Patent ID: 11938690
Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 17:
18. A method comprising:
positioning a pliable structure relative to the tool surface of a tool;
engaging an exterior engagement surface of the pliable structure with the tool surface of the tool such that the exterior engagement surface assumes a final engagement-surface contour that matches the tool contour of the tool surface, wherein, while engaging the exterior engagement surface with the tool surface, a plurality of sheet layers of the pliable structure are capable of slipping relative to the interior contact surface of the directly adjacent one of the plurality of layers;
with the exterior engagement surface engaged with the tool surface and having the final engagement-surface contour that matches the tool contour of the tool surface:
drawing a vacuum within the pliable structure;
increasing surface-to-surface friction between the plurality of sheet layers in response to drawing the vacuum such that shear slippage is substantially inhibited between the plurality of sheet layers;
inhibiting shear slippage between an interior contact surface of each one of the plurality of sheet layers in response to increasing surface-to-surface friction between the interior contact surface of each one of the plurality of sheet layers and the interior contact surface of the directly adjacent one of the plurality of sheet layers; and
locking positions of the plurality of sheet layers relative to each other in response to increasing the surface-to-surface friction;

maintaining the exterior engagement surface of the pliable structure in the final engagement-surface contour after disengaging the exterior engagement surface from the tool surface; and
engaging the engagement surface with at least one uncured ply of composite material.