Acoustic panel employing chopped fibers in septum layer and method for making same

Abstract

An acoustic panel for attenuating sound and a method of making the acoustic panel. A septum structure is created comprising a layer of chopped fibers between layers of uncured epoxy. The structure is forced onto the open ends of the cells so that the edges of the cell walls cut the structure into pieces, with each piece having the same cross-sectional size and shape as one of the cells, and the pieces are pushed further into the cells to a specific position. The epoxy layers are cured, and holes are created in the cured epoxy layers to expose the chopped fibers and create septum layers within the cells. The chopped fibers may be sufficiently long and/or strong to provide structural support across each cell but sufficiently short and/or weak to be cut by the edge of the cell wall, and may melt at a higher temperature than the epoxy cures.