Honeycomb Core Venting Pathways via Resin Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
During the manufacturing of composite parts with honeycomb cores, volatiles generated in Out of Autoclave (OOA) production systems can lead to quality issues like bubbling and delamination due to insufficient venting pathways, increasing manufacturing costs with existing solutions.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for creating honeycomb cores with venting pathways by controlling resin application on sheets to form resin affinity and repellant portions, allowing for the formation of open cells and communication between them, enabling effective volatile escape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the honeycomb core walls are made non-permeable to maintain structural integrity, then bending strength is improved, but volatiles cannot escape causing bubbling and delamination
Solution Approach 1:
The honeycomb core walls are segmented into permeable regions and non-permeable regions. The permeable regions allow volatiles to escape while the non-permeable regions maintain structural integrity. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by providing dedicated pathways for volatile escape without compromising the overall structural strength of the honeycomb core.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the honeycomb core walls have different permeability properties. Specifically, certain walls are made permeable to allow volatile escape while other walls remain non-permeable to maintain structural strength. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between strength and volatile venting.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If processing time is increased to allow degassing, then volatile escape is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Venting pathways are incorporated into the honeycomb core structure during manufacturing, before the composite part is fully cured. This preliminary incorporation of venting capability allows volatiles to escape during the normal processing cycle without requiring extended processing time, thus resolving the contradiction between effective degassing and manufacturing efficiency.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If additional processing steps are added to score the composite part, then venting pathways are created, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Venting pathways are built into the honeycomb core structure during the initial manufacturing process, before composite part curing. This preliminary formation of venting pathways eliminates the need for additional post-manufacturing steps such as scoring, thereby resolving the contradiction between creating effective venting and maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The honeycomb core structure itself provides the venting function through its inherently permeable walls, without requiring external intervention or additional processing steps. The structure serves its primary load-bearing function while simultaneously providing volatile escape pathways, resolving the contradiction between venting effectiveness and manufacturing 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
This approach reduces manufacturing costs by allowing low-cost venting and degassing pathways, preventing quality issues such as bubbling and delamination, while maintaining the structural integrity of composite parts.
Implementation Method 1
a resin repellant portion (12B) that prevents adhesion of the resin to the sheet (12)
Implementation Method 2
a resin affinity portion (12A) that promotes adhesion of the resin to the sheet (12)
Data Source
AI summary
A method for creating a honeycomb core having venting pathways includes controlling where a resin is applied to sheets to form the venting pathways. A honeycomb substrate is then formed from the sheets.