METHOD OF MAKING ACOUSTIC HOLES USING UV CURING MASKING MATERIAL

Abstract

A method of forming acoustic holes in a composite sound-insulating material includes creating a image of at least a portion of an array of holes and transferring the image to an ultraviolet (UV) radiation transparent medium. The method continues with positioning the medium in contact with a UV-curable mask and exposing the medium-covered mask to UV radiation to cure the UV-exposed areas. The method further includes removing the uncured mask material to create an abrading mask that includes a plurality of holes in a desired pattern. The method also includes positioning the abrading mask in contact with the sound-insulating material and directing a stream of abrasive matter at the abrading mask to create perforations in the sound-insulating material that correspond to the pattern of holes in the abrading mask.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Embodiments of the present invention relate to the creation of acoustic holes in a sound insulating material. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to a method of creating acoustic holes in a sound insulating material using an ultraviolet radiation curing mask.

2. Description of the Related Art

Aircraft engines include sound insulating material to reduce the amount of noise that they produce. The sound insulating material may include a plurality of acoustic holes to enhance its sound insulating ability. Such acoustic holes are typically produced by applying pressure to a polymeric pin mat that is in contact with the sound insulating material. Unfortunately, there are drawbacks to this procedure. Pin mats may be difficult to utilize on sound insulating surfaces that possess varying contours. It is also possible that one or more pins on the mat may break and not create the appropriate perforations, thereby diminishing the sound insulating ability. Correction of this problem may require manual creation of the acoustic holes, often by hand drilling. Furthermore, pin mats are generally fabricated using metal dies, which produce a fixed pattern of pins. Modification of the pin hole pattern requires modification of the metal die, which may be costly and time-consuming.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention solve the above-mentioned problems and provide a distinct advance in the art of creating acoustic holes in a sound insulating material. More particularly, embodiments of the invention provide a method of creating acoustic holes in a sound insulating material using an ultraviolet radiation curing mask that is easily created and modified. In addition, the mask is flexible to match varying contours and includes no protruding parts that can detach or break.

The method of forming acoustic holes in a composite sound-insulating material includes creating a positive image of at least a portion of a desired array of holes and transferring the image to an ultraviolet (UV) radiation transparent medium. The method continues with positioning the medium in contact with a UV-curable mask and exposing the medium-covered mask to UV radiation to cure the UV-exposed areas. The method further includes removing the uncured mask material to create an abrading mask that includes a plurality of holes in a desired pattern. The method also includes positioning the abrading mask in contact with the sound-insulating material and directing a stream of abrasive matter at the abrading mask to create perforations in the sound-insulating material that correspond to the pattern of holes in the abrading mask.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a target material showing perforations in the material created using a method in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of steps of the method;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of an ultraviolet (UV) radiation transparent sheet and a UV curing mask;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the UV radiation transparent mask aligned with the UV curing mask and a profile view of the two masks receiving UV radiation;

FIG. 5 is a profile view of the UV curing mask held against a firm surface while uncured material is removed from a liquid source in order to create an abrading mask;

FIG. 6 is a plan view and a cross-sectional view of the abrading mask showing holes formed in the mask;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the abrading mask aligned with a target surface; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the abrading mask aligned with the target surface receiving a stream of abrasive material.

The drawing figures do not limit the present invention to the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following detailed description of the invention references the accompanying drawings that illustrate specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

FIG. 1 shows a target material 10 that includes an array of acoustic holes 12 created using a method in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. The target material 10 may be acoustic damping material for use in an aircraft engine or any other material in which holes are formed. The target material 10 may include varying contours or shapes and may be flat or curved as seen in FIG. 1. The array of acoustic holes 12 may be regular with uniform spacing between the holes or may be irregular with non-uniform spacing. The holes 12 may be of varying shape and dimension.

The steps of the method of making acoustic holes using ultraviolet (UV) curing masking material are outlined in FIG. 2. The method includes creating an image 14 of at least a portion of the array of acoustic holes as shown in step 101. The image 14 may include just a portion of the array 12, if the array 12 includes a repeated pattern, as shown in FIG. 3. It is possible that the image 14 may be stepped and repeated in later steps of various embodiments of the present invention. Thus, the image 14 may include only the portion of the array 12 that is a repeated pattern, or the image 14 may include multiple copies of the repeated pattern to minimize stepping and repeating in later steps of various embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, the image 14 may include the entire array 12 of holes if there is no portion of the array 12 that is repeated. In addition, the image 14 may include alignment features, as are known in the art.

The image 14 may include a positive representation of the array 12, as shown in FIG. 3, wherein the black features represent areas where the holes will exist. Or, the image 14 may include a negative representation of the array 12, wherein the black and white features of the array are inverted, such that the desired array of holes are white that are surrounded by a black background. The type of UV-sensitive material used in later steps of various embodiments of the present invention determines whether a positive representation or a negative representation is used.

The image 14 may be created using computer software, such as computer-aided drafting or design (CAD) programs, word-processing or desktop publishing programs, spreadsheet programs, data presentation preparation programs, photographic or video editing programs, combinations thereof, and the like. The image 14 may also be created by using manual drafting techniques either alone or in combination with computer software techniques.

The image 14 may be transferred to a UV-transparent medium 16 as listed in step 102. Opaque material corresponding to the image 14 is applied to the medium 16 and filters UV radiation from transmitting through the medium 16. The transfer may be performed by printers, plotters, copiers, graphic reproduction machines, combinations thereof, and the like. It is also possible that the image 10 may be formed directly on the UV-transparent medium 16. Manual drafting techniques using permanent, opaque ink on the medium 16 may be utilized or manual placement of patterned opaque stickers or masking tape onto the medium 16 may also be employed.

The UV-transparent medium 16 is positioned in contact with a UV-curable material 18 as listed in step 103 and shown in FIG. 4. The medium 16 may be aligned to alignment features on the UV-curable material 18 and the medium 16 and the material 18 may be temporarily adhered to one another.

The UV-curable material 18 may include monomers, oligomers, or prepolymers as are known in the art. Photosensitive resins may also be included. The thickness of the UV-curable material may be between approximately 0.002 inches and 0.010 inches.

The UV-transparent medium 16 and the UV-curable material 18 are both exposed to a UV-wavelength radiation source 20 as listed in step 104 and shown in FIG. 4. Typically the exposure occurs in a closed chamber with one or more bulbs or tubes providing the UV radiation. The duration of the UV exposure may depend on the intensity of the UV source 20 and the properties of the UV-curable material 18, such as thickness. If the medium 16 is substantially the same size in area as the material 18, then one exposure is all that is necessary to properly expose the UV-curable material 18.

In certain embodiments, if the desired array of acoustic holes 12 is a regular, repeated pattern, then it is possible to use a smaller UV-transparent medium 16 than the UV-curable material 18, such that the medium 16 is repeatedly exposed in different locations across the material 18. The UV-transparent medium 16 is aligned to one location on the UV-curable material 18 and exposed to UV radiation while the rest of the material 18 is covered (or masked) with UV-opaque material to prevent unwanted UV exposure. The UV-transparent medium 16 is aligned with another location on the UV-curable material 18 and exposed to UV radiation while the rest of the material 18 is covered. This process continues until all areas of the UV-curable material 18 have been exposed to UV radiation.

The uncured material is removed from the UV-curable material 18, leaving behind the cured material which forms an abrading mask 22 as listed in step 105 and shown in FIG. 5. Typically, the UV-curable material 18 is held against a solid surface 24, such as wood or metal, and the uncured material is removed with a high pressure jet 26 (approximately 120 psi) of warm water. Removal of the uncured material may be accomplished with other liquids and variations in the pressure and temperature of the liquids are possible. What remains after the removal of the uncured material is the abrading mask 22 as shown in FIG. 6. The abrading mask 22 includes a plurality of holes 28 that extend through the thickness of the mask 22, wherein the holes 28 are formed in the pattern of at least a portion of the desired array of acoustic holes 12.

The abrading mask 22 is positioned in contact with the surface of the target material 10 as listed in step 106 and shown in FIG. 7. The mask 22 may be aligned with alignment features on the surface of the target material 10. The mask 22 may also be affixed temporarily to the target material 10 surface.

The abrading mask 22 and the target material 10 are exposed to a stream of abrasive material 30 from an abrasive material source 32 as listed in step 107 and shown in FIG. 8. The abrasive material 30 is typically a solid and may be a powder or small-particulate form of silicon carbide (SiC) or alumina (Al₂O₃) or similar abrasive material. The abrasive material 30 may have a particle size of approximately 190 μm to 270 μm. The abrasive material source 32 may be a pressurized solid or powder material sprayer. The duration of the exposure of the abrading mask 22 and target material 10 to the abrasive material source 32 and the pressure of the abrasive material stream 30 may be varied and may depend on factors such as the density of the target material 10, the size and depth of the desired acoustic holes 12, the particle size and flow rate of the abrasive stream 30, etc. The range of the pressure of the abrasive material stream 30 may be between approximately 50 pounds per square inch (psi) and approximately 100 psi. Typically, the abrasive stream 30 is scanned across the surface of the target material 10 until all of the holes 28 in the mask 22 have been exposed to the stream 30 and perforations have been created in the target material 10 that correspond to the holes of the mask 22. The mask 22 is then removed from the surface of the target material 10.

In certain embodiments, the desired array of acoustic holes 12 includes a pattern that is repeated. Thus, the abrading mask 22 may be smaller in size than the size of the array of acoustic holes 12 and may include just the pattern of holes that is to be repeated. Typically, the mask 22 includes more than one copy of the pattern to minimize the stepping and repeating process. The abrading mask 22 is aligned and temporarily affixed to one area of the target material 10. The rest of the surface of the target material is covered with a protective coating to prevent undesired abrasion or damage. The stream of abrasive material 30 is directed at the mask 22 and the target material 10 and is scanned across all of the holes 28 in the abrading mask 22 to create perforations in the target material 10. The mask 22 is moved to the next location where it is aligned and temporarily affixed to the target surface 10. The abrasive material stream 30 is scanned across all holes 28 in the abrading mask 22. This process is repeated until all necessary areas of the target material 10 have been exposed to the abrasive stream 30 and the desired array of acoustic holes 12 has been created.

Although the invention has been described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the attached drawing figures, it is noted that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims.

Claims

1. A method for creating acoustic holes in a target material, the method comprising the steps of:

a) exposing an ultraviolet radiation transparent medium that includes an image of at least a portion of an array of acoustic holes and an ultraviolet sensitive mask with a thickness between approximately 0.002 inches and approximately 0.004 inches to ultraviolet radiation;

b) removing uncured material from the ultraviolet sensitive mask such that cured material forms an abrading mask;

c) positioning the abrading mask in contact with the target material; and

d) directing a stream of abrasive material with a stream pressure between approximately 50 pounds per square inch and approximately 69 pounds per square inch at the abrading mask to create acoustic holes in the target material.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the step of creating the image of at least a portion of the array of holes.

3. The method of claim 2, further including the step of transferring the image to the ultraviolet radiation transparent medium.

4. The method of claim 3, further including the step of positioning the ultraviolet radiation transparent medium in contact with the ultraviolet sensitive mask.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the target material includes a sound-insulating material for an aircraft engine.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the abrasive material includes silicon carbide (SiC) particles.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the abrasive material includes alumina (Al2O3) particles.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein removing uncured material from the ultraviolet sensitive mask includes using a high-pressure liquid rinse.

9. (canceled)

10. A method for creating acoustic holes in a sound-insulating material for an aircraft engine, the method comprising the steps of:

a) creating a positive opaque image of at least a portion of an array of acoustic holes;

b) transferring the image to an ultraviolet radiation transparent medium;

c) positioning the ultraviolet radiation transparent medium in contact with an ultraviolet curable mask with a thickness between approximately 0.002 inches and approximately 0.004 inches;

d) exposing the ultraviolet radiation transparent medium and the ultraviolet curable mask to ultraviolet radiation to cure exposed areas of the mask;

e) removing uncured material from the ultraviolet curable mask using a high-pressure water rinse such that the cured material forms an abrading mask;

f) positioning the abrading mask in contact with the sound-insulating material; and

g) directing a stream of abrasive material with a stream pressure between approximately 50 pounds per square inch and approximately 69 pounds per square inch at the abrading mask to create acoustic holes in the sound-insulating material.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the abrasive material includes silicon carbide (SiC) particles.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the abrasive material includes alumina (Al2O3) particles.

13. A method for creating acoustic holes in a sound-insulating material for an aircraft engine, the method comprising the steps of:

a) creating a positive opaque image of a portion of an array of acoustic holes;

b) transferring the image to an ultraviolet radiation transparent medium;

c) positioning the ultraviolet radiation transparent medium in contact with an ultraviolet curable mask with a thickness between approximately 0.002 inches and approximately 0.004 inches;

d) exposing the ultraviolet radiation transparent medium and the ultraviolet curable mask to ultraviolet radiation to cure exposed areas of the mask;

e) removing uncured material from the ultraviolet curable mask using a high-pressure water rinse such that the cured material forms an abrading mask;

f) positioning the abrading mask in contact with a first location of the sound-insulating material;

g) directing a stream of abrasive material with a stream pressure between approximately 50 pounds per square inch and approximately 69 pounds per square inch at the abrading mask to create acoustic holes;

h) positioning the abrading mask in contact with a second location of the sound-insulating material and directing a stream of abrasive material at the abrading mask to create acoustic holes; and

i) repeating step h) until acoustic holes have been created at all desired locations of the sound-insulating material.