Particulate Prepreg Forming Aid for Composite Wrinkle Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Composite laminates for aircraft structures often experience wrinkling during formation, which existing methods fail to reliably prevent without increasing weight or labor costs, and current solutions impact mechanical properties or require design changes.
Innovation Solution
The method involves applying a particulate material with spatially varying tack and shear to prepreg ply surfaces to allow predetermined slippage between adjacent plies, reducing wrinkle formation by altering the interlaminar shear and tack values, thereby minimizing labor costs and weight increases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If manual lamination is used to form complex parts, then wrinkle formation can be reduced, but labor costs become prohibitive
Solution Approach 1:
A release film is introduced as an intermediary between the composite laminate and the draping tool. The release film has controlled friction properties that allow it to mediate the draping process, enabling automated formation while preventing wrinkles that would otherwise require manual intervention to prevent.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical manipulation with an automated draping system using a release film. The friction control inherent in the release film mechanism substitutes for skilled manual labor, allowing automated placement and draping of composite plies without the high labor costs associated with manual methods.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If heat is applied to facilitate forming, then wrinkle suppression improves, but mechanical properties are impacted and weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces thermal processing with a mechanical friction-based system. The release film's controlled friction properties enable wrinkle prevention through mechanical means during draping, eliminating the need for heat application and associated weight penalties from additional structural reinforcement.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If fibers are cut in specific areas to suppress wrinkles, then wrinkle formation is reduced, but structural integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The release film serves as a mediator that prevents wrinkles during the draping process without requiring fiber cuts. The friction control mechanism allows the laminate to drape smoothly over complex tooling geometries while maintaining continuous fiber paths and structural integrity.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If joggle design is altered to shallower ramp angle, then wrinkle formation is reduced, but weight of structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The release film intermediary enables smooth draping over the original joggle design geometry without requiring design modifications. The controlled friction allows the laminate to conform to the tooling shape including joggle areas while preventing wrinkles, eliminating the need for shallower ramp angles and associated weight increases.
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 significantly reduces or eliminates wrinkle formation in composite parts, improving their quality and reducing waste, while maintaining mechanical properties and avoiding weight increases, thus enhancing the efficiency of composite laminate production.
Implementation Method 1
applying a predetermined amount of a particulate material to a predetermined location of at least one of the prepreg ply front surface and the prepreg ply back surface; and by a predetermined amount varying slippage
Implementation Method 2
spatially varying tack values across areas of at least one surface of each ply
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems, and components made according to the methods and systems, are disclosed relating to improved methods for fabricating resin-containing composite prepreg materials, wherein the prepreg plies are treated with a particulate material to achieve predetermined spatially variable shear and tack values at a predetermined location on at least one prepreg ply surface of at least one prepreg ply.