Composite Core Reinforcement for Mechanical Fastening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Partially hollow honeycomb cores used in composite panels for storage trailers often lack the strength required for mechanical fastening in commercial applications, despite offering cost and weight advantages over solid cores.
Innovation Solution
A method of producing a composite core member by providing a partially hollow structure, cutting it into discrete sections, and securing reinforced plastic bands within the gaps to enhance strength, involving steps like vacuum forming, cutting, and thermally welding the bands to the honeycomb structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of stationary object
If partially hollow honeycomb cores are used to reduce material cost and weight, then weight and cost are improved, but strength is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines honeycomb structure with solid plastic material to create a composite core. The solid material is injected into selected cells of the honeycomb structure, creating regions of different density and strength. This composite approach maintains the weight advantages of hollow structures while providing localized strength enhancement where mechanical fastening is required.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies selective reinforcement by injecting solid plastic material into specific honeycomb cells rather than making the entire core solid. This creates local variations in material properties, with reinforced zones providing enhanced strength for fastening applications while unreinforced zones maintain low weight. The reinforcement is strategically placed based on required mechanical performance.
2Ease of manufacture
If partially hollow honeycomb cores are used to reduce material cost, then cost is improved, but strength is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite construction combining honeycomb structure with injected solid plastic material. This approach maintains cost efficiency by using less material than a fully solid core while providing enhanced strength through strategic reinforcement. The manufacturing process integrates material injection into existing honeycomb structures, maintaining production efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements selective reinforcement where solid plastic material is injected only into specific honeycomb cells that require enhanced strength for mechanical fastening. This local quality approach reduces overall material consumption and cost compared to fully solid cores, while providing necessary strength at critical locations.
3Strength
If reinforced plastic bands are added to honeycomb structure to increase strength, then strength is improved, but device complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates reinforcement elements directly into the honeycomb structure through material injection. The solid plastic material becomes part of the honeycomb cell walls, creating a unified composite structure. This integration approach enhances strength while minimizing added complexity, as the reinforcement is incorporated during manufacturing rather than added as separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the reinforcement function with the existing honeycomb structure by injecting solid material into selected cells. This combining approach creates a unified structure where reinforcement and base material work together, avoiding the need for separate reinforcement components and reducing overall structural complexity.
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 method increases the strength of the composite core member, particularly in areas requiring mechanical fastening, while maintaining weight and cost benefits, thereby addressing the strength limitations of traditional honeycomb cores.
Implementation Method 1
vacuum forming a thermoplastic sheet of material into a plurality of pairs of shapes on a production line
Implementation Method 2
thermally welding the bands to the honeycomb structure
Data Source
AI summary
A method of producing a core for a composite panel along a continuous production line is disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing a thermoplastic sheet of material onto the production line and vacuum forming the thermoplastic sheet of material into alternating pairs of matching shapes, providing the thermoplastic sheet of material with alternating pairs of matching shapes onto upper and lower conveyor belts that are operating at lower speeds than the production line causing the pairs of matching shapes to bunch up and form a honeycomb structure, and cutting the honeycomb structure into discrete sections with spaces therebetween. A plurality of reinforced plastic bands with gaps therebetween are provided and the honeycomb structure is aligned with the gaps. The plurality of reinforced plastic bands and the honeycomb structure are secured together.