Composite material repairing paving layer curing device

Abstract

The utility model relates to a composite material repair paving layer curing device which is characterized in that a repair paving layer is adhered to an area to be repaired, and the hot end of a thermocouple is transversely adhered to the edge of the repair paving layer in a sealing manner through a high-temperature adhesive tape; the stripping layer covers the repair paving layer and the thermocouple; the porous isolating membrane covers the stripping layer; the glass fiber cloth covers a porous isolating membrane; the non-porous isolating membrane covers the glass fiber cloth; the pressure equalizing plate is covered with a non-porous isolating membrane; the electric blanket covers the pressure equalizing plate; the breathing material covers the electric blanket; the vacuum base is diagonally placed on the breathing material; the vacuum film is bonded with a to-be-repaired part through a double-sided sealing adhesive tape to form a vacuum sealing bag and is connected with the vacuum base through a vacuum suction nozzle, and the vacuum suction nozzle is connected with an external vacuum pump. Compared with the prior art, the device has the advantages of high fitting degree of a repaired surface, high flatness, high reliability and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of composite material repair, and in particular to a composite material repair layup curing device. Background Technology

[0002] Composite materials, due to their excellent specific strength, corrosion resistance, and designability, are widely used in high-end manufacturing fields such as aerospace and automotive. However, composite components are susceptible to damage from impacts and fatigue during service, requiring repair through layup curing processes. In existing technologies, vacuum bags combined with localized heating curing devices are widely used, achieving resin flow and cross-linking through vacuum negative pressure and heat source control. However, such devices have some drawbacks in practical applications: First, the porous isolation membrane used during curing is prone to wrinkling or deformation under high temperature and pressure, leading to reduced surface smoothness and affecting subsequent coating or structural aerodynamic performance. Second, thermocouples are typically placed at the edge of the repair patch to monitor temperature, but resin tends to migrate along the thermocouple wires to the edge area, creating localized resin enrichment, which not only weakens the interfacial bonding strength but may also cause stress concentration. Third, the microscopic gaps between the outer insulation layers of the thermocouple become leakage channels during vacuum evacuation, making it difficult to achieve the required vacuum level in the sealing system. Residual air bubbles within the repair layer cannot be completely expelled, ultimately forming porosity defects and significantly reducing the mechanical properties and service reliability of the repaired area. To address these issues, existing technologies attempt to improve the situation through material optimization or structural modifications. For example, using a high-temperature-resistant insulating membrane to reduce deformation, or adjusting the thermocouple fixing method to restrict resin flow. However, these measures fail to systematically resolve the fundamental contradiction. While high-temperature-resistant materials suppress wrinkles, they cannot simultaneously meet the requirements of air permeability and rigidity; simple adjustments to the thermocouple's position cannot block the resin migration path, and the leakage problem caused by insulation gaps persists.

[0003] Chinese patent application CN114888521A discloses a composite method for suppressing fatigue cracks in metals. This method involves placing a base plate covered with a release film on the back of the surface to be bonded, and then placing a vacuum repair bag on the reinforcing patch. This bag consists of a thermocouple, release cloth, absorbent cloth, non-porous release film, heating blanket, breathable felt, and vacuum connector. This reduces stress concentration at the crack tip, resulting in better repair. However, in this vacuum repair bag, the release cloth and absorbent cloth directly cover the thermocouple, which is prone to deformation. Furthermore, excessive adhesive is absorbed or flows out along the thermocouple during the curing process, leading to reduced repair quality. Therefore, how to eliminate adhesive-rich defects, improve sealing performance, and ensure the smoothness of the repaired surface while maintaining accurate temperature monitoring, thereby ensuring the reliability and high precision of composite material repair quality, is a technical problem that needs to be solved. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the defects of the existing technology and provide a composite material repair layup curing device. It uses high-temperature tape to horizontally apply and seal the product, uses a release layer to allow air and adhesive to pass through while preventing wrinkles in the repair layup, and uses a non-porous release membrane as an adhesive barrier layer to concentrate excess resin only on the adhesive-absorbing fiberglass cloth layer, thus achieving reliable and high-precision repair.

[0005] The objective of this utility model can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a composite material repair layup curing device is provided, the device comprising: a repair layup, a thermocouple, a high-temperature tape, a release layer, a porous release membrane, a fiberglass cloth, a non-porous release membrane, a pressure equalizing plate, an electric heating blanket, a breathable material, a vacuum film, a vacuum base, a vacuum nozzle, and double-sided sealing tape.

[0007] The repair layer is applied to the area to be repaired. The hot end of the thermocouple is horizontally sealed and applied to the edge of the repair layer with high-temperature tape. The release layer covers the repair layer and the thermocouple. The porous isolation film covers the release layer. The fiberglass cloth covers the porous isolation film. The non-porous isolation film covers the fiberglass cloth. The equalizing plate covers the non-porous isolation film. The electric heating blanket covers the equalizing plate. The breathing material covers the electric heating blanket. The vacuum base is placed diagonally on the breathing material. The vacuum film is bonded to the part to be repaired with double-sided sealing tape to form a vacuum sealing bag, and is connected to the vacuum base through a vacuum nozzle, which is connected to an external vacuum pump.

[0008] Furthermore, the hot junction of the thermocouple is sealed by horizontally applying high-temperature tape, and the high-temperature tape completely covers the connection area between the thermocouple and the repair layer.

[0009] Furthermore, the peeling layer is made of a breathable material and is 50 mm larger than the electric blanket on all four sides.

[0010] Furthermore, the porous separator is disposed above the release layer and has the same size as the release layer, with uniform pores distributed on its surface for the permeation of resin and gas.

[0011] Furthermore, the fiberglass cloth is an adhesive-absorbing layer, and its size is consistent with that of the porous separator.

[0012] Furthermore, the non-porous isolation membrane is an impermeable material used to prevent resin contamination of the upper components, and its size is consistent with that of the electric blanket.

[0013] Furthermore, the pressure equalizing plate is a thin metal plate with uniform temperature and pressure, and its size is consistent with that of the non-porous isolation membrane.

[0014] Furthermore, the electric blanket is connected to the same control terminal as the thermocouple and is in direct contact with the equalizing plate. Its size is 50 mm larger than the coverage area of ​​the repair layer on all sides.

[0015] Furthermore, the breathing material is a multi-layered high-density breathable cotton, which covers the electric blanket and has the same size as the fiberglass cloth.

[0016] Furthermore, there are two vacuum bases, which are diagonally positioned on the breathing material and connected to the vacuum membrane via vacuum nozzles.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0018] (1) Significantly improve vacuum sealing performance and process stability: By adopting the design of horizontally sealing the hot end of the thermocouple with high-temperature tape, the connection area between the thermocouple and the repair layer is completely covered, effectively blocking the path of external air to seep into the vacuum sealing system through the gap of the thermocouple insulation layer. Combined with the sealed structure formed by the double-sided sealing tape and the vacuum film, the vacuum pressure is ensured to be stable and up to standard during the curing process, thereby completely removing air bubbles in the repair layer and greatly reducing porosity defects.

[0019] (2) Effectively improves the flatness and structural uniformity of the repair surface: A breathable release layer is covered on top of the repair layer. Its size is 100 mm larger than the repair area. This not only enhances the breathability and adhesive permeability, but also makes it less prone to deformation under high temperature and high pressure. At the same time, the pressure equalization plate is made of thin metal plate. It directly contacts the electric heating blanket and evenly transfers heat and pressure, eliminating local temperature gradients and pressure unevenness, significantly reducing the risk of wrinkling of the porous release membrane, and ensuring that the repair surface is smooth and flat.

[0020] (3) Precise control of resin flow and elimination of resin-rich defects: Through the layered design of porous and non-porous release membranes, combined with the synergistic effect of the glass fiber cloth adhesive-absorbing layer, precise management of the resin flow path is achieved. The porous release membrane allows an appropriate amount of resin and gas to pass through, while the glass fiber cloth absorbs excess resin, and the non-porous release membrane completely blocks resin from contaminating the upper components. This combination effectively prevents resin from migrating along the thermocouple lines to the edges, completely eliminates resin-rich defects, and improves the interfacial bonding strength and repair reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 Structural diagram of a composite material repair layup curing device. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present utility model. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0023] During the curing and repair layering process, a porous release liner is used for adhesive permeability and air permeability. However, it is prone to wrinkling and deformation under high temperature and pressure, thus affecting the smoothness of the repair surface. Placing the hot end of a thermocouple at the edge of the repair patch allows resin to flow along the thermocouple wires during curing, resulting in resin-rich edges in the repair area. Furthermore, the external insulation wires of the thermocouple cause incomplete sealing of the repair area, allowing air to flow into the repair area through gaps between the external insulation wires. This causes the vacuum level test during curing to fail, the vacuum pressure to fall below the standard requirements, and incomplete gas removal from the repair patch, resulting in residual air bubbles that affect the final repair quality.

[0024] like Figure 1 The diagram shows a composite material repair layup curing device, comprising: a repair layup 1, a thermocouple 2, high-temperature tape 3, a release layer 4, a porous isolation membrane 5, fiberglass cloth 6, a non-porous isolation membrane 7, an equalizing plate 8, an electric heating blanket 9, a breathable material 10, a vacuum film 11, a vacuum base 12, a vacuum nozzle 13, and double-sided sealing tape 14. The repair layup 1 is applied to the area to be repaired, and the hot end of the thermocouple 2 is laterally sealed to the edge of the repair layup 1 using the high-temperature tape 3. A release layer 4 covers the repair layer 1 and the thermocouple 2; a porous isolation membrane 5 covers the release layer 4; a fiberglass cloth 6 covers the porous isolation membrane 5; a non-porous isolation membrane 7 covers the fiberglass cloth 6; an equalizing plate 8 covers the non-porous isolation membrane 7; an electric blanket 9 covers the equalizing plate 8; a breathable material 10 covers the electric blanket 9; a vacuum base 12 is placed diagonally on the breathable material 10; a vacuum film 11 is bonded to the part to be repaired via double-sided sealing tape 14 to form a vacuum sealed bag, and is connected to the vacuum base 12 via a vacuum nozzle 13. The vacuum nozzle 13 is connected to an external vacuum pump to extract air, other gases generated during resin curing, and volatiles from the repair layer 1, and to apply a pressure of up to one atmosphere to the sealed vacuum bag to compact the repair layer.

[0025] The hot junction of thermocouple 2 is sealed laterally with high-temperature tape 3, which completely covers the interface between thermocouple 2 and repair layer 1. The thermocouple detects the temperature of the repair area and uses this information to control the output of the electric blanket 9, ensuring stable temperature in the repair area. The lateral sealing with high-temperature tape 3 protects the hot junction of thermocouple 2, preventing excess resin from flowing along the thermocouple wires during heat curing. Simultaneously, the lateral application of high-temperature tape 3 effectively prevents air leakage caused by gaps in the external insulation layers of different metal wires of thermocouple 2, improving the airtightness of the device. When the pressure inside the sealed vacuum bag reaches 28 InHg, the pressure decreases to below 5 InHg within 5 minutes, ensuring that the pressure applied to the vacuum-sealed bag meets standard requirements.

[0026] The release layer 4 is a breathable material, and its dimensions are 100 mm larger than the coverage area of ​​the repair layer 1 on all sides. The release layer 4 provides a passage for air between the repair layers, gases and volatiles generated during resin curing, and excess resin. Because the release layer 4 is not easily deformed or wrinkled under high temperature and pressure, the repair surface is smoother after curing, improving the quality of the repair surface.

[0027] A porous release liner 5 is positioned above the release layer 4 and has the same dimensions as the release layer 4. Its surface has uniformly distributed pores to allow resin and gas to pass through, while also preventing excessive resin absorption. A fiberglass cloth 6 serves as an absorbent layer, with the same dimensions as the porous release liner 5, and also provides ventilation. A non-porous release liner 7 is an impermeable material used to prevent resin contamination of upper components, concentrating excess resin only on the absorbent fiberglass cloth 6. Its dimensions are 50 mm larger than the coverage area of ​​the repair layer 1 on all sides. The equalizing plate 8 is a thin metal plate for uniform temperature and pressure distribution. If an aluminum alloy plate is used, its dimensions are the same as the non-porous release liner 7, allowing for more even heat distribution from the electric blanket 9 to the repair layer 1. The electric blanket 9 is connected to the same control terminal as the thermocouple 2. During use, its output power can be controlled based on the temperature feedback from the thermocouple 2 to ensure temperature stability at the repair layer 1. The electric blanket 9 is in direct contact with the equalizing plate 8 and has the same dimensions. Breathable material 10 consists of four to six layers of high-density breathable cotton, covering the electric blanket 9. Its dimensions are the same as the fiberglass cloth 6. It prevents heat loss from the electric blanket 9 and serves as a passage for air and other gases to escape. Two vacuum bases 12 are positioned diagonally on the breathable material 10 and connected to the vacuum membrane 11 via vacuum nozzles 13. The vacuum nozzles 13 are connected to an external vacuum pump. The first vacuum nozzle is used to extract gas and volatiles from the vacuum-sealed bag during the curing of the repair layer 1; the second vacuum nozzle is used to monitor the pressure value inside the vacuum-sealed bag. The peeling layer 4, the porous isolation membrane 5, the fiberglass cloth 6, and the breathable material 10 are all breathable materials, while the non-porous isolation membrane 7, the equalizing plate 8, and the electric blanket 9 are all impermeable materials. The electric blanket 9, being an impermeable material, has a perimeter 50 mm larger than the repair layer 1. The other impermeable materials have the same dimensions as the electric blanket. The breathable materials should be 50 mm larger than the impermeable materials on all sides to provide sufficient airflow.

[0028] In the assembly and use of the device in this embodiment, when the repair patch is heated and cured, double-sided sealing tape 14 and vacuum film 11 are used to bond the thermocouple 2, release layer 4, porous isolation film 5, fiberglass cloth 6, non-porous isolation film 7, pressure equalizing plate 8, electric heating blanket 9, breathable material 10 and vacuum base 12. Air is extracted through vacuum nozzle 13 and vacuum base 12 to form a vacuum sealing device, so that the repair patch can be cured under the specified temperature and pressure.

[0029] The hot junction of thermocouple 2 is horizontally attached using high-temperature tape 3 to ensure accurate temperature detection and prevent air leakage caused by gaps in the external insulation wires of thermocouple 2, ensuring that the vacuum pressure inside the device meets standard requirements. Horizontal attachment also prevents resin from flowing along thermocouple 2 within the repair patch, reducing the probability of excessive resin at the repair edges and improving repair quality. A release layer 4 is placed above the repair patch in the device. This layer improves the smoothness of the repair surface and facilitates the removal of air bubbles and volatiles during curing. During curing, excess resin flows upwards through the release layer 4 and the porous isolation membrane 5 under the suction of the vacuum tube. Fiberglass cloth 6 absorbs excess resin. To prevent excessive resin from being drawn from the repair patch and to protect the electric blanket from resin contamination, a non-porous isolation membrane 7 is placed above the fiberglass cloth 6 to block the resin. An equalizing plate 8 evenly distributes the heat from the electric blanket and vacuum pressure to the repair area, resulting in a more uniform temperature and a smoother repair surface. The electric blanket 9 acts as a heat source, providing the heat required for resin curing. The electric blanket 9 is covered with a breathable material 10 for heat preservation and ventilation. The vacuum base 12 and the vacuum nozzle 13 are connected to expel the gas in the device and achieve the vacuum pressure required for curing.

[0030] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this utility model, but the protection scope of this utility model is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this utility model, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A composite material repair layup curing device, characterized in that, The device includes: a repair layup (1), a thermocouple (2), a high-temperature tape (3), a release layer (4), a porous isolation membrane (5), a fiberglass cloth (6), a non-porous isolation membrane (7), an equalizing plate (8), an electric blanket (9), a breathable material (10), a vacuum film (11), a vacuum base (12), a vacuum nozzle (13), and a double-sided sealing tape (14). The repair layer (1) is applied to the area to be repaired. The hot end of the thermocouple (2) is horizontally sealed and applied to the edge of the repair layer (1) by high-temperature tape (3). The release layer (4) covers the repair layer (1) and the thermocouple (2). The porous isolation membrane (5) covers the release layer (4). The fiberglass cloth (6) covers the porous isolation membrane (5). The non-porous isolation membrane (7) covers the fiberglass cloth (6). The pressure equalizing plate (8) covers the non-porous isolation membrane (7). The electric blanket (9) covers the pressure equalizing plate (8). The breathing material (10) covers the electric blanket (9). The vacuum base (12) is placed diagonally on the breathing material (10). The vacuum film (11) is bonded to the part to be repaired by double-sided sealing tape (14) to form a vacuum sealing bag, and is connected to the vacuum base (12) by a vacuum nozzle (13). The vacuum nozzle (13) is connected to an external vacuum pump.

2. The composite material repair layup curing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hot end of the thermocouple (2) is sealed by a high-temperature tape (3) laid laterally, and the high-temperature tape (3) completely covers the connection area between the thermocouple (2) and the repair layer (1).

3. The composite material repair layup curing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The peeling layer (4) is made of breathable material and its size is 100 mm larger than the coverage area of ​​the repair layer (1) on all sides.

4. The composite material repair layup curing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The porous separator (5) is disposed above the release layer (4) and has the same size as the release layer (4), with uniform pores distributed on its surface for the permeation of resin and gas.

5. The composite material repair layup curing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fiberglass cloth (6) is an adhesive-absorbing layer, and its size is consistent with that of the porous separator (5).

6. The composite material repair layup curing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The non-porous isolation membrane (7) is an impermeable material used to prevent resin from contaminating the upper components, and its size is the same as that of the electric blanket (9).

7. The composite material repair layup curing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The equalizing plate (8) is a thin metal plate with uniform temperature and pressure, and its size is consistent with that of the non-porous isolation membrane (7).

8. The composite material repair layup curing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electric blanket (9) is connected to the same control terminal as the thermocouple (2) and is in direct contact with the equalizing plate (8). The size of the electric blanket (9) is 50 mm larger than the coverage area of ​​the repair layer (1) on all sides.

9. A composite material repair layup curing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The breathing material (10) is a multi-layer high-density breathable cotton, which is placed on top of the electric blanket (9) and its size is the same as that of the glass fiber cloth (6).

10. A composite material repair layup curing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vacuum base (12) consists of two units, which are diagonally positioned on the breathing material (10) and connected to the vacuum film (11) via a vacuum nozzle (13).

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