Vacuum bag sealing system

1 . A vacuum bag sealing system comprising:

a bagging sheet comprising a sealing surface;

a first interlocking strip connected to the sealing surface of the bagging sheet;

a material coupled to a portion of the sealing surface of the bagging sheet, the material defining an inner most surface;

a second interlocking strip coupled to the inner most surface, the second interlocking strip forming a continuous bladder perimeter inside the material;

a bladder configured to provide compression to a composite material during curing; and

a bladder interlocking strip connected to an outer surface of the bladder and surrounding a circumference of the bladder, the bladder interlocking strip and the second interlocking strip configured to join the bagging sheet and the bladder along an entirety of the circumference of the bladder to seal the bagging sheet against the bladder.

2 . The vacuum bag sealing system of claim 1 further comprising:

a forming tool; and

a mandrel interlocking strip connected to a forming surface of the forming tool, the mandrel interlocking strip and the first interlocking strip configured to join the bagging sheet and the forming tool to seal the bagging sheet against the forming tool.

3 . The vacuum bag sealing system of claim 1 , wherein the first interlocking strip comprises a first cross-sectional shape, and wherein the first cross-sectional shape is configured to interlock with a mandrel interlocking strip connected to a forming tool.

4 . The vacuum bag sealing system of claim 3 , wherein the second interlocking strip comprises a second cross-sectional shape, and wherein the second cross-sectional shape is configured to interlock with the bladder interlocking strip.

5 . The vacuum bag sealing system of claim 4 , wherein the first cross-sectional shape is different from the second cross-sectional shape.

6 . The vacuum bag sealing system of claim 3 , wherein the first cross-sectional shape and a third cross-sectional shape of the mandrel interlocking strip are the same.

7 . The vacuum bag sealing system of claim 4 , wherein the second cross-sectional shape and a fourth cross-sectional shape of the bladder interlocking strip are the same.

8 . The vacuum bag sealing system of claim 4 , wherein one of the second cross-sectional shape or a fourth cross-sectional shape of the bladder interlocking strip comprises a stem and a head disposed at an end of the stem.

9 . The vacuum bag sealing system of claim 1 , wherein the second interlocking strip forms a cavity having a cross-sectional shape the same as a cross-sectional shape of the bladder.

10 . A method for vacuum bag sealing a composite part comprising:

releasably joining a bagging sheet to a forming tool; and

releasably joining the bagging sheet to a bladder configured to provide compression to a composite material during curing,

wherein a first interlocking strip is connected to a sealing surface of the bagging sheet,

wherein a material is coupled to a portion of the sealing surface of the bagging sheet, the material defining an inner most surface,

wherein a second interlocking strip is coupled to the inner most surface, the second interlocking strip forms a continuous bladder perimeter inside the material, and

wherein releasably joining the bagging sheet to the bladder comprises releasably joining the second interlocking strip connected to the sealing surface of the bagging sheet to a bladder interlocking strip connected to an outer surface of the bladder and surrounding a circumference of the bladder to join the bagging sheet and the bladder along an entirety of the circumference of the bladder to seal the bagging sheet to the bladder.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein:

releasably joining the bagging sheet to the forming tool comprises releasably joining the first interlocking strip connected to the sealing surface of the bagging sheet to a mandrel interlocking strip connected to a forming surface of the forming tool to seal the bagging sheet to the forming tool.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein sealing the bagging sheet to the forming tool and sealing the bagging sheet to the bladder forms a vacuum chamber, and further comprising:

drawing a vacuum within the vacuum chamber.

13 . The method of claim 12 further comprising:

curing composite material supported by the forming tool to form a cured composite part.

14 . The method of claim 12 further comprising:

compacting composite material supported by the forming tool by a pressure difference between the vacuum chamber and an exterior pressure outside of the vacuum chamber.

15 . The method of claim 12 further comprising:

allowing exterior pressure into an interior of the bladder through an open end of the bladder, the open end having the bladder interlocking strip around the circumference of the bladder.

16 . A method for vacuum bag sealing a composite part comprising:

sealing a bagging sheet to a forming tool using interlocking strips;

sealing the bagging sheet to a bladder using interlocking strips, the bladder configured to provide compression to a composite material during curing; and

pulling a vacuum beneath the bagging sheet after sealing the bagging sheet to the forming tool and sealing the bagging sheet to the bladder,

wherein a first interlocking strip of the interlocking strips is connected to a sealing surface of the bagging sheet,

wherein a material is coupled to a portion of the sealing surface of the bagging sheet, the material defining an inner most surface,

wherein a second interlocking strip of the interlocking strips is coupled to the inner most surface, the second interlocking strip forms a continuous bladder perimeter inside the material, and

wherein sealing the bagging sheet to the bladder comprises releasably joining the second interlocking strip of the bagging sheet to a bladder interlocking strip connected to an outer surface of the bladder and surrounding a circumference of the bladder, the bladder interlocking strip and the second interlocking strip configured to join the bagging sheet and the bladder along an entirety of the circumference of the bladder to seal the bagging sheet to the bladder, the second interlocking strip positioned between the first interlocking strip and the sealing surface of the bagging sheet.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein sealing the bagging sheet to the forming tool comprises releasably joining the first interlocking strip connected to the sealing surface of the bagging sheet to a mandrel interlocking strip connected to a forming surface of the forming tool to seal the bagging sheet to the forming tool.

18 . The method of claim 16 further comprising:

curing composite material supported by the forming tool to form a cured composite part.

19 . The method of claim 18 further comprising:

allowing exterior pressure into an interior of the bladder through an open end of the bladder during cure of the composite material, the open end having the bladder interlocking strip around the circumference of the bladder.

20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein sealing the bagging sheet to the bladder using the interlocking strips comprises inserting an open end of the bladder into a cavity formed by the second interlocking strip and releasably joining the second interlocking strip to the bladder interlocking strip.