Processes for producing composite panels

Abstract

Abstract PROCESSES FOR LPRODUCING SUBSTANTIALLY DISTORTION FREE COMPOSITE PANELS MADE UP OF ONE OR MORE OUTER RELATIVELY THIN METAL FACINGS, EDGE STIFFENERS, GLUE LINES HAVING DELAYED SETTING UP CHARACTERISTICS TINTERPOSES BETWEEN AND HAVING AN AFFINITY FOR THE STIFFENERS AND THE OUTER METAL FACING OR FACINGS AND A FOAMABLE CORE OR BACKING MATERIAL AND THE PRODUCTS PRODUCED THEREBY. DURING THE PROCESSES OF PLRODUCING COMPOSITE PANELS WHEREIN A PANEL ASSEMBLAGE COMPRISED OF A STIFFENER, A GLUE LINE OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED AND A FACING IS SUBJECTED TO THERMAL CYCLING INVOLVING ELEVATED TEMPERATURES, THE GLUE LINE INITIALLY EXHIBITS SUFFICIENT TACKINESS AND STRENGHT FOR FLOATINGLY AND SEALABLY BONDING A STIFFENER TO A METAL FACING WHILE STILL PERMITTING THE FACING TO FREELY EXPAND AND CONTRACT RELATIVE TO THE STIFFENER WITHOUT BEING DISLODGED THEREFROM AND WHILE STILL MAINTAINING AN EFFECTIVE SEALED RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH. THE ELEVATED TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS OCCUR DURING APPLICATION AND CURING OF THE FOAMABLE CORE OR BACKING MATERIAL IN SITU AGAINST OR BETWEEN ONE OR MORE FACINGS. IT IS ONLY AFTER DISCONTINUANCE OF THE THERMAL CYCLING THAT THE GLUE LINE IS ALLOWED TO FINALLY SET AT NORMAL ROOM TEMPERATURES AND ALL THE ELEMENTS OF THE COMPOSITE PANEL ARE ALLOWED TO BECOME FULLY INTEGRATED ONE WITH ANOTHER. BY THE IMPROVED USE OF A GLUE LINE HAVING DELAYED SETTING UP CHARACTERISTICS WHEREIN THE FINAL SETTING UP AND CURING OF THE GLUE LINE DOES NOT OCCUR UNTIL AFTER THERMAL CYCLING HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED, THE INTRODUCTION OF WRINKLES, BUCKLES, AND DISTORTIONS IN A METAL FACING FOR FACINGS IN THE FINAL PRODUCT IS INHIBITED AND A FACIALLY ATTRACTIVE PRODUCT IS PRODUCED.

Inventors

• 👤 Richard C Schroter
• 👤 David G Berg
• 👤 William A Schuerman Jr

Bibliographic Details