Composite Wing Box Manufacturing with Removable Tooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for manufacturing aircraft wing boxes, such as the 'build-up' configuration, are costly and heavy due to numerous parts and drilling operations, and the co-cured multi-spar technology is limited in applicability and unable to handle structures requiring high torsional strength or complex configurations.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a single curing process for a wing box composed of stiffened panels and ribs, using auxiliary tools with removable central parts to allow for precise positioning and assembly, enabling the creation of more complex configurations with greater torsional strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the build-up configuration with multiple separate components is used, then the manufacturing flexibility and structural adaptability are improved, but the production cost and assembly complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate structural components (panels, ribs, stringers) into a single integrated co-cured composite structure. This eliminates the need for separate manufacturing and assembly of individual parts, directly reducing assembly complexity while maintaining structural adaptability through the integrated design that allows complex geometries to be formed in a single curing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated co-cured structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support, aerodynamic shaping, and structural reinforcement through the unified composite construction. The single structure performs the roles of multiple separate components (panels, ribs, stringers) that would otherwise require separate manufacturing and assembly operations.
2Ease of operation
If the build-up configuration with mechanical fastening is used, then the structural assembly flexibility is improved, but the structure weight increases due to holes and fastening members
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple components into a single co-cured composite structure, eliminating the need for mechanical fastening members and associated holes. This merging approach directly reduces structure weight by removing the weight of fasteners, holes, and localized thickening required for mechanical connections, while maintaining assembly flexibility through the integrated monolithic construction.
3Weight of moving object
If the co-cured multi-spar technology is used, then the production cost and weight are reduced, but the applicability is limited to simple horizontal stabilizer configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs removable auxiliary tools that can be dynamically positioned and removed during the curing process, allowing the structure to adapt to complex geometries. This dynamic tooling approach enables the co-cured process to handle highly curved aerodynamic profiles, inner thickening, and interrupted stringers that were previously impossible with static tooling, thereby expanding configuration applicability while maintaining weight advantages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces removable auxiliary tools as intermediary elements during the curing process to enable complex configurations. These tools act as mediators that allow the formation of highly curved profiles and complex geometries during curing, then are removed to reveal the final complex structure. This intermediary approach extends the applicability of co-cured technology to wing boxes and tail units requiring high torsional strength.
4Reliability
If traditional drilling and fastening operations are used, then the structural connection reliability is improved, but the production time and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs structural connections preliminarily during the co-curing process itself, rather than through subsequent drilling and fastening operations. The integrated curing process simultaneously bonds all structural components (panels, ribs, stringers) into a unified structure, eliminating the need for separate connection operations and significantly reducing production time while maintaining connection reliability through the monolithic composite construction.
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 method reduces production costs and weight by minimizing the number of parts and fastening members, while enabling the production of wing boxes with higher torsional strength and more complex geometries, making it economically competitive with traditional methods.
Implementation Method 1
a method for manufacturing a wing box for aircraft wherein the wing box comprises a first and a second panel, stiffened with a plurality of longitudinal reinforcement stringers, and a plurality of ribs, arranged transversely, which are subjected to a single curing process
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing a wing box for aircraft comprises the steps of arranging, on a curing surface, a first panel of composite material, alternately arranging, on the first panel, along a transverse direction, a rib of non-polymerized composite material and a tool comprising a central part, a bottom part and a top part, wherein the central part of each tool is interposed between said bottom part and the top part and may be extracted in a transverse direction, arranging a second panel of composite material by putting said second panel in contact with the flanges of each rib, pulling out the central part of each tool along the transverse direction and removing the top part and the bottom part of each tool, and subjecting the first panel, the second panel, and each rib to a curing process in autoclave with vacuum bag.