Patent Application
20230061707
This application claims priority to French patent application number 2108531 filed on Aug. 5, 2021, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
The disclosure herein relates to a method and a device for manufacturing components made of a deformable material, particularly for an edge of an element of an aircraft.
Although not exclusively, the disclosure herein applies more particularly to the manufacture of a component intended for any type of edge, notably a leading edge, of an element, particularly of an aircraft, and notably of a transport airplane. This may notably be an external (so-called aerodynamic) element of the aircraft, such as an aerodynamic surface (wing, stabilizer, etc.) or a propulsion system, or an element internal to the aircraft.
At the present time, such components are generally manufactured from an aluminum alloy. The manufacture requires numerous successive steps with heat treatments. Such manufacture is lengthy and costly.
In particular, the usual methods of manufacture are greatly limited in the manufacture of one-piece components. In particular, they are unable to form components of very large size or deep components.
There is therefore a need for a solution enabling the manufacture of (one-piece) components notably intended for the aforementioned applications, which have various sizes and/or shapes, and in particular very large-sized components and/or deep components.
It is an object of the disclosure herein to address this need. To do that, the disclosure herein relates to a device for manufacturing at least one component made of deformable material, particularly for an edge of an element of an aircraft.
According to the disclosure herein, the manufacturing device comprises:
Thus, by virtue of the creation of a rounded sheet that is used for being subjected to forming in the mold and by virtue of the layout of the mold provided with the molding cavity at the periphery of the tool, making it possible to envision various embodiments notably suited to the components that are to be manufactured, it becomes possible, using the manufacturing device, to manufacture (single-piece) components of varying size, and notably large-sized components and/or deep components.
In one particular embodiment, the tool comprises at least one of the following actuating systems for moving the two tool parts closer to one another: a mechanical system, a hydraulic system.
Advantageously, the displacement system comprises at least one of the following units: a fluid supply unit (which uses an external fluid), a fluid displacement unit (which uses a fluid which is internal to the tool and is displaced as the two tool parts move closer together).
Moreover, in one particular embodiment, the mold comprises a plurality of shell parts able to be separated and assembled, which are connected to the tool in one of the following ways:
Furthermore, in another embodiment, the mold comprises a plurality of shell parts able to be separated and assembled, and the manufacturing device comprises an auxiliary actuation system configured to be able to displace the shell parts in order to assemble them.
Moreover, in one preferred embodiment, the molding cavity of the mold has a shape that allows at least two components to be manufactured simultaneously. The manufacture performed by the manufacturing device can be performed cold. However, in one particular embodiment, the manufacturing device additionally comprises an oven able to heat at least the plate. This particular embodiment allows hot manufacture.
The disclosure herein also relates to a method for manufacturing at least one component made of deformable material, particularly for an edge of an element of an aircraft.
According to the disclosure herein, the manufacturing method comprises at least the following steps:
In the context of the disclosure herein, the forming step can be performed after the deformation step. However, in a preferred embodiment, the deformation step and the forming step are performed at least partially simultaneously.
The manufacture performed by the manufacturing method can be performed cold. However, in one particular embodiment, at least the forming step is performed hot, and as a preference both the deformation step and the forming step are performed hot.
The attached figures will make it easy to understand how the disclosure herein may be embodied. In these figures, identical references denote elements that are similar.
The device 1 depicted schematically in
In the context of the disclosure herein, the component 2 may correspond to a component intended to be arranged on an element, particularly of an aircraft, and notably of a transport airplane. The component 2 is generally arranged on an edge of the element, and mainly although not exclusively on the leading edge thereof, and may for example correspond to an air intake lip. Regarding the element on which the component is arranged, this may notably be a (so-called aerodynamic) element external to the aircraft, such as an aerodynamic surface (wing, stabilizer, etc.) or a propulsion system, or an element internal to the aircraft.
The component 2 depicted by way of illustration in
To manufacture the component 2, the device 1 comprises a tool 8 provided, as depicted in
The tool 8 has a longitudinal axis X-X. In one particular embodiment, the tool parts 9 and 10 have symmetry of revolution about this longitudinal axis X-X.
In the following description:
(
The tool 8 also comprises an actuation system 11 configured to generate a force allowing the two tool parts 9 and 10 to be moved closer to one another. The action of the actuation system 11 on the tool 8 is illustrated by an arrow F in
In the particular embodiment of
In a first particular embodiment, the actuation system 11 is a mechanical system for generating a mechanical action or pressure intended to move the mobile tool part 9 closer to the fixed tool part 10. This mechanical system may, for example, be provided with a piston configured to push the mobile tool part 9.
Furthermore, in a second particular embodiment, the actuation system 11 is a hydraulic system using an injection of fluid (liquid or gas) to generate a hydraulic pressure intended to move the mobile tool part 9 closer to the fixed tool part 10.
Moreover, in a third particular embodiment, the actuation system 11 is a vacuum system using a “vacuum” pump to draw in the fluid (liquid or gas) and generate an action intended to move the mobile tool part 9 closer to the fixed tool part 10.
The tool part 9 comprises longitudinal ends 9A and 9B and the tool part 10 comprises longitudinal ends 10A and 10B. In the example of
The component 2 is produced from a plate 12, for example a sheet, made of deformable material specified hereinbelow. To do this, the plate 12 is fixed to the tool 8 of the device 1. More specifically, the plate 12, for example a tubular portion having two longitudinal ends 12A and 12B, is fixed, as depicted in
These fixings may, for example, be performed by gripper systems able by gripping to hold the longitudinal ends 12A and 12B of the plate 12 on the tool parts 9 and 10, for example using backplates (not depicted) screwed to the longitudinal ends 9A and 10B of the tool parts 9 and 10, trapping the longitudinal ends 12A and 12B of the plate 12, or by other conventional mechanical structure.
When the plate 12 is fixed by its ends 12A and 12B to the tool 8 in the abovementioned manner, and the two tool parts 9 and 10 are moved closer to one another, notably when the tool part 9 is moved closer to the tool part 10 as illustrated by the arrow G in
More specifically, the plate 12 is then rounded and dished, as visible in
In the context of the disclosure herein, what is meant by a deformable material is a material that is able to be subjected to plastic deformation. This deformation may be performed chiefly without any change to the chemical state of the material. In a preferred application, the material is a metallic material and notably a titanium alloy or an aluminum alloy.
The device 1 also comprises, as depicted in
The mold 14 is provided with a (hollow) molding cavity 15 of a shape corresponding to the shape of the component that is to be manufactured.
In the example of
The device 1 also comprises, as shown schematically in
In a first embodiment, depicted in
Furthermore, in a second embodiment, depicted schematically in
In the context of the disclosure herein, the mold 14 arranged at the (radially external) periphery 8A of the tool 8 can be produced in various ways.
As a preference, the mold 14 comprises a shell (provided with the molding cavity 15) which is formed of several (individual) shell parts able, on the one hand, to be separated from one another and, on the other hand, to be assembled. Each of these shell parts comprises a molding cavity part. These molding cavity parts are such that the molding cavity 15 is completely reconstructed when the various shell parts are assembled by being brought into contact with one another.
In a first embodiment, depicted in
The half-shell 25 is fixed to the periphery of the tool part 9, namely radially on the outside, via a connecting face 25A. The fixing is, for example, achieved by welding or by bolting.
In addition, the half-shell 26 is fixed to the periphery of the tool part 10, namely radially on the outside, via a connecting face 26A. The fixing is likewise achieved for example by welding or by bolting.
The half-shells 25 and 26 are fixed in such a way that, when the two tool parts 9 and 10 reach their position of maximum proximity, as depicted in
In this position of
In a second embodiment, depicted in
What is meant by “connected in a mobile manner” is that the shell part 29, 30, 31 and 32 concerned remains connected to the corresponding tool part 9, 10, but that it is able to be displaced in rotation (as indicated by arrows I in
When all the shell parts are brought into the assembled position, the mold 14 is reformed with its molding cavity 15 fully reconstructed.
Depending on the embodiment, the shell parts may be brought into the assembled position either as the two tool parts 9 and 10 move closer together, or at the end of the moving together.
In the example of
In the example of
Furthermore, in an embodiment variant (not depicted), some of the shell parts of the mold may be fixed to the tool parts 9 and 10 as in the abovementioned first embodiment and the other shell parts of the mold may be connected in a mobile manner to the tool parts 9 and 10 as in the abovementioned second embodiment.
Moreover, in a third embodiment, the device 1 comprises an auxiliary actuation system 39 depicted in
In this third embodiment, the mold 14 comprises a plurality of shell parts 37, 38 in the form of an arc of a circle, for example four shell parts, which can be brought into contact by the auxiliary actuation system 39 (the action of which is illustrated by an arrow 40 in chain line) to reconstitute the mold 14.
In this third embodiment, the shell parts 37 and 38 are initially parted radially (toward the outside) from the tool 8. The auxiliary actuation system 39 is configured to displace the shell parts 37 and 38 in the direction illustrated by arrows K in
In the examples depicted in
In the context of the disclosure herein, the mold 14 and the molding cavity 15 may have appropriate shapes and/or sizes allowing the manufacture of components of varying size and/or shape. In addition to annular components, they are also able for example to manufacture rectilinear components, curved components, notably shaped as arcs of a circle, or components of any shape. In addition, the depth and/or the size of the components can vary greatly.
In the context of the disclosure herein, the manufacturing performed by the device 1 as described hereinabove can be performed cold. The device 1 is then used at ambient temperature.
In the context of the disclosure herein, the manufacturing can also be performed hot. To do this, in one particular embodiment, the device 1 additionally comprises an oven 41 depicted schematically in
In a first variant of this particular embodiment, only the plate 12 is positioned inside the oven, the tool 8 and the mold 14 being left at ambient temperature. This embodiment variant therefore allows the component 2 to be manufactured by heating only the plate 12 before it is positioned and deformed in the mold 14.
In a second embodiment variant, the mold 14 may be a heating mold and be configured to heat the plate 12 directly. This embodiment variant therefore allows hot manufacture without the use of an oven.
The device 1 as described hereinabove is able to implement a method P for the manufacture of a component made of deformable material, for example such as that depicted in
To this end, the method P comprises, as depicted in
Because the molding cavity 15 has a shape corresponding to the shape of at least part of the component 2 that is to be manufactured and is oriented in such a way as to face the rounded plate 12, this action allows the rounded plate 12 to be shaped in such a way as to give it its definitive shape.
The method P also comprises a finishing step E3 consisting in or comprising releasing the component obtained at the end of the forming step E2 from the mold and performing finishing operations on the component, particularly by trimming off any excess material there might be and/or by making cuts along lines 43 (shown in
In a first embodiment, the forming step E2 is performed after the deformation step E1.
Furthermore, in a second embodiment, the deformation step E1 and the forming step E2 are performed at least partially simultaneously.
Furthermore, the manufacture performed by the method P can be performed cold or hot.
When the manufacture is performed hot, the tool 8 and the mold 14 are incorporated into the oven 41 as depicted in
In a first variant, only the plate 12 is incorporated into the oven, the tool 8 and the mold 14 being left at ambient temperature. In that case, the plate 12 is first of all heated in the oven and then positioned in the mold 14 in order to be deformed.
In a second variant, the use of a heating mold 14 is envisioned.
As a preference, both the deformation step E1 and the forming step E2 are performed hot.
The device 1 and the method P as described hereinabove, which allow the manufacture of one-piece components by the displacement and deformation of material, offer numerous advantages.
In particular, by virtue of the generation of a plate 12 that is rounded (using the tool 8) and subjected to forming in the mold 14, and by virtue of the arrangement of the mold 14 at the periphery of the tool 8, which makes it possible to envision different embodiments suited to the components that are to be manufactured, the device 1 and the method P make it possible to manufacture components 2 of varying size and/or shape, particularly annular components, rectilinear components or curved components, particularly shaped as arcs of a circle.
They notably allow the manufacture of components of very large size and/or deep components, which is to say components having very long longitudinal walls 3 and 4 (
The device 1 and the method P may be used to manufacture components made of different materials, notably metallic materials, and in particular made of titanium alloy or aluminum alloy.
In addition, notably because of the arrangement of the mold 14 at the periphery of the tool 8, a balanced distribution of the internal stresses in the device 1 is obtained.
Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, using a mold of suitable shape, the device 1 allows the manufacture, in a single implementation of the method P, of two components 2 such as those depicted in
While at least one example embodiment of the invention(s) is disclosed herein, it should be understood that modifications, substitutions and alternatives may be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art and can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This disclosure is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the example embodiment(s). In addition, in this disclosure, the terms “comprise” or “comprising” do not exclude other elements or steps, the terms “a”, “an” or “one” do not exclude a plural number, and the term “or” means either or both. Furthermore, characteristics or steps which have been described may also be used in combination with other characteristics or steps and in any order unless the disclosure or context suggests otherwise. This disclosure hereby incorporates by reference the complete disclosure of any patent or application from which it claims benefit or priority.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2108531 | Aug 2021 | FR | national |
