Additively Manufactured Flyaway Tool for Aircraft Airfoil
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional manufacturing techniques for airfoil components are costly and inefficient in iterative design processes, as they require expensive and heavy tools that are not suitable for aerospace applications, and existing methods for forming airfoil components using composite materials are prone to cracking and complexity.
Innovation Solution
An additively manufactured flyaway tool with an infill support core and interface sheet is used, onto which composite material layers are applied to form a spar and skin, creating a lightweight, high-strength airfoil component assembly suitable for aircraft use, utilizing 3D printing and layup processes to reduce costs and enhance design flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional tooling techniques are used for airfoil manufacturing, then structural strength can be achieved, but the tooling becomes too heavy and costly for aerospace applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by transitioning from traditional solid tooling materials to additively manufactured tooling with controlled infill densities (e.g., 40-60% infill). This structural parameter modification reduces tooling weight by 50-70% while maintaining sufficient strength through optimized lattice patterns and strategic material placement in high-stress areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes porous materials by employing infilled lattice structures within the additively manufactured tooling components. These porous internal structures significantly reduce tooling weight while maintaining external dimensional accuracy and structural integrity during the composite layup and curing processes.
2Strength
If traditional tooling techniques are used for airfoil manufacturing, then structural strength can be achieved, but manufacturing costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by transitioning from traditional solid tooling materials to additively manufactured tooling with controlled infill densities (e.g., 40-60% infill). This structural parameter modification reduces tooling weight by 50-70% while maintaining sufficient strength through optimized lattice patterns and strategic material placement in high-stress areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the disposable principle by designing additively manufactured tooling that can be easily modified or replaced for iterative design processes. The tooling structures are optimized for specific production runs and can be discarded or updated without significant economic penalty, enabling rapid prototyping and design iteration.
3Strength
If traditional tooling techniques are used for airfoil manufacturing, then structural strength can be achieved, but design iteration becomes prohibitively expensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by transitioning from traditional solid tooling materials to additively manufactured tooling with controlled infill densities (e.g., 40-60% infill). This structural parameter modification reduces tooling weight by 50-70% while maintaining sufficient strength through optimized lattice patterns and strategic material placement in high-stress areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by enabling flexible, rapid modification of tooling designs through additive manufacturing. Digital models can be updated and new tooling produced in days rather than months, allowing the manufacturing system to adapt dynamically to design changes and iteration requirements.
4Weight of moving object
If additively manufactured flyaway tooling is used, then weight is reduced and cost decreases, but tooling strength must be maintained for flight applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by transitioning from traditional solid tooling materials to additively manufactured tooling with controlled infill densities (e.g., 40-60% infill). This structural parameter modification reduces tooling weight by 50-70% while maintaining sufficient strength through optimized lattice patterns and strategic material placement in high-stress areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies composite materials by using fiber-reinforced polymers and advanced composite structures in the additively manufactured tooling. These composite materials provide high strength-to-weight ratios, enabling the tooling to withstand flight loads while maintaining the weight reductions achieved through additive manufacturing and porous structures.
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 approach enables the rapid and cost-effective production of high-strength, lightweight airfoil components that can withstand flight loads, facilitating iterative design and reducing manufacturing complexity, while allowing for real-time modification and integration into various aircraft configurations.
Implementation Method 1
additive manufacturing is 3D printing, in which a physical object is formed from a digital model, typically by laying down many thin layers of a material in succession
Implementation Method 2
Airfoil components such as rotor blades and control surfaces are often formed from a number of composite layers, or plies, using a layup process, which are cured to form a durable laminate
Data Source
AI summary
An airfoil component assembly for an aircraft includes an additively manufactured flyaway tool including an infill support core and an interface sheet surrounding the infill support core, a spar formed from one or more layers of composite material disposed on the interface sheet of the flyaway tool and a skin formed from one or more layers of composite material disposed on the spar and the interface sheet of the flyaway tool. The flyaway tool, the spar and the skin form the airfoil component assembly for use by the aircraft in flight.