Patent ID: 9545675
Date: 2017-01-17
CPC Classifications: B23B,B23C,B23D,B26D,Y10T

Claim:
1. A method for removing a gap-filler material between two structural components each made of a composite material without damaging the structural components, wherein: the gap-filler material is a flexibilized epoxy having a filler hardness from about 80 Shore A to about 100 Shore A; the gap-filler material is disposed in a gap, joint, seam, or crevasse between the two structural components; the composite material of each structural component is selected from the group consisting of carbon-fiber epoxy composites, a graphite-fiber epoxy composites, fiberglass epoxy composites, fiberglass epoxy bismaleimide composites, and combinations thereof; the composite material of each structural component has a composite hardness greater than 100 on the Rockwell scale; the method comprising: providing a nonmetallic tool having a cutting edge, the nonmetallic tool being formed of a polyamide-polyimide based material having a hardness greater than the filler hardness and less than the composite hardnesses of the structural components; connecting the nonmetallic tool to a power instrument adapted to rotate or oscillate the nonmetallic tool, the nonmetallic tool having a cutting edge; activating the power instrument to cause the nonmetallic tool to rotate or oscillate; contacting the cutting edge of the nonmetallic tool to the gap-filler material while the nonmetallic tool is rotating or oscillating to break up the gap-filler material; and removing the gap-filler material broken up by the nonmetallic tool from the gap, joint, seam, or crevasse between the two structural components.