reducing ply wrinkling of composite laminates during forming

A heated tool assembly for forming a structural member may include a heated tool and a pressure bladder for mounting the structural member. The tool may have an inner surface, a liner in thermal contact with the inner surface of the tool, and a heating system for heating the tool. The heating system may include a heater for heating a heated medium, a blower for blowing the heated medium, and a plurality of nozzles for directing the heated medium over the tool liner.

Heated tool assembly for forming a structural member

A variable-radius laminated composite radius filler may include a base portion, a keyway portion, and a tip portion. The base portion may be formed of a plurality of variable width composite plies defining a variable cross-sectional shape of the base portion. The keyway portion may be stacked on the base portion and may be formed of a plurality of substantially constant width composite plies defining a substantially constant cross-sectional shape of the keyway portion. The tip portion may be stacked on the keyway portion and may be formed of composite plies.

Variable-radius laminated radius filler and system and method for manufacturing same

A method and apparatus for forming a stack of composite layers into a desired shape is present. The stack of composite layers may be positioned on a tool and a number of compressible supports such that the stack of composite layers may be substantially flat on the tool and the stack of composite layers may be substantially flat on the number of compressible supports. A flexible sheet may be placed on top of the stack of composite layers. A vacuum load may be applied on the stack of composite layers on the tool and the number of compressible supports using the flexible sheet such that consolidation of the stack of composite layers occurs to form a desired shape on the tool and the number of compressible supports compress during forming of the desired shape.

Composite layer forming system

An apparatus for forming a structural member includes a tool platform and a pressure platform that may be movable relative to one another between an open position and a closed position. The apparatus may include a tool against which the member may be pressed. The tool may be supported by the tool platform and may have an inner surface. The apparatus may include a pressure bladder configured to be pressurized for applying pressure to the member. The pressure bladder may be supported by the pressure platform for pressing the member against the tool. Also included may be a heating system for heating the tool and a tool liner in thermal contact with the inner surface for distributing heat thereto.

Growing community of inventors

Burien, WA, United States of America

William Thomas Kline