US Patent 9779715 Method for making contoured acoustic structures

An existing acoustic honeycomb panel having a radius of curvature is cut into segments that have longitudinal and lateral sides that extend between the edges of the honeycomb. The segments are bonded together along their longitudinal or lateral sides to form a segmented acoustic honeycomb in which the radius of curvature is different from the radius of curvature of the original acoustic honeycomb panel. The shape of the longitudinal or lateral sides of the segments and the thickness of the adhesive bond can be controlled to provide segmented acoustic honeycomb panels that are tightly curved and which are suitable for use in demanding noise damping applications, such as jet engine nacelles.