Modular Mold Parts for Composite Internal Walls
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing of composite structures with multiple cavities and internal walls is limited by the inability to properly apply pressure to all wall surfaces during curing, requiring the production and assembly of individual components before bonding or mechanical fastening.
Innovation Solution
A method and tool assembly that allows for the manufacture of monolithic components with internal walls by using interconnected mold parts on a support plate, where the mold parts can move relative to each other to apply compressive force to uncured composite material, ensuring pressure is maintained during curing, and a tool assembly with detachable mold parts that allow limited movement to form internal walls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If multiple individual components are manufactured and assembled, then pressure can be applied to external walls during curing, but the structure cannot include internal walls and requires bonding/fastening steps
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is divided into multiple detachable mold parts, each capable of moving independently to apply pressure to different regions of the composite material. This segmentation allows the formation of internal walls while maintaining the ability to apply pressure during curing.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple mold parts are interconnected through connections that allow limited relative movement, merging them into a coordinated system that functions as a unified pressure application mechanism during curing while maintaining individual mobility.
2Stress or pressure
If mold parts are fixed in position, then structural stability is maintained, but pressure cannot be applied to internal wall surfaces during curing
Solution Approach 1:
The mold parts are designed with movable connections that allow limited relative movement between parts. This dynamic capability enables the mold parts to move and apply pressure to internal wall surfaces during curing, while the limited movement constraint maintains positional control.
3Productivity
If a monolithic structure with internal walls is manufactured, then parts count and assembly steps are reduced, but the ability to apply pressure to all surfaces during curing is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The monolithic mold is segmented into multiple movable parts that can independently adjust their positions. This allows each segment to apply pressure to specific regions of the composite material, ensuring uniform pressure distribution across all surfaces including internal walls during curing.
Solution Approach 2:
The interconnected mold parts are designed with movable joints that allow limited relative movement. This dynamic configuration enables the mold parts to adapt their positions during curing to maintain proper pressure on all wall surfaces, achieving both monolithic construction and precise pressure control.
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
Enables the production of complex composite structures with reduced parts count, assembly steps, and manufacturing costs by applying consistent pressure to all surfaces, including internal walls, during a single curing operation, resulting in improved dimensional accuracy and surface finish.
Implementation Method 1
biasing the second mold part toward the first mold part along a direction of the limited movement to provide a predetermined compressive force on the portion of the uncured composite material extending between the internal regions
Implementation Method 2
curing the composite material by heating the composite material under pressure while maintaining the bias along the direction of the limited movement
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing a monolithic component having internal wall(s), including separately placing uncured composite material on a mold parts, placing the mold parts on a support plate with a portion of the uncured composite material extending between and in contact with the adjacent mold parts, interconnecting the adjacent mold parts through a connection allowing limited relative movement on the support plate along a direction corresponding to a thickness of the uncured composite material therebetween, biasing the adjacent mold part toward each other along the limited relative movement to provide a compressive force on the uncured composite material extending therebetween, and curing the composite material to obtain the monolithic component with each internal wall being formed between adjacent mold parts. The bias causes the adjacent mold parts to move toward each other as the thickness of uncured material extending therebetween reduces during curing. A tool assembly is also discussed.