Patent Application

App. No. 17/982,653

Abstract

Claims (30)

1 . A method of thermoplastic composite processing, the method comprising:

compressing a thermoplastic composite panel, wherein the thermoplastic composite panel includes a plurality of terminal edges;

heating the thermoplastic composite panel to at least a melting temperature to create a melt front of the thermoplastic composite panel at a first location; and

heating the thermoplastic composite panel to at least the melting temperature in a pre-determined pattern from the first location to extend the melt front toward the terminal edges of the thermoplastic composite panel to cause air constrained within the thermoplastic composite panel to escape the thermoplastic composite panel through unmelted portions of the thermoplastic composite panel located between the melt front and the terminal edges.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein compressing the thermoplastic composite panel includes: surrounding the thermoplastic composite panel with a bag and reducing a pressure within the bag.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising cooling the thermoplastic composite panel, wherein the thermoplastic composite panel includes a matrix resin that is semi-crystalline or amorphous upon cooling.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first location is a central location of the thermoplastic composite panel.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first location is at or adjacent to a terminal edge of the thermoplastic composite panel.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the first location extends an entire length between two non-adjacent terminal edges of the thermoplastic composite panel.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the first location is a portion of an entire length of the terminal edge of the thermoplastic composite panel.

8 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the pre-determined pattern is a spiral pattern, wherein the first location of the thermoplastic composite panel is heated to at least the melting temperature to create the melt front, whereafter zones of the thermoplastic composite panel extending radially outward and in a simultaneous circular manner are subsequently and sequentially heated to at least the melting temperature to cause the melt front to expand in an outward radial manner to cause the air to migrate radially outward from the first location toward at least one terminal edge.

9 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the pre-determined pattern is a starburst pattern, wherein the first location of the thermoplastic composite panel is heated to at least the melting temperature to create the melt front, whereafter at least a first zone immediately adjacent to and completely surrounding the first location is subsequently heated to the melt temperature such that the melt front moves radially outward from the first location toward the terminal edges of the thermoplastic composite panel.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein subsequent to the first location and the first zone being heated to at least the melting temperature, a second zone immediately adjacent to and completely surrounding the first zone is subsequently heated to the melt temperature such that the melt front moves radially outward from the first location and the first zone toward the terminal edges of the thermoplastic composite panel.

11 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the pre-determine pattern is a linear pattern, wherein the first location of the thermoplastic composite panel is heated to at least the melting temperature to create the melt front, whereafter the portions of the thermoplastic composite panel immediately adjacent to the first location are heated to at least the melting temperature to cause the melt front to move linearly toward the terminal edge opposite the first location until the melt front reaches the terminal edge opposite the first location.

12 . The method of claim 1 further comprising pre-heating the thermoplastic composite panel to a temperature above ambient temperature but below the melting temperature of the thermoplastic composite panel.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein pre-heating the thermoplastic composite panel includes heating the thermoplastic composite panel to a temperature between about one to twelve percent (1-12%) below the melting temperature.

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising placing the thermoplastic composite panel onto a heating element, wherein the heating element includes a plurality of individually-controlled heat zones.

15 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying insulation on at least a portion of one of a front and a back surface of the thermoplastic composite panel.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein heating the thermoplastic panel is performed by one or more of the following: controlled infrared heating, torching or hot air blasts, and induction coils having varying amounts of magnetic field strength in different regions in contact with the thermoplastic composite panel.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic composite panel comprises a reinforcement fiber and a thermoplastic matrix resin, wherein the thermoplastic matrix resin is one or more of: polyaryletherketone (PAEK), polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), and Polyethylenimine (PEI).

18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic composite panel is non-planar.

19 . A method of thermoplastic composite processing, the method comprising:

compressing a thermoplastic composite panel, wherein the thermoplastic composite panel includes a plurality of terminal edges;

heating the thermoplastic composite panel to at least a melting temperature using at least one heat source to create a melt front of the thermoplastic composite panel at a first location; and

heating the thermoplastic composite panel to at least the melting temperature in a pre-determined pattern from the first location to extend the melt front toward the terminal edges of the thermoplastic composite panel to cause air constrained within the thermoplastic composite panel to escape the thermoplastic composite panel through unmelted portions of the thermoplastic composite panel located between the melt front and the terminal edges.

20 . A method of thermoplastic composite processing, the method comprising:

compressing a thermoplastic composite panel, wherein the thermoplastic composite panel includes a plurality of terminal edges;

heating the thermoplastic composite panel to at least a melting temperature to create a melt front of the thermoplastic composite panel at a first location;

heating the thermoplastic composite panel to at least the melting temperature in a pre-determined pattern from the first location to extend the melt front toward the terminal edges of the thermoplastic composite panel to cause air constrained within the thermoplastic composite panel to escape the thermoplastic composite panel through unmelted portions of the thermoplastic composite panel located between the melt front and the terminal edges; and

cooling the thermoplastic composite panel to a temperature below the melting temperature after an entirety of the thermoplastic composite panel has been heated to at least the melting temperature.

Assignments (9)