This disclosure generally relates to mandrel forming and more specifically to a method for forming mandrels for use in generating discrete stiffeners for three-dimensional panels.
Large panels for use with vehicles such as aircraft or watercraft my be reinforced using stiffeners such as Z-, C-, I-, J-, hat, or blade stiffeners in order to hold their shape under the various loads presented to them during operation. These panels may comprise three-dimensional contours to which the stiffeners must be coupled. Current methods of making tooling (e.g., mandrels) for use in generating stiffeners for coupling to three-dimensional contours are not well adapted to form the stiffeners into discrete, complex three-dimensional shapes needed for use with the vehicle panels (e.g., large aircraft wing skins) as the tooling has typically been formed of metal or other stiff materials, making the tooling difficult to create or use (and even impossible to use in the case of certain stiffeners).
According to one embodiment, a stiffener may be formed by inserting a plurality of flexible mandrels into a channel of a tool having a three-dimensional contour, placing a vacuum bag over the flexible mandrels and the tool, with the mandrels disposed between the vacuum bag and the tool, and applying vacuum pressure between the vacuum bag and the tool. A hardening substance may be inserted into each of the plurality of flexible mandrels and then may be hardened while the plurality of mandrels are inserted in the one or more channels of the tool. Finally, the mandrels may be wrapped with a stiffener material with stiffeners being formed from the stiffener material.
Technical advantages of certain embodiments may include methods for providing mandrels that are better suited to create stiffeners in the discrete three-dimensional shapes needed for use as aircraft wing stiffeners. Some embodiments may provide methods for creating mandrels for use in forming I, J, and/or blade stiffeners. Some embodiments may provide a method that is more cost effective for forming mandrels for use in shaping aircraft wing stiffeners. Other technical advantages will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following figures, descriptions, and claims. Moreover, while specific advantages have been enumerated above, various embodiments may include all, some, or none of the enumerated advantages.
Large panels for use with vehicles such as aircraft or watercraft my be reinforced using stiffeners such as Z-, C-, I-, J-, hat, or blade stiffeners in order to hold their shape under the various loads presented to them during operation. These panels may comprise three-dimensional contours to which the stiffeners must be coupled. Current methods of making tooling (e.g., mandrels) for use in generating stiffeners for coupling to three-dimensional contours are not well adapted to form the stiffeners into discrete, complex three-dimensional shapes needed for use with the vehicle panels (e.g., large aircraft wing skins) as the tooling has typically been formed of metal or other stiff materials, making the tooling difficult to create or use (and even impossible to use in the case of certain stiffeners). These difficulties may be due to the inflexible nature of the stiff materials used, which may cause issues in tolerance and/or yield during manufacturing. Because of these issues, tooling composed of stiff materials such as metal has been expensive to manufacture. In some instances, the use of incomplete and/or less than optimal stiffeners has been required. For example, due to the above mentioned difficulties in creating tooling used to generate three-dimensionally shaped stiffeners, the stiffeners created for aircraft wing skins have typically been used on the flat, straight sections of the wing skin rather than the three-dimensionally contoured sections of the wing skin.
Accordingly, the teachings of the present disclosure include a novel, low-cost method of forming tooling (e.g., mandrels) for use in generating three-dimensionally contoured stiffeners. The tooling created according to the teachings of the present disclosure may be used in shaping any suitable type of stiffener for a three-dimensionally shaped panel, including I-, J-, and blade stiffeners for use with a three-dimensionally contoured aircraft wing skin. As an example and not by way of limitation, an inexpensive material such as foam may be used to create a mold in the shape of the three-dimensional wing skin, with channels formed where stiffeners are desired. A pair of flexible mandrels (e.g., made of silicone rubber) may then be laid into the channels side by side, with a vacuum bag placed over the mandrels to hold the them in place. The mandrels may then be stiffened into shape through any suitable hardening process, such as by injecting a hardening substance (e.g., fiberglass resin) into the centers of the mandrels. Once the substance has solidified, holding the flexible mandrels in the desired shape, the mandrels can then be wrapped with a stiffener material (e.g., carbon composite) to make the wing skin stiffeners. Once formed, the stiffeners can then be attached, to the wing skin.
To facilitate a better understanding of the present disclosure, the following examples of certain embodiments are given. In no way should the following examples be read to limit, or define, the scope of the disclosure. Embodiments of the present disclosure and its advantages are best understood by referring to
Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to
Next, one or more flexible mandrels may be inserted into channels 225 of tool 220. The number of flexible mandrels 230 inserted into channels 225 may be determined according to any suitable criteria, and in some embodiments may be based on the type of stiffener to be created. As an example, and as shown in
Once inserted into channels 225, mandrels 230 may be secured into their respective places in tool 220 by a vacuum bag 240, as shown in
Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to
Tube 310 may then be filled with a hardening agent in order to secure mandrels 230 into the desired shape. For example, a hardening resin may be inserted into tube 310 through a vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) process. In such a process, as shown in
Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to
Stiffeners 420 may then be placed onto panel 210 for coupling. In some embodiments, this may be done with mandrels 230 still in place as shown in
Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to
Next, at step 520, flexible mandrels may be inserted into the channels of the tool associated with the wing skin. The mandrels may be secured into place within the channels using any suitable process, such as adhesion or vacuum processes. Once secured into place within the channels, the mandrels may be hardened at step 530. The hardening process may be chosen according to the type of mandrel material used. For example, if silicone rubber mandrels are used, a hardening resin may be inserted into the mandrels, as described above. As another example, the mandrels may be hardened through the use of a heating process if the mandrel material supports a heat-hardening process. Once hardened, the mandrels may be removed from the channels at step 540.
At step 550, the wing stiffener may be formed using the hardened mandrels. The details of this process may depend on the type of stiffener chosen. An example process is described above with respect to
Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to method 500 without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the order of the steps may be performed in a different manner than that described and some steps may be performed at the same time. Additionally, each individual step may include additional steps without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
Herein, “or” is inclusive and not exclusive, unless expressly indicated otherwise or indicated otherwise by context. Therefore, herein, “A or B” means “A, B, or both,” unless expressly indicated otherwise or indicated otherwise by context. Moreover, “and” is both joint and several, unless expressly indicated otherwise or indicated otherwise by context. Therefore, herein, “A and B” means “A and B, jointly or severally,” unless expressly indicated otherwise or indicated otherwise by context.
The scope of this disclosure encompasses all changes, substitutions, variations, alterations, and modifications to the example embodiments described or illustrated herein that a person having ordinary skill in the art would comprehend. The scope of this disclosure is not limited to the example embodiments described or illustrated herein. Moreover, although this disclosure describes and illustrates respective embodiments herein as including particular components, elements, functions, operations, or steps, any of these embodiments may include any combination or permutation of any of the components, elements, functions, operations, or steps described or illustrated anywhere herein that a person having ordinary skill in the art would comprehend. Furthermore, reference in the appended claims to an apparatus or system or a component of an apparatus or system being adapted to, arranged to, capable of, configured to, enabled to, operable to, or operative to perform a particular function encompasses that apparatus, system, component, whether or not it or that particular function is activated, turned on, or unlocked, as long as that apparatus, system, or component is so adapted, arranged, capable, configured, enabled, operable, or operative.
This application is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/534,747 filed Nov. 6, 2014 and entitled “Mandrel Forming for Discrete Wing Skin Stiffeners.”
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 14534747 | Nov 2014 | US |
Child | 15644906 | US |