Integrated caul with elastomeric seals
A method, apparatus, and system for applying a vacuum-based pressure on an uncured composite structure. Membranes are bonded to a boundary of a caul. The membranes include positive features that define vacuum channels. The membranes are spliced to each other. The positive features that define the vacuum channels in the membranes are aligned to each other during splicing of the membranes. The membranes spliced to each other and bonded to the caul to form an integrated caul. The integrated caul applies a pressure on the uncured composite structure during operation of the integrated caul.
1 . A vacuum pressure system that comprises an integrated caul that comprises: a caul; and membranes connected to a boundary of the caul, wherein: each membrane in the membranes comprises, respectively: a membrane overlap adjacent to a resin dam adjacent to an inner vacuum channel adjacent to an inner seal adjacent to an outer vacuum channel adjacent to an outer seal; the each membrane is connected to the caul along the each respective membrane overlap; and each membrane is separated, respectively, by a gap and connected, by a cured filler that fills the gap, to each adjacent membrane, wherein the cured filler comprises a shape that aligns with and continues from each membrane to each adjacent membrane: the membrane overlap adjacent to the resin dam adjacent to the inner vacuum channel adjacent to the inner seal adjacent to the outer vacuum channel adjacent to the outer seal.
2 . The vacuum pressure system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a vacuum source connected to a set of ports in the membranes, wherein the vacuum source is configured to draw a vacuum and cause the integrated caul to apply pressure on an uncured composite structure on which the integrated caul is placed.
3 . The vacuum pressure system of claim 1 , further comprising a bonding material that connects the membranes to the caul.
4 . The vacuum pressure system of claim 3 , wherein the bonding material is selected from at least one of an adhesive, a glue, or a resin.
5 . The vacuum pressure system of claim 1 , wherein an inner surface of at least one of the inner vacuum channels comprises ridges.
6 . The vacuum pressure system of claim 1 , wherein the membranes are comprised of at least one of silicon, a synthetic rubber and fluoropolymer elastomer, or a fluoroelastomer.
7 . A tooling system for applying vacuum based pressure on uncured composite structures, wherein the tooling system comprises: a caul; membranes connected to a boundary of the caul wherein: each membrane in the membranes comprises, respectively: a membrane overlap adjacent to a resin dam adjacent to an inner vacuum channel adjacent to an inner seal adjacent to an outer vacuum channel adjacent to an outer seal; the each membrane is connected to the caul along the each respective membrane overlap; and each membrane is separated, respectively, by a gap and connected, by a cured filler that fills the gap, to each adjacent membrane, wherein the cured filler comprises a shape that aligns with and continues from each membrane to each adjacent membrane: the membrane overlap adjacent to the resin dam adjacent to the inner vacuum channel adjacent to the inner seal adjacent to the outer vacuum channel adjacent to the outer seal; positive features formed in the each inner vacuum channel, wherein the inner vacuum channel of adjacent membranes are aligned to each other such that the positive features are aligned; a set of ports in the membranes in communication with the each inner vacuum channel; and a vacuum source connected to the set of ports.
8 . The tooling system of claim 7 , wherein the cured filler comprises the positive features and connects the inner vacuum channels in the membranes to each other.
9 . The tooling system of claim 7 further comprising:
a support tool comprising mirror image features to hold and align the positive features between a pair of the membranes.
10 . The tooling system of claim 7 , wherein a membrane at least one of the membranes comprises a silicon layer and a fluoroelastomer layer.
11 . The tooling system of claim 7 , wherein the inner vacuum channels comprise ridges.
12 . The tooling system of claim 7 , wherein one of the membranes comprises a corner membrane that comprises a and said inner channel of the corner membrane comprising a curved inner vacuum channel.
13 . The tooling system of claim 7 , wherein the membranes are connected to the caul by a bonding material.
14 . The tooling system of claim 13 , wherein the bonding material is selected from at least one of an adhesive, a glue, or a resin.
15 . The tooling system of claim 7 , wherein a width of the gap is determined by a connection of the adjacent membranes to the caul.
16 . The tooling system of claim 7 , wherein the gap comprises 0.3 to 0.4 inches.
17 . A vacuum pressure system that comprises: an integrated caul; and a control system configured to control the following: placement of an integrated caul on an uncured composite structure, wherein the integrated caul comprises: membranes bonded to a boundary of a caul in which each of the membranes comprises, respectively: a membrane overlap adjacent to a resin dam adjacent to an inner vacuum channel adjacent to an inner seal adjacent to an outer vacuum channel adjacent to an outer seal; and each of the membranes is separated, respectively, by a gap and connected, by a cured filler that fills the gap, to each adjacent membrane, wherein the cured filler comprises a shape that aligns with and continues from each membrane to each adjacent membrane: the membrane overlap adjacent to the resin dam adjacent to the inner vacuum channel adjacent to the inner seal adjacent to the outer vacuum channel adjacent to the outer seal, wherein all vacuum channels are continuous around a boundary of the caul;
a vacuum connected to the vacuum channels such that the integrated caul applies a pressure on the uncured composite structure; and cure the uncured composite structure while applying the pressure on the uncured composite structure using the integrated caul to form a cured composite structure.
18 . The vacuum pressure system of claim 17 , wherein the outer vacuum channels comprise ridges.
19 . The vacuum pressure system of claim 17 , wherein comprise a corner membrane that comprises a curved inner vacuum channel a cross-section the membrane overlap, the resin dam, the inner vacuum channel, inner seal, outer vacuum channel, and outer seal wherein one of the membranes is a corner membrane, said inner channel of the corner membrane comprises a curved inner vacuum channel.
20 . The vacuum pressure system of claim 17 , wherein the membranes are bonded to the caul by a material selected from at least one of an adhesive, a glue, or a resin.