| CPC A42C 2/005 (2013.01) [B29C 70/446 (2013.01); B29C 2791/002 (2013.01); B29C 2791/006 (2013.01); B29L 2031/4821 (2013.01)] | 13 Claims |

|
1. A method for creating a deep drawn helmet, the method comprising:
supporting a stack of prepreg material layers (“prepreg stack”) between a forming aperture of a forming draw ring and a non-forming aperture of a non-forming draw ring, the forming draw ring and the non-forming draw ring each having a metal rigid body bounded by a contact surface and a non-contact surface opposed to the contact surface;
clamping the prepreg stack between the contact surface of the forming draw ring and the contact surface of the non-forming draw ring, a result of which forms a clamped assembly of the forming draw ring, the prepreg stack, and the non-forming draw ring;
advancing the prepreg stack relative to a punch to form a deep drawn helmet preform, during which a clamping force is applied to the clamped assembly, and during which the punch enters and passes through the non-forming aperture and then draws an inner portion of the prepreg stack through the forming aperture until a desired drawing depth of the prepreg stack is achieved;
providing temperature control of the punch, the forming draw ring and the non-forming draw ring, the temperature control including heating and cooling, wherein providing temperature control of the forming draw ring and the non-forming draw ring comprises constructing the forming draw ring and/or the non-forming draw ring to include different temperature control zones and controlling each of the temperature control zones; and
creating the deep drawn helmet from the deep drawn helmet preform.
|