Patent ID: 7780899

Claim:
In a process for assembling a monolithic composite structure from at least one first subcomponent of composite material and at least one second subcomponent of composite material and an autoclave cycle, the improvement comprising the steps of: a) assembling the first and second subcomponents into an assembly characterized by: 1) attaching an expansion compensating tooling ( 14 , 18 ) to the second subcomponent, said tooling having a coefficient of thermal expansion that differs from said second component and a surface ( 16 , 20 ) of the tooling making contact with the second subcomponent the surface being a machined roughened surface or having a friction enhancer attached thereto and being rough enough to promote friction in an amount effective to achieve thermal expansion of the tooling and the second subcomponent at a common expansion coefficient when subjected to the autoclave cycle under high pressure applied by a vacuum bag and autoclave, said common expansion coefficient being different than an individual expansion coefficient of the second subcomponent and the same as an individual expansion coefficient of the first subcomponent, the respective individual expansion coefficients of the tooling and the second subcomponent being such that expansion of the tooling and the second subcomponent at the common expansion coefficient cannot be achieved without the high pressure of the vacuum bag and autoclave; and 2) bonding the second subcomponent with the tooling on the first subcomponent with uncured structural adhesive; covering the assembly with the vacuum bag; performing the autoclave cycle on the assembly for curing the uncured structural adhesive under high temperature and pressure; and withdrawing the assembly and removing the tooling, whereby to obtain the monolithic composite structure comprising the first and second subcomponents bonded by the cured structural adhesive.