Collapsible Support for Drape Forming Composite Charges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drape forming processes for composite structures, especially in complex applications like aircraft construction, face inefficiencies and cost issues due to the induction of buckles and wrinkles during deformation, limiting their use in non-planar surface contours.
Innovation Solution
A forming system comprising a forming die with a collapsible support that transitions between extended and collapsed conformations, creating a gap with a constant width to minimize stress and strain, allowing for the drape forming of composite charges without inducing buckles and wrinkles, and enabling the formation of complex shapes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional drape forming processes are used to deform layered composite charges, then the process can be implemented, but undesired buckles and wrinkles are induced within the layered charge
Solution Approach 1:
The composite charge is preliminarily formed on a flat support surface before deformation. This preliminary flat configuration allows the layers to be properly aligned and positioned before the actual drape forming deformation occurs, preventing buckles and wrinkles from developing during the process.
Solution Approach 2:
The support surface transitions from a static flat configuration to a dynamic deformed configuration that matches the desired final shape of the composite charge. This controlled dynamic transition allows the composite charge to deform uniformly without creating surface defects.
2Manufacturing precision
If layer-by-layer assembly of composite material is used on a layup mandrel, then composite structures with non-planar surface contours can be constructed, but the process is inefficient and costly for larger and more complex structures
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple layers of composite material are preliminarily assembled on a flat support surface in a single operation rather than being placed layer-by-layer on a complex mandrel. This preliminary flat assembly is then deformed as a complete unit to achieve the final non-planar shape, dramatically reducing assembly time.
Solution Approach 2:
The process separates the assembly operation from the shaping operation by performing assembly on a flat two-dimensional surface and then transforming to the three-dimensional final shape through controlled deformation, rather than attempting to assemble directly on the complex three-dimensional mandrel surface.
3Shape
If the support surface is removed or positioned too close to the forming surface, then the composite charge can conform to the forming surface, but stress and strain concentration occurs causing buckles and wrinkles
Solution Approach 1:
The support surface is positioned at a specific optimized distance from the forming surface, creating a localized gap that provides uniform support during deformation. This controlled local spacing prevents stress concentration at any single point while maintaining overall conformity to the forming surface geometry.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively reduces the stress and strain on composite charges during deformation, minimizing defects and allowing for the efficient formation of complex shapes without buckles or wrinkles, thus improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the drape forming process.
Implementation Method 1
the collapsible support is configured to transition from an extended conformation, in which the support surface is configured to at least indirectly support a region of the composite charge that extends past the forming surface edge of the forming surface, to a collapsed conformation, in which the composite charge is unsupported by the support surface
Data Source
AI summary
Forming systems and methods for drape forming a composite charge are disclosed herein. The forming systems include a forming die having a forming surface configured to receive the composite charge and a collapsible support having a support surface. The forming surface has a forming surface edge that extends along a length of the forming surface, and the support surface has a die-proximate support surface edge that extends along the length of the support surface. The forming surface edge and the die-proximate support surface edge define a gap therebetween. A shape of the die-proximate support surface edge corresponds to a shape of the forming surface edge such that a gap width of the gap is at least substantially constant along a length of the gap. The collapsible support is configured to transition from an extended conformation to a collapsed conformation. The methods include methods of utilizing the systems.