Timed Bladder Bonding Assembly for Adhesive Fillet Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bonding technologies face challenges in efficiently managing excess adhesive flow, as it often results in unconstrained overflow onto undesirable areas, requiring time-consuming and ergonomically risky removal processes, and existing solutions like elevated temperature curing or masking methods either damage components or increase fabrication costs.
Innovation Solution
A bonding assembly system featuring a bladder system with a hollowed frame and inflatable bladder that restricts and guides excess adhesive flow, using inflation to apply uniform pressure and form a design feature element, such as a bead fillet, by controlling the inflation timing and pressure to take advantage of the adhesive's viscosity before curing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If excess adhesive is allowed to flow freely during bonding, then the bonding process is simple and fast, but the adhesive overflows onto undesirable areas requiring time-consuming and risky removal operations
Solution Approach 1:
A bladder system acts as an intermediary element between the adhesive application area and the component surfaces. The bladder is positioned to allow controlled adhesive flow while preventing overflow onto undesirable areas. The system includes a removable cover with an opening that guides the bladder's external portion to apply adhesive precisely where needed, eliminating the need for post-bonding removal operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The bladder is constructed as a flexible shell that can be inflated to a controlled volume. This flexible structure allows the adhesive to be contained and directed along the external surface of the bladder, forming a uniform bead fillet pattern. The flexibility enables the bladder to conform to the bonding geometry while maintaining controlled adhesive flow boundaries.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If masking methods are used to prevent adhesive overflow, then adhesive containment is improved, but fabrication costs increase and component access is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The bladder system extracts the adhesive containment function from traditional masking methods. Instead of using separate masks or barriers, the adhesive is contained within and along the flexible bladder structure itself. The bladder's external surface becomes the adhesive carrier, eliminating the need for additional masking materials and simplifying the overall manufacturing process.
3Strength
If adhesive bead fillet is applied after bonding to ensure structural compliance, then structural integrity is improved, but process time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the adhesive bonding operation with the bead fillet formation operation into a single simultaneous process. The bladder is inflated during adhesive application, and its external surface directly forms the bead fillet as the adhesive cures. This eliminates the need for a separate secondary operation to apply the bead fillet after bonding, reducing process time while ensuring structural compliance.
Solution Approach 2:
The bladder is inflated in advance before complete adhesive curing occurs, allowing the external surface to shape the adhesive into the required bead fillet form. This preliminary action of inflating the bladder while the adhesive is still malleable ensures the structural compliance feature is formed during the primary bonding operation, rather than requiring a subsequent corrective operation.
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 allows for the efficient formation of a structurally compliant bead fillet with improved uniform dimensions, reducing the need for additional operations and minimizing damage to components, while enabling easy removal of excess adhesive, thus enhancing the bonding process.
Implementation Method 1
In response to inflating the bladder, the outer portion of the bladder extends through the opening and applies a force against the at least one component so as to form a design feature element from the malleable material
Data Source
AI summary
An assembly system includes a fixture configured to support a structure including at least one component to receive a malleable material, and a bladder system coupled to the fixture. The bladder system includes a hollowed frame having sidewalls that support a bladder disposed therein. The hollowed frame has an opening that exposes an outer portion of the bladder and is configured to guide the exposed outer portion externally from the hollowed frame toward a targeted area of the structure. In response to inflating the bladder, the outer portion of the bladder extends through the opening and applies a force against the at least one component so as to form a design feature element from the malleable material.