Integrated smart susceptor heat blanket and vacuum bag deployment system for large composite surface laminated plate debules

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide: the manufacture of laminated composite materials that include an uncured debulk to form a component for an aircraft, aerospace vehicle or other vehicle; and a smart susceptor heater blanket deployment system suitable for, e.g., aircraft components which may be manufactured as a large single seamless structure.SOLUTION: A processing apparatus such as a heating and/or debulking apparatus that may be used to debulk a plurality of uncured composite layers to form an article such as a component includes a plurality of interconnected heater blankets that may be controlled to uniformly heat the component. The invention provides a heater blanket deployment system. The heater blankets may be supported by the deployment system, which lowers the heater blankets toward a working surface and raises the plurality of heater blankets away from the working surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 17