US 12,318,964 B2
Conformable tooling systems and methods for complex contour composite preforms
Vijay V. Pujar, San Diego, CA (US); Katherine E. Waugh, San Diego, CA (US); and Christopher C. Koroly, Spring Valley, CA (US)
Assigned to GOODRICH CORPORATION, Charlotte, NC (US)
Filed by ROHR, INC., Chula Vista, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 17, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/155,577.
Prior Publication US 2024/0239012 A1, Jul. 18, 2024
Int. Cl. B29C 70/46 (2006.01); B28B 7/16 (2006.01); B28B 7/34 (2006.01); B28B 23/22 (2006.01); C04B 35/83 (2006.01)
CPC B28B 23/22 (2013.01) [B28B 7/16 (2013.01); B28B 7/34 (2013.01); C04B 35/83 (2013.01); C04B 2235/5248 (2013.01); C04B 2235/614 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A preform tooling arrangement, comprising:
a base plate comprising a male die surface;
a stripper plate comprising a female die surface, an outer surface, a first wall, and a second wall oriented at a non-parallel angle with respect to the first wall, the stripper plate is moveable with respect to the base plate;
a first plurality of perforations disposed in the base plate;
a second plurality of perforations disposed in the stripper plate, the second plurality of perforations includes a plurality of first wall perforations extending through the first wall and a plurality of second wall perforations extending through the second wall; and
at least one textile needle movable with respect to the base plate and the stripper plate;
wherein the preform tooling arrangement is configured to receive a fibrous preform between the male die surface and the female die surface, and each perforation of at least one of the first plurality of perforations or the second plurality of perforations is configured to receive the at least one textile needle for needling of the fibrous preform while the fibrous preform is secured in compression between the base plate and the stripper plate; and
at least one of the first plurality of perforations or the second plurality of perforations comprises:
a first zone with a first perforation density; and
a second zone with a second perforation density, the first perforation density is higher than the second perforation density, and the perforations in the first zone and the second zone are configured to receive the textile needle.