Composite Forming Tool with Movable Sectors and Filler Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
The formation of composite components with integral flanges, such as those used in aerospace, is challenging due to misalignment issues with circumferentially spaced movable sectors, leading to poor quality flanges in existing manufacturing methods.
Innovation Solution
A tool with a curved body and forming assembly featuring radially outwardly movable forming elements and filler elements that form a continuous flange surface, utilizing complementary features for precise axial alignment and a drive mechanism to move the forming assembly from a lay-up to a forming configuration, ensuring accurate flange formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If circumferentially spaced movable sectors are used to form the flange, then the flange can be formed after laying up plies on the mould, but the sectors may become misaligned resulting in poor quality flange
Solution Approach 1:
The tool is divided into a curved body portion and a separate forming assembly with multiple circumferentially spaced forming elements. This segmentation allows the forming elements to be independently positioned and adjusted, enabling precise alignment while maintaining ease of manufacture. The forming assembly can be moved between lay-up and forming configurations without affecting the curved body portion.
Solution Approach 2:
A drive mechanism acts as an intermediary between the operator and the forming elements, providing controlled movement of the forming assembly. This intermediary mechanism ensures precise and consistent positioning of all forming elements, eliminating misalignment issues while maintaining ease of operation.
2Productivity
If the forming assembly is moved from lay-up to forming configuration, then the pre-form can be deformed to form the integral flange, but gaps may form between circumferentially spaced forming elements
Solution Approach 1:
The forming assembly is designed to be dynamically movable between lay-up and forming configurations. This dynamic capability allows the tool to efficiently transition between different operational states, improving productivity while maintaining precise control over forming element positioning to ensure continuous flange surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The forming elements are pre-positioned in the forming configuration with precise spacing and alignment before the forming operation begins. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the assembly is moved into the forming configuration, the elements maintain their relative positions and create a continuous flange surface without gaps or misalignment.
3Device complexity
If multiple circumferentially spaced forming elements are used, then the forming assembly can be compact and efficient, but the complexity of ensuring precise alignment and continuity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The forming assembly serves multiple functions: it provides the forming surface, maintains precise alignment through its structural design, and ensures continuity of the flange surface. This multi-functionality is achieved through the integrated design of the forming elements and their interconnections, which simultaneously address compactness, alignment, and continuity requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The forming elements are pre-configured with precise geometric relationships and interconnections that ensure alignment and continuity. This preliminary configuration reduces the complexity of ensuring precision during operation, as the elements are designed to maintain their relative positions throughout the forming process.
Data Source
AI summary
There is disclosed a tool (102) for forming a composite component having a curved body and an integral flange from a pre-form (200), the tool comprising: a curved body portion 104 having a lay-up surface (110); and a forming assembly (105) having a lay-up configuration and a forming configuration. The forming assembly comprises: a plurality of forming elements (106) each having a lay-up surface (120) and a primary flange-forming surface (122), the forming elements (106) being radially outwardly moveable between the lay-up configuration and the forming configuration, in which the forming elements are circumferentially spaced from one another; and a plurality of filler elements (107) each having a secondary flange-forming surface (156), the filler elements (107) being arranged to move into the circumferential gaps between the forming elements in the forming configuration so as to form a substantially continuous flange-forming surface. In use a pre-form (200) is disposed on the layup surfaces of the curved body portion (104) and the forming elements (106), and movement to the forming configuration causes the pre-form (200) to be deformed between the continuous flange-forming surface and a counteracting forming surface to form the integral flange (210).