Multi-perforated Composite Acoustic Skin Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing multi-perforated acoustic skins made of composite material are inefficient due to the need for expensive piercing or cutting tools, frequent tool replacement, and lengthy, multi-step processes.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the formation of a fibrous preform by draping fibers on a mandrel with protuberances, followed by a heat treatment to transform the precursor into a matrix, eliminating the need for mechanical piercing and specific tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If mechanical piercing or cutting tools are used to create perforations, then the acoustic skin can be manufactured with the required perforations, but the manufacturing process becomes expensive and time-consuming due to tool costs and frequent replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The mandrel with protuberances is prepared in advance with the exact geometry and arrangement of required perforations. This preliminary configuration allows the perforations to be formed directly during the single heat treatment step without requiring subsequent mechanical piercing or tool replacement, thereby reducing manufacturing cost and time while maintaining precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical piercing or cutting system is replaced by a thermal field-based process. The heat treatment transforms the precursor material into a matrix that consolidates the fibrous reinforcement and eliminates the mandrel and protuberances, forming perforations without mechanical contact. This substitution eliminates tool costs and replacement needs while achieving the required perforation precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple manufacturing steps are implemented for perforation creation, then the acoustic skin can be manufactured with required precision, but the manufacturing time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple operations are merged into a single heat treatment step: the transformation of precursor to matrix, the consolidation of fibrous reinforcement, the elimination of mandrel and protuberances, and the formation of perforations all occur simultaneously. This merging achieves the required perforation geometry while dramatically reducing manufacturing time compared to sequential mechanical processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The mandrel and protuberances are pre-configured with the exact final geometry of the perforations before the heat treatment. This preliminary action ensures that when the heat treatment eliminates these components, the desired perforation geometry is automatically achieved in one step, eliminating the need for subsequent machining or drilling operations.
3Manufacturing precision
If expensive piercing or cutting tools are used, then the acoustic skin can be manufactured with required perforations, but the manufacturing cost increases due to tool acquisition and replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The expensive mechanical piercing or cutting tools are replaced by a thermal field-based process using a heat treatment step. This substitution eliminates the need for acquisition and replacement of costly mechanical tools, significantly reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining the precision required for perforation creation through thermal transformation and material consolidation.
Solution Approach 2:
The mandrel and protuberances are designed as disposable, low-cost components that are eliminated during the heat treatment process. Rather than investing in expensive, durable mechanical tools that require maintenance and replacement, the process uses inexpensive, single-use mandrel components that are thermally destroyed along with the precursor material, transforming them into the final matrix structure.
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
This method enables the cost-effective and efficient manufacture of multi-perforated acoustic skins with complex shapes, reducing manufacturing time and eliminating the need for expensive tools and lengthy processes.
Implementation Method 1
carrying out a heat treatment for transforming the precursor into a matrix so as to obtain a multi-perforated acoustic skin made of composite material comprising a fibrous reinforcement densified by said matrix
Implementation Method 2
the mandrel and the protuberances can each be made of a material that melts at a temperature lower than the heat-treatment temperature for transforming the precursor into a matrix
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing a multi-perforated acoustic skin out of composite material for an acoustic attenuation structure, the method including forming a fibrous preform including a matrix precursor material, carrying out a heat treatment for transforming the precursor into a matrix so as to obtain a multi-perforated acoustic skin made of composite material including a fibrous reinforcement densified by the matrix, the forming of the fibrous preform including draping fibers on a surface of a mandrel including protuberances, and the mandrel and the protuberances can be each made of a material that melts at a temperature lower than the heat-treatment temperature for transforming the precursor into a matrix in such a way as to eliminate the mandrel and the protuberances during the transforming heat treatment step.