Method for manufacturing a hybrid large component for an aircraft and hybrid large component

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a large hybrid component for an aircraft comprising the following steps: -Production of a basic component (1) of the hybrid large component in its basic form, wherein -an additional functional structure (2) and a guide contour (3) reduced in scale with respect to a target shape of an outer contour (4) of the basic component (12) are applied to the basic component (1) by additive manufacturing, and -a mobile hand tool with a reference surface is provided for producing the desired shape of the outer contour (4), and -the outer contour (4) of the base component (1) is machined by the hand tool by guiding the hand tool with the reference surface on the guide contour (3) during the movement.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a hybrid large component for an aircraft having the features of the preamble of claim 1 and a hybrid large component having the features of the preamble of claim 7.

[0002] Hybrid large components for aircraft include, for example, wall or window panels of the aircraft structure. These have comparatively large external dimensions and a predefined outer contour, allowing them to be integrated into and complete the overall structure of the aircraft wall. Furthermore, such hybrid large components feature an additional functional structure, such as mounting points or stiffening ribs. Besides their primary function of completing the overall structure, these components serve an additional purpose, such as stiffening the structure or attaching additional components.

[0003] One problem in manufacturing these large hybrid components is, firstly, their sheer size, and secondly, their complex shape, including the defined outer contour and the design of the additional functional structure. This necessitates the production of comparatively large and expensive machine tools, particularly 4-axis CNC machining centers. Furthermore, if the components are initially manufactured in their basic form using a 3D printing process and then subsequently machined on such a 4-axis CNC machine, it is essential to remeasure the components before machining them on the CNC machine.

[0004] In addition to the high manufacturing costs, this production method has the further disadvantage that the CNC machining centers are not portable during normal operation, and the large components must always be transported to the machining center for processing, then held and measured within it. Flexible on-site machining of large components is not possible with such machines.

[0005] Against this background, the invention aims to provide a flexible and cost-effective method for manufacturing a large hybrid component for an aircraft and a large hybrid component with simplified machinability.

[0006] To solve the problem, a method with the features of claim 1 and a hybrid large component with the features of claim 7 are proposed. Further preferred embodiments can be found in the dependent claims, the figures, and the accompanying description.

[0007] Claim 1 proposes a method for manufacturing a large hybrid component for an aircraft comprising the following steps: -Production of a basic component of the hybrid large component in its basic form, wherein -an additional functional structure and a guide contour, scaled down in relation to a target shape of an outer contour of the basic component, are applied to the basic component by additive manufacturing, and -a mobile hand tool with a fixed reference surface is provided for producing the desired shape of the outer contour, and -the outer contour of the base component is machined by the hand tool, by guiding the hand tool with the reference surface on the guide contour during the movement.

[0008] The advantage of the proposed method compared to conventional machining of the large component in a CNC machining center lies in the fact that the large component is not manufactured using a complex machining process in a CNC machine, but instead in three considerably simpler machining processes. First, a basic component of the large component is manufactured in its basic form. Depending on the material and shape of the basic component, various individual manufacturing devices are conceivable, with large-format manufacturing devices being used that correspond to the surface area of ​​the basic component. Depending on the material, such manufacturing devices could be, for example, bending devices, pressing devices, fiber composite manufacturing devices, and the like.In a second step of the proposed process, the functional structures and a guide contour are then produced or applied to the base component using additive manufacturing. This involves depositing material onto the base component, without machining the base component itself, or only through preparatory measures prior to material deposition. The applied guide contour is of particular importance because it enables machining of the base component in the area of ​​the outer contour to produce the desired shape in a third step using a hand tool. To produce the outer contour, the operator simply needs to place the hand tool with its reference surface against the guide contour and then trace the guide contour with the hand tool, while the base component is machined, for example, with a milling cutter or grinding attachment on its end face or edge to produce the outer contour.The invention particularly enables the basic component to be machined with a hand tool, allowing it to be machined at an optimal location without the need for time-consuming transport to and clamping of a machining center. Furthermore, prior measurement or calibration of the basic component is unnecessary, as the "information" about the desired shape of the outer contour is contained within the guide contour of the basic component itself.

[0009] This makes the overall production of the large component simpler, more cost-effective and more flexible with regard to the processing location.

[0010] It is further proposed that the basic component also be manufactured using additive manufacturing, which would allow particularly complex shapes of the basic component to be produced cost-effectively and in a simplified manner.

[0011] It is further proposed that the basic component in its basic form, the additional functional structure, and the guide contour be manufactured sequentially in a single additive manufacturing process using an identical material. The large component is thus produced cost-effectively in a single manufacturing step, comprising the basic component, the functional structure, and the guide contour, while the desired shape of the outer contour is then produced in a second step using hand tools.

[0012] It is further proposed that the functional structure, the guide contour, and / or the base component be made of different materials. This allows the substructures to be individually and better designed to fulfill their intended function. For example, the base component and the functional structure can have a load-bearing function and therefore be made of a correspondingly strong material such as metal, fiber-reinforced plastic, or the like, while the guide contour does not have a load-bearing function and can therefore only be made of plastic. In particular, it is possible to make the guide contour from a removable or even soluble material, so that after the manufacture of the main component, it can either be mechanically removed or dissolved using a suitable solvent.As a result, the guide contour is no longer visible, and the large component has an improved visual appearance.

[0013] It is further proposed that the basic component has a visible side, and that the guide contour and the functional structure are arranged on the side of the basic component facing away from the visible side. Thus, the guide contour and the functional structure are not visible when the large component is installed in the aircraft; they are practically hidden.

[0014] To solve the problem, a hybrid large component for an aircraft is proposed, consisting of a base component with an attached functional structure and an attached outer contour. A guide contour, scaled down relative to a target contour of the outer contour, is provided on one of the base surfaces of the base component. As a pre-product, the proposed hybrid large component enables simplified manufacturing of the large component using a hand tool. The operator guides the tool along the guide contour with a reference surface, as described above, and uses a machining head to modify the outer contour at the edge and / or a section of the surface to match the target contour.

[0015] The guide contour can preferably be formed by a continuous edge raised from the base component, so that the outer contour can be produced by a single uninterrupted machining operation with the hand tool.

[0016] The height of the rim can preferably be less than the thickness of the base component. The guide contour, formed by the raised rim, serves to guide the hand tool and otherwise has no function, particularly no structural function. Therefore, the proposed smaller rim height allows the overall thickness of the hybrid component to be reduced without any disadvantages for the component.

[0017] It is further proposed that the functional structure be formed by a threaded connection, a structurally stiffening rib, or a window cutout. The functional structure thus serves to realize an additional function, which improves the integration and / or fastening of the large component into the overall structure of the aircraft or creates further properties for the large component.

[0018] The invention is described below with reference to a preferred embodiment and the accompanying illustration. Fig. 1 explained in more detail. This shows Fig. 1 a hybrid large component according to the invention for an aircraft.

[0019] In the Fig.Figure 1 shows a hybrid large component according to the invention, which is formed by a plate-shaped curved base component 1 with an outer contour 4, on which a functional structure 2, formed by four threaded projections, and a guide contour 3, in the form of a raised edge, are provided.

[0020] The basic component 1 is formed in a first manufacturing step, depending on the material, e.g., as a metal part using a bending or pressing process, whereby the outer contour 4 is pre-formed in a previous step by a stamping process, laser cutting process, or the like. If the basic component 1 is made of a fiber-reinforced composite material, it is laminated in a suitable mold using known methods. Furthermore, the basic component 1 can also be manufactured using a 3D printing process, preferably using the FFF process with the aid of robots. The basic component 1 produced in this way is then provided with the functional structure 2 and the guide contour 3 by additive manufacturing in a single material application. For this purpose, the material is, e.g.,The material is applied using a 3D printing process, laser sintering process, or similar method, whereby the additive material deposition also enables complex shaping of the functional structure 2 and the guide contour 3 in different materials. The guide contour 3 is formed by a raised edge located on the side of the base component 1 facing away from the visible side, the height of which is less than the thickness of the base component 1. The guide contour 3 is continuous and applied in such a way that it corresponds to a scaled-down version of the outer contour 4 in the final target shape.

[0021] The basic component 1, thus produced, with the functional structure 2 and the guide contour 3, is then further processed in a third machining step using a hand tool, which could be, for example, a mobile hand-held milling machine, hand-held grinding machine, or the like. The hand tool has a reference surface which is positioned at a defined, preferably adjustable, distance from the actual machining tool, e.g., the milling head or grinding head. The operator can produce the desired outer shape 4 of the basic component 1, or of the hybrid large component to be produced, using the hand tool. This is achieved by placing the hand tool with its reference surface against the outer edge of the guide contour 3 and then moving the hand tool around the circumference of the basic component 1 or the hybrid large component. Machining of the outer edge as well as a limited edge section of the surfaces of the basic component 1 is possible.The information regarding the final shape of the outer contour 4 is therefore contained in the shape and course of the scaled-down guide contour 3, i.e., in the basic component 1 itself.

[0022] Depending on the order and material properties, the guide contour 3 can either remain on the hybrid large component or be removed again.

[0023] The functional structure 2 and the guide contour 3 are arranged on the side facing away from the visible side of the hybrid large component or the basic component 1, so that they are no longer recognizable after the large component has been installed in the higher-level structure of the aircraft.

[0024] The functional structure 2, guide contour 3, and the base component 1 can be made of different materials depending on the requirements. If the hybrid large component is manufactured in a single additive manufacturing process with the base component 1, the guide contour 3, and the functional structure 2, these are preferably made of an identical material.

[0025] Alternatively, the base component 1, the functional structure 2, and the guide contour 3 can also be made of different materials, provided this is necessary or advantageous for fulfilling their functions. The guide contour 2 can also be made of a removable or soluble material, so that it can be removed after the main component has been manufactured or dissolved again using a suitable solvent. The guide contour 2 can, for example, be bonded or connected to the base component 1 via predetermined breaking points.

Claims

[1] Method for manufacturing a hybrid large component for an aircraft comprising the following steps: -Production of a basic component (1) of the hybrid large component in its basic form, characterized by , that -an additional functional structure (2) and a guide contour (3) reduced in scale with respect to a target shape of an outer contour (4) of the basic component (12) are applied to the basic component (1) by additive manufacturing, and -a mobile hand tool with a reference surface is provided for producing the desired shape of the outer contour (4), and -the outer contour (4) of the base component (1) is machined by the hand tool by guiding the hand tool with the reference surface on the guide contour (3) during the movement. [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by , that -the basic component (1) is manufactured using additive manufacturing. [3] Method according to claims 1 and 2, characterized by , that -the basic component (1) in its basic form, the additional functional structure (2) and the guide contour (3) are produced successively in a single additive manufacturing process using an identical material. [4] Method according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized by , that -the functional structure (2), the guide contour (3) and / or the basic component (1) are made of different materials. [5] Method according to claim 1 or 2 or claim 4, characterized by , that -the basic component (1) and the guide contour (3) are made of different materials. [6] Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by , that -the basic component (1) has a visible side, and -the guide contour (3) and the functional structure (2) are arranged on the side of the basic component (1) facing away from the visible side. [7] Hybrid large component for an aircraft formed by a basic component (1) with a functional structure (2) arranged on it and an outer contour (4), characterized by , that a guide contour (3) reduced in scale with respect to a target shape of the outer contour (4) is provided on a base surface of the basic component (1). [8] Hybrid large component according to claim 1, characterized by , that the guide contour (3) is formed by a continuous edge raised above the base component (1). [9] Hybrid large component according to claim 8, characterized by , that the height of the edge is less than the thickness of the base component (1). [10] Hybrid large component according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized bythat the functional structure is formed by a threaded attachment, a structure-stiffening rib or a window cutout.

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