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EP-4324628-B1 - FORMING A PREFORM INTO A SHAPED BODY

EP4324628B1EP 4324628 B1EP4324628 B1EP 4324628B1EP-4324628-B1

Inventors

  • WEAVER, LUBY R.
  • WAUGH, Katherine E.
  • KOROLY, CHRISTOPHER C.
  • BECHER, ANTHONY H.
  • PUJAR, VIJAY V.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230803

Claims (15)

  1. A manufacturing method (1000), comprising: arranging a preform with a plurality of clamping assemblies (204), the plurality of clamping assemblies (204) disposed along ends of the preform; and forming the preform into a shaped body, the forming comprising: incrementally tensioning the preform around a surface of an inner mold line (100) using the plurality of clamping assemblies (204); and drawing the preform into a set of forming beads (110) of the inner mold line (100), wherein drawing the preform into the set of forming beads (110) of the inner mold line (100) comprises: coupling a forming rod (500) assembly to the inner mold line (100); and tightening the forming rod assembly (500) into the set of forming beads (110) while holding a tension via the plurality of clamping assemblies (204).
  2. The manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein each clamp assembly in the plurality of clamping assemblies (204) includes a male member (302) comprising a protrusion and a female member (304) comprising a receptacle, and wherein the male member (302) and the female member (304), when coupled together, apply a clamping force to an end of the preform.
  3. The manufacturing method of claim 1 or 2, wherein each clamping assembly in the plurality of clamping assemblies (204) comprise one or more metal loops (310) that couples to a first plurality of strapping mechanisms.
  4. The manufacturing method of claim 3, wherein incrementally tensioning the preform around the surface of the inner mold line (100) comprises: tensioning a first set of the first plurality of strapping mechanisms coupled to the plurality of clamping assemblies (204) and to a first side of a table (404) at a first location; and in response to the first set of the first plurality of strapping mechanisms reaching a maximum tension, tensioning a second set of the first plurality of strapping mechanisms coupled to the plurality of clamping assemblies (204) and to the first side of the table (404) at a second location while releasing a tension of the first set of the first plurality of strapping mechanisms.
  5. The manufacturing method of claim 4, wherein further sets of the first plurality of strapping mechanisms are used to tension the preform around the surface of the inner mold line (100) until the preform follows a near net shape of the inner mold line (100).
  6. The manufacturing method of claim 4 or 5, further comprising: applying a second plurality of strapping mechanisms coupled to the plurality of clamping assemblies (204) and to a second side of the table (404); and incrementally draw in the preform to lower sides of the inner mold line (100).
  7. The manufacturing method of any preceding claim, wherein the forming rod assembly (500) comprises: a first set of alignment brackets (502) coupled to a front one of a plurality of inner mold line stiffeners (112) of the inner mold line (100); a second set of alignment brackets (502) coupled to a back one of the plurality of inner mold line stiffeners (112); a first threaded rod positioned through the first set of alignment brackets (502); a second threaded rod positioned through the second set of alignment brackets (502); a first forming rod coupled to a first end of the first threaded rod and a first end of the second threaded rod; a second forming rod coupled to a second end of the first threaded rod and a second end of the second threaded rod; a first nut coupled to the first end of the first threaded rod; a second nut coupled to the second end of the first threaded rod; a third nut coupled to the first end of the second threaded rod; and a fourth nut coupled to the second end of the second threaded rod.
  8. The manufacturing method of any of claims 1-3 or 7, wherein incrementally tensioning the preform around the surface of the inner mold line (100) comprises: tensioning a first set of a first plurality of strapping mechanisms coupled to the plurality of clamping assemblies (204) and to a carriage rail system (800) while the carriage rail system (800) translates toward the inner mold line (100) until the preform follows a near net shape of the inner mold line (100).
  9. The manufacturing method of claim 8, further comprising: applying a second plurality of strapping mechanisms coupled to the plurality of clamping assemblies (204) and to an underside of a table (404); and incrementally draw in the preform to lower sides of the inner mold line (100).
  10. A system for forming a preform into a shaped body, the system comprising: an inner mold line (100); a first plurality of strapping mechanisms configured to incrementally tension the preform around a surface of the inner mold line (100) using a plurality of clamping assemblies (204); and a forming rod assembly (500) configured to draw the preform into a set of forming beads (110) of the inner mold line (100), wherein the forming rod assembly (500) is configured to be tightened into the set of forming beads (110) while holding the tension via the plurality of clamping assemblies (204).
  11. The system of claim 10, wherein each clamp assembly in the plurality of clamping assemblies (204) includes a male member (302) comprising a protrusion and a female member (304) comprising a receptacle, and wherein the male member (302) and the female member (304), when coupled together, apply a clamping force to an end of the preform.
  12. The system of claim 10 or 11, wherein each clamping assembly of the plurality of clamping assemblies (204) comprise one or more metal loops (310) that couples to the first plurality of strapping mechanisms.
  13. The system of claim 10, 11 or 12, wherein a first set of the first plurality of strapping mechanisms are coupled the plurality of clamping assemblies (204) and to a first side of a table (404) at a first location and wherein the system further comprises: a second set of the first plurality of strapping mechanisms coupled to the plurality of clamping assemblies (204) and to the first side of the table (404) at a second location to incrementally tension the preform around the surface of the inner mold line (100) using the plurality of clamping assemblies (204) in response to the first set of the first plurality of strapping mechanisms reaching a maximum tension, wherein a tension of the first set of the first plurality of strapping mechanisms is released once a tension is provided by the second set of the first plurality of strapping mechanisms; optionally, further sets of the first plurality of strapping mechanisms to tension the preform around the surface of the inner mold line (100) until the preform follows a near net shape of the inner mold line (100); and/or optionally, a second plurality of strapping mechanisms coupled to the plurality of clamping assemblies (204) and to a second side of the table (404) to apply tension and incrementally draw in the preform to lower sides of the inner mold line (100).
  14. The system of any of claim 10 to 13, wherein the forming rod assembly (500) comprises: a first set of alignment brackets (502) coupled to a front one of a plurality of inner mold line stiffeners (112) of the inner mold line (100); a second set of alignment brackets (502) coupled to a back one of the plurality of inner mold line stiffeners (112); a first threaded rod positioned through the first set of alignment brackets (502); a second threaded rod positioned through the second set of alignment brackets (502); a first forming rod coupled to a first end of the first threaded rod and a first end of the second threaded rod; a second forming rod coupled to a second end of the first threaded rod and a second end of the second threaded rod; a first nut coupled to the first end of the first threaded rod; a second nut coupled to the second end of the first threaded rod; a third nut coupled to the first end of the second threaded rod; and a fourth nut coupled to the second end of the second threaded rod.
  15. The system of any of claims 10-12 or 14, further comprising: a first set of the first plurality of strapping mechanisms coupled to the plurality of clamping assemblies (204) and to a carriage rail system (800) to incrementally tension the preform while the carriage rail system (800) translates toward the inner mold line (100) until the preform follows a near net shape of the inner mold line (100); and wherein, optionally, the system further comprises: a second plurality of strapping mechanisms coupled to the plurality of clamping assemblies (204) and to a second side of a table (404) to apply tension and incrementally draw in the preform to lower sides of the inner mold line (100).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to forming a preform into a shaped body. BACKGROUND Shaped composite bodies are utilized in aerospace applications. Various systems and methods are known in the art for forming a preform into a shaped body. US 2004/148997 A1 discloses a method and an apparatus capable of accurately shaping, within a short time, cubic products such as trial products for press molding for mass production without limitation of a molding shape. While edge portions of a blank are clamped, a mold punch having a molding shape is pushed from a sheet thickness direction to conduct rough forming. While the mold punch is kept pushed, shaping is conducted by use of a rod-like tool from an opposite side to the mold punch sandwiching the sheet thickness. SUMMARY According to an aspect of the invention, a manufacturing method is provided. The method includes arranging a preform with a plurality of clamping assemblies, the plurality of clamping assemblies disposed along ends of the preform; and forming the preform into a shaped body, the forming including: incrementally tensioning the preform around a surface of an inner mold line using the plurality of clamping assemblies; and drawing the preform into a set of forming beads of the inner mold line, wherein drawing the preform into the set of forming beads of the inner mold line includes: coupling a forming rod assembly to the inner mold line; and tightening the forming rod assembly into the set of forming beads while holding a tension via the plurality of clamping assemblies. In various embodiments, each clamping assembly in the plurality of clamping assemblies includes a male member comprising a protrusion and a female member comprising a receptacle. In various embodiments, the male member and the female member, when coupled together, apply a clamping force to an end of the preform. In various embodiments, each clamping assembly in the plurality of clamping assemblies comprise one or more metal loops that couples to at first plurality of strapping mechanisms. In various embodiments, incrementally tensioning the preform around the surface of the inner mold line includes: tensioning a first set of the first plurality of strapping mechanisms coupled to the plurality of clamping assemblies and to a first side of a table at a first location; and in response to the first set of the first plurality of strapping mechanisms reaching a maximum tension, tensioning a second set of the first plurality of strapping mechanisms coupled to the plurality of clamping assemblies and to the first side of the table at a second location while releasing a tension of the first set of the first plurality of strapping mechanisms. In various embodiments, further sets of the first plurality of strapping mechanisms are used to tension the preform around the surface of the inner mold line until the preform follows a near net shape of the inner mold line. In various embodiments, the method further includes applying a second plurality of strapping mechanisms coupled to the plurality of clamping assemblies and to a second side of the table; and incrementally draw in the preform to lower sides of the inner mold line. In various embodiments, the forming rod assembly includes: a first set of alignment brackets coupled to a front one of a plurality of inner mold line stiffeners of the inner mold line; a second set of alignment brackets coupled to a back one of the plurality of inner mold line stiffeners; a first threaded rod positioned through the first set of alignment brackets; a second threaded rod positioned through the second set of alignment brackets; a first forming rod coupled to a first end of the first threaded rod and a first end of the second threaded rod; a second forming rod coupled to a second end of the first threaded rod and a second end of the second threaded rod; a first nut coupled to the first end of the first threaded rod; a second nut coupled to the second end of the first threaded rod; a third nut coupled to the first end of the second threaded rod; and a fourth nut coupled to the second end of the second threaded rod. In various embodiments, incrementally tensioning the preform around the surface of the inner mold line includes: tensioning a first set of a first plurality of strapping mechanisms coupled to the plurality of clamping assemblies and to a carriage rail system while the carriage rail system translates toward the inner mold line until the preform follows a near net shape of the inner mold line. In various embodiments, the method further includes: applying a second plurality of strapping mechanisms coupled to the plurality of clamping assemblies and to an underside of a table; and incrementally draw in the preform to lower sides of the inner mold line. According to an aspect of the invention, also disclosed herein is a system for forming a preform into a shaped body. The system includes: an inner mold line; a first plurality of strappi