Method and apparatus for continuously fabricating a composite sandwich structure

1. A method for continuously fabricating a composite sandwich structure, said method comprising:

preheating a laminate to a preforming temperature above a glass transition temperature of a polymeric component of said laminate and below or equal to a crystalline melt temperature of said polymeric component of laminate, wherein said laminate comprises a first face sheet, a second face sheet and a honeycomb core sandwiched between said first face sheet and said second face sheet; and

subsequent to preheating, consolidating said laminate to form a continuous length of said composite sandwich structure, comprising said first face sheet, said second face sheet, and said honeycomb core, sandwiched between said first face sheet and said second face sheet, wherein said consolidating comprises:

subsequent to preheating, heating said laminate to a thermoforming temperature above said crystalline melt temperature of said polymeric component of said laminate; and

subsequent to heating, forming said laminate at said thermoforming temperature by applying a forming pressure to said laminate sufficient to fully form said laminate into a desired shape.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

preheating said laminate is performed in incremental progressive steps as said laminate is substantially continuously moved through a preheating zone of a continuous compression molding apparatus;

heating said laminate is performed incrementally as said laminate is substantially continuously moved through a heating zone of said continuous compression molding apparatus, arranged in said continuous linked sequence with said preheating zone; and

forming said laminate is performed incrementally as said laminate is substantially continuously moved through a forming zone of said continuous compression molding apparatus, arranged in said continuous linked sequence with said heating zone.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein moving said laminate, substantially continuously, through said preheating zone, said heating zone, and said forming zone is performed along a linear path.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, subsequent to forming, cooling said laminate in said desired shape.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein forming said laminate into said desired shape comprises fully forming a transverse curvature, perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said composite sandwich structure, in said first face sheet, said second face sheet, and said honeycomb core.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein forming said laminate into said desired shape comprises fully forming a surface feature into one of said first face sheet and said honeycomb core or said second face sheet and said honeycomb core.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein forming said laminate into said desired shape is performed using at least one set of forming tool dies to mold said desired shape into said laminate.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

preheating said laminate to said preforming temperature is performed using a preheating device, and

said preheating device comprises one of an infrared convection oven, a halogen convection oven, an electric convection oven and a gas fired convection oven.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

subsequent to preheating and prior to heating, preforming said laminate at said preforming temperature by applying a preforming pressure to said laminate sufficient to partially form said laminate into said desired shape.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein preforming said laminate into said desired shape comprises partially forming a transverse curvature, perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said composite sandwich structure, in said first face sheet, said second face sheet, and said honeycomb core.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein preforming said laminate into said desired shape is performed using at least one set of preforming tool dies to partially mold said desired shape into said laminate.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein:

preheating said laminate is performed in incremental progressive steps as said laminate is substantially continuously moved through a preheating zone of a continuous compression molding apparatus;

preforming said laminate is performed in incremental progressive steps as said laminate is substantially continuously moved through a preforming zone of said continuous compression molding apparatus, arranged in a continuous linked sequence with said preheating zone;

heating said laminate is performed incrementally as said laminate is substantially continuously moved through a heating zone of said continuous compression molding apparatus, arranged in said continuous linked sequence with said preforming zone; and

forming said laminate is performed incrementally as said laminate is substantially continuously moved through a forming zone of said continuous compression molding apparatus, arranged in said continuous linked sequence with said heating zone.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein moving said laminate, substantially continuously, through said preheating zone, said preforming zone, said heating zone, and said forming zone is performed along a linear path.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to preheating, applying a sheet member to an outer surface of said first face sheet and said second face sheet.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising, subsequent to consolidating, cutting said continuous length of said composite sandwich structure to a predetermined discrete length.

16. A method for continuously fabricating a composite sandwich structure, said method comprising:

preheating a laminate to a preforming temperature above a glass transition temperature of a polymeric component of said laminate and below or equal to a crystalline melt temperature of said polymeric component of laminate, wherein said laminate comprises a first face sheet, a second face sheet and a honeycomb core sandwiched between said first face sheet and said second face sheet; and

subsequent to preheating, consolidating said laminate to form a continuous length of said composite sandwich structure, comprising said first face sheet, said second face sheet, and said honeycomb core sandwiched between said first face sheet and said second face sheet; and wherein:

said first face sheet and said second face sheet comprise a fiber reinforcement impregnated with a polymer matrix;

said honeycomb core comprises a polymer material;

preheating said laminate to said preforming temperature softens said honeycomb core; and

consolidating said laminate comprises heating said first face sheet and said second face sheet to said thermoforming temperature sufficient to allow a free flow of said polymer matrix.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein consolidating said laminate comprises applying a forming pressure to said laminate sufficient to fully form a transverse curvature, perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said composite sandwich structure, in said first face sheet, said second face sheet, and said honeycomb core.

18. A method for continuously fabricating a composite sandwich structure, said method comprising:

preheating a laminate to a preforming temperature above a glass transition temperature of a polymeric component of said laminate and below or equal to a crystalline melt temperature of said polymeric component of laminate, wherein said laminate comprises a first face sheet, a second face sheet and a honeycomb core sandwiched between said first face sheet and said second face sheet; and

subsequent to preheating, consolidating said laminate to form a continuous length of said composite sandwich structure, comprising said first face sheet, said second face sheet, and said honeycomb core sandwiched between said first face sheet and said second face sheet, wherein said consolidating comprises:

subsequent to preheating, heating said laminate to a thermoforming temperature above said crystalline melt temperature of said polymeric component of said laminate; and

subsequent to heating, forming said laminate at said thermoforming temperature by applying a forming pressure to said laminate sufficient to fully form said laminate into a desired shape;

said first face sheet and said second face sheet comprise a fiber reinforcement impregnated with a polymer matrix;

said honeycomb core comprises a polymer material;

preheating said laminate to said preforming temperature softens said honeycomb core; and

heating said laminate comprises heating said first face sheet and said second face sheet to said thermoforming temperature sufficient to allow a free flow of said polymer matrix.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein:

said polymer matrix of said first face sheet and said second face sheet comprises one of a thermoset resin and a thermoplastic resin, and

said polymer material of said honeycomb core comprises one of a thermosetting resin and a thermoplastic resin.