Pressurized Housing Membrane Composite Forming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for forming composite laminate components with complex geometries, such as overhangs, undercuts, and concave/convex surfaces, fail to adequately compact stacked materials, requiring additional processing like debulking to achieve the desired shape.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a pressurized housing with a membrane positioned between the stacked material and a tool, where the housing is pressurized to direct the membrane towards the tool as it moves into position, ensuring contact and compaction of the material against complex geometries, using a pressurized fluid source and a displacement mechanism to control the tool's movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a membrane is used to facilitate shaping the stacked material, then the stacked material can be shaped into component form, but the membrane bridges over complex geometries and does not cause adequate compaction
Solution Approach 1:
A fluid coupling device is introduced as an intermediary between the membrane and the stacked material. This fluid coupling device transmits force from the membrane to the stacked material, ensuring adequate compaction while maintaining the membrane's shaping function. The fluid acts as a mediator that bridges the gap between the membrane's bridging behavior and the material's compaction requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses pneumatic or hydraulic pressure to force fluid through the fluid coupling device. This pressurized fluid transmits force uniformly to the stacked material, achieving adequate compaction even in complex geometries. The use of fluid pressure resolves the contradiction by providing both the shaping action (through the membrane) and the compaction action (through the pressurized fluid).
2Manufacturing precision
If additional processing such as debulking is used to properly form the stacked material, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid coupling device performs the compaction action during the primary forming process itself, rather than as a separate subsequent operation. By integrating the compaction function into the forming step through fluid pressure transmission, the system achieves proper material density without requiring additional debulking processing steps, thereby maintaining high productivity while ensuring forming quality.
3Ease of operation
If the membrane is extended over the stacked material and tool, then shaping is facilitated, but the membrane bridges over complex geometries causing inadequate contact
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid coupling device serves as an intermediary that ensures direct contact between the force transmission system and the stacked material. It transmits the shaping forces from the membrane through the fluid to the material, ensuring that even complex geometries receive adequate contact and force application, thereby improving geometric fidelity while maintaining shaping 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
This approach effectively shapes stacked materials into components with complex geometries without the need for additional debulking, increasing operational efficiency and reducing formation costs and time.
Implementation Method 1
the housing is pressurized to direct the membrane towards the tool as the tool is moved into position
Data Source
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AI summary
A system for forming material includes a housing including at least one wall defining an interior space. The housing is configured to contain a pressurized fluid in the interior space. The system also includes at least one tool configured to shape the material. The at least one tool is movable along a path from a first position extemal to the housing to a second position at least partially within the interior space. The system further includes a membrane extending at least partially in the path of the at least one tool.