Patent ID: 11969953
Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 7:
8. A method, comprising:
selecting a schedule of plies for a composite charge, each of the plies having fibers, including selecting angles for the fibers in each of the plies in the schedule of plies;
selecting, for each of the plies in the schedule of plies, a length of the fibers in the plies based on an amount to which the plies must stretch during forming of the composite charge to contours;
making cuts in the fibers in at least certain of the plies to the length; and
staggering the cuts in the fibers, wherein staggering the cuts randomly disburses the cuts over the plies,
wherein cutting the fibers includes
cutting a plurality of 0° plies each having 0° reinforcing fibers that are cut at an angle of approximately 15° to form 0° fiber lengths and
cutting a plurality of 45° plies each having 45° reinforcing fibers that are cut at an angle of approximately 15° to form 45° fiber lengths.