Continuous Mandrel Sleeving for Low-Waste CMC Preform Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for forming ceramic matrix composite (CMC) articles are time-consuming and wasteful due to substantial set-up times and lead-in regions that result in ceramic fiber waste.
Innovation Solution
A continuous mandrel body with distinct sections, including a pilot lead-in, article, and tapered transition sections, facilitates seamless braiding or weaving of ceramic fibers, allowing for efficient formation of CMC articles by minimizing mechanical joints and reducing waste through a continuous fabric sleeve that is divided to form separate preforms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional methods with separate mandrels are used for forming CMC articles, then each article can be formed independently, but production time increases and ceramic fiber waste increases due to repeated set-up and lead-in regions
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple separate mandrels are merged into a single continuous mandrel body that can form multiple CMC articles simultaneously. The continuous mandrel body includes multiple article sections arranged along its length, allowing continuous fabric sleeving to proceed without interruption between articles, thereby eliminating repeated set-up times and improving production efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The continuous mandrel body is pre-configured with multiple article sections and lead-in regions before production begins. This preliminary arrangement allows the fabric sleeving process to continuously progress through multiple articles without stopping for mandrel changes or set-up adjustments, reducing overall setup time
2Loss of substance
If traditional methods with separate mandrels are used for forming CMC articles, then each article can be formed independently, but ceramic fiber waste increases due to lead-in regions
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple article formations are merged into a single continuous process on one mandrel body. The lead-in region is established once at the beginning of the continuous mandrel rather than being repeated for each article, significantly reducing ceramic fiber waste while maintaining the ability to produce multiple articles efficiently
Solution Approach 2:
The fabric sleeving process maintains continuous action across multiple articles without interruption. The continuous mandrel body allows the fabric to be laid down continuously from the lead-in region through all article sections in sequence, eliminating the start-stop nature of traditional separate mandrel methods and reducing waste
3Productivity
If a continuous fabric sleeve is used to form multiple article preforms on a single mandrel, then production efficiency improves, but the complexity of dividing the mandrel and separating preforms increases
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous mandrel body is designed with distinct article sections that can be divided at predetermined locations. This segmentation allows the mandrel to be split into manageable sections, each containing one or more article preforms, facilitating easier separation and reducing the complexity of the division process
Solution Approach 2:
Article preforms are extracted from the continuous fabric sleeve at predetermined locations during the dividing process. By planning division points where articles can be cleanly separated, the complexity of handling and separating preforms is reduced while maintaining production efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes providing a continuous mandrel body disposed along an axis. The mandrel body defines, in order along the axis from a first end thereof, a pilot lead-in section, a first article section, a tapered transition section, and a second article section. Beginning at the pilot lead-in section, a continuous fabric sleeve is progressively formed on the mandrel body to the first article section, to the tapered transition section, and then to the second article section to form a fabric-covered mandrel. The portions of the continuous fabric sleeve that are on the first article section and the second article section form, respectively, a first article preform and a second article preform. The fabric-covered mandrel is then divided to separate the article preforms, followed by densifying the article preforms with a ceramic matrix material to thereby form CMC articles.