US 12,134,240 B2
Methods for repairing composite material using pre-cured plugs
Remmelt Andrew Staal, Irvine, CA (US); Justin H. Register, Charleston, SC (US); Arne K. Lewis, Auburn, WA (US); and Ryan C. Schwartz, Tustin, CA (US)
Assigned to The Boeing Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed by The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed on Mar. 5, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/687,618.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/174,490, filed on Apr. 13, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0324186 A1, Oct. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 73/06 (2006.01); B29C 73/10 (2006.01); B29C 73/26 (2006.01); B29L 31/30 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 73/06 (2013.01) [B29C 73/10 (2013.01); B29C 73/26 (2013.01); B29C 2073/262 (2013.01); B29C 2073/264 (2013.01); B29C 2073/268 (2013.01); B29L 2031/3076 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for repairing a honeycomb panel comprising a low-density core sandwiched between two facesheets made of laminated plies of composite material, wherein portions of the two facesheets form an edge band comprising a first composite laminate having an outer boundary formed by edges of the laminated plies of the two facesheets, which outer boundary extends from the outer mold line surface to the inner mold line surface of the first composite laminate, the method comprising:
(a) removing composite material from the first composite laminate, including a portion of the outer boundary, to form a tapered slot bounded by a tapered internal surface that extends from a first opening at an outer mold line surface of the first composite laminate to a second opening at an inner mold line surface of the first composite laminate;
(b) machining a second composite laminate to form a plug having a tapered surface designed to oppose the tapered internal surface of the first composite laminate when the plug is placed in the tapered slot;
(c) placing the plug in the tapered slot so that the tapered surface of the plug opposes the tapered internal surface of the first composite laminate; and
(d) bonding the tapered surface of the plug to the tapered internal surface of the first composite laminate,
wherein subsequent to removing composite material and prior to placing the plug in the tapered slot, the tapered slot extends to the outer boundary of the first composite laminate to form a gap in the outer boundary where portions of the edges of the laminated plies in the edge band were removed.