Methods for tape fabrication of continuous filament composite parts and articles of manufacture thereof
View Patent ↗A method for forming a composite structure according to one embodiment includes forming a first ply; and forming a second ply above the first ply. Forming each ply comprises: applying a bonding material to a tape, the tape comprising a fiber and a matrix, wherein the bonding material has a curing time of less than about 1 second; and adding the tape to a substrate for forming adjacent tape winds having about a constant distance therebetween. Additional systems, methods and articles of manufacture are also presented.
1. A method for forming a composite structure, the method comprising:
forming a first ply; and forming a second ply above the first ply, wherein forming each ply comprises:
applying a bonding material to a tape, the tape comprising a fiber and a matrix,
wherein the bonding material has a curing time of less than about 1 second;
adding the tape to a substrate for forming adjacent tape winds having about a constant distance therebetween,
wherein the tape is applied to the substrate at rate of greater than about 15 meters/second.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tape is applied to the substrate at a rate of greater than about 0.894 meter/second.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tape is applied to the substrate at a rate of greater than about 10 meters/second.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tape is applied to the substrate at a rate of greater than about 25 meters/second.
5. The method of claim 1 , with the proviso that no curing step is performed after applying the tape to the substrate.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bonding material has a curing time of less than about 100 milliseconds.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein upper surfaces of the tape winds in each ply lie along a substantially straight line oriented perpendicular to longitudinal axes of the tape in each wind and parallel to the upper surfaces thereof.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein edges of the tape winds in the first ply are offset from edges of the tape winds in the second ply.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the edges of the tape winds are squared, wherein the tape winds form a brickwork pattern.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the edges of the tape winds are beveled.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the edges of the tape winds are beveled.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tape winds in at least one of the plies are a continuous piece of tape.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tape winds in at least one of the plies are discrete pieces of tape.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjacent tape winds in each ply are offset from each other in a direction perpendicular to the tape surfaces.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the edges of the tape winds are double beveled.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein longitudinal axes of the tape winds in the first ply are oriented at an angle of between 0 and 180 degrees from longitudinal axes of the tape winds in the second ply.
17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming the tape by infusing the matrix into the fiber and curing the matrix.
18. A method for forming a composite structure, the method comprising:
forming a first ply; and
forming a second ply above the first ply,
wherein forming each ply comprises:
applying a bonding material to a tape, the tape comprising a fiber and a matrix, wherein the bonding material has a curing time of less than about 1 second;
adding the tape to a substrate for forming adjacent tape winds having about a constant distance therebetween,
wherein the tape is applied to the substrate at a rate of greater than about 15 meters/second,
with the proviso that no curing step is performed after applying the tape to the substrate.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bonding material is applied to the tape as the tape is added to the substrate.
20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tape is added to the substrate after the bonding material is added thereto.
21. The method of claim 1 , wherein each ply is formed with about zero net heat addition.
22. The method of claim 1 , wherein no heat is added to the bonding material during formation of each of the plies.