INTEGRATED LAMINATION PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING A SHELL ELEMENT

摘要

A process for manufacturing an integrated shell element including: providing a shell element lay-up tool with an upper tool surface; laying-up a resin impregnated fibers on the upper tool surface to form the shell element; providing on the resin impregnated fibers a stiffener element layup tool having surfaces to support a stiffener element structure; laying-up resin impregnated fibers on the stiffener element lay-up tool to form the stiffener element; curing in a single step the resin impregnated fibers such that the fibers forming the shell element and the fibers forming the stiffener element are laminated into an integrated shell element having a longitudinal or transversal stiffener element; and separating the integrated shell element from the shell element and stiffener element lay-up tools.

主权项

1. A process for manufacturing an integrated shell element having inner and outer surfaces and comprising on the inner surface at least one longitudinal or transvesal stiffener element, said process comprising
i) providing a shell element lay-up tool comprising an upper tool surface; ii) laying-up a plurality of resin impregnated fibers on said upper tool surface to form the shell element; iii) providing on the plurality of resin impregnated fibers laid-up in step (ii) a stiffener element lay-up tool comprising a sufficient number of surfaces to support a stiffener element structure; iv) laying-up a plurality of resin impregnated fibers on said stiffener element lay-up tool to form the stiffener element; v) curing in a single step said plurality of resin impregnated fibers laid-up in steps (ii) and (iv) such that the plurality of fibers forming the shell element and the plurality of fibers forming the at least one stiffener element are laminated into an integrated shell element comprising the at least one longitudinal or transversal stiffener element; and vi) separating the integrated shell element formed in step (v) from the shell element and stiffener element lay-up tools.