CONFORMABLE TOOLING SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR COMPLEX CONTOUR COMPOSITE PREFORMS

• Main Authors: PUJAR, Vijay V, WAUGH, Katherine E, KOROLY, Christopher C
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 24.07.2024
• Subjects: ARTIFICIAL STONE; CEMENTS; CERAMICS; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDINGMATERIALS; CONCRETE; LIME, MAGNESIA; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; METALLURGY; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BESHAPED; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIALCONTAINING PLASTICS; REFRACTORIES; SLAG; TRANSPORTING; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

A preform tooling (100) arrangement includes a base plate (110) comprising a male die surface (112) and a stripper plate (120) comprising a female die surface (122). A plurality of perforations (114; 124) are disposed in the base plate (110) and/or the stripper plate (120). The stripper plate (120) is moveable with respect to the base plate (110). The preform tooling arrangement is configured to receive a fibrous preform (102) between the male die surface (112) and the female die surface (122). The preform tooling arrangement (100) is a dual-purpose fixture configured to accommodate z-needling and densification, all while the fibrous preform (102) remains in the same fixture (i.e., the preform tooling arrangement). The perforations (114; 124) are configured to receive one or more textile needles (150) for through thickness reinforcement of the fibrous preform (102).