METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING A COMPOSITE LAMINATE STACK USING A BREATHABLE POLYETHYLENE VACUUM FILM

• Main Authors: RIGUIDEL Thomas, FERNANDES Louis
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 22.12.2016
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCESIN A PLASTIC STATE; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

A method for forming a shaped composite structure. The method includes laying a composite laminate stack (12) onto a mold (18), where the composite laminate stack (12) comprises fabric laminate (14,16) and resin and wherein the mold (18) presents a predetermined shape, draping a vacuum film (22) comprising polyethylene onto the composite laminate stack (12), thereby establishing an evacuatable volume between the vacuum film (22) and the mold (18), applying suction to the evacuatable volume between the mold (18) and the vacuum film (22) to establish at least a partial vacuum within the evacuatable volume, thereby compressing the composite laminate stack (12) via pressure applied to the vacuum film (22) responsive to the at least partial vacuum within the evacuatable volume, and heating the composite laminate stack (12) while applying suction to the evacuatable volume, thereby at least partially consolidating the laminate stack (12).