Economical processing of fiber-reinforced components with thermal expansion molding

The concept of economical fabrication of fiber-reinforced structural components is illustrated with an example of a typical control surface (aileron). The concept provides for fabricating struts, ribs, and a cover plate as an integral structure in a hardening device and then joining the closure cover plate mechanically. Fabrication of the integral structure is achieved by the 'thermal expansion molding' technique. The hardening pressure is produced by silicone rubber cores which expand under the influence of temperature. Test results are presented for several rubber materials as well as for various structural pieces. The technique is demonstrated extensively for an aileron, consisting of five ribs, struts, and a cover plate. Economically, for a large scale technical production of an aileron, cost savings of twenty-five percent can be realized compared to those for a sheet metal structure.