DE202013012538U1 - Lay-up machine for laying and attaching tape sections to a part to be produced - Google Patents

Abstract

A lay-up machine (1; 1 ') for laying and adhering tape portions to a part to be produced, comprising: a first material feeding unit (2; 17; 2') for feeding tape material; first cutting means (6; 19; 6 ') for cutting to length the band portion from the first material feeding unit (2; 17; 2'); a moving table (11; 14; 11 '); and at least one tape stitching unit (12; 15; 12 ') for placing on a working surface of the moving table and for fixing the tape portions; characterized in that the lay-on machine (1) further comprises a second material feed unit (3; 18; 3 ') for feeding strip material; and second cutting means (7; 20; 7 ') for cutting length of the band portion from the second material feeding unit (3; 18; 3').

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application relates to U.S. Patent No. 6,607,626 , issued on August 19, 2003; U.S. Patent No. 6,939,423 , issued on September 6, 2005; U.S. Patent No. 7,235,149 , issued on June 26, 2007; U.S. Patent No. 8,007,894 , issued on August 30, 2011; US Pat. 8,048,253 , issued on November 1, 2011; U.S. Patent No. 8,168,029 , issued on May 1, 2012; U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 435,006, filed March 30, 2012; and U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 557,621, filed Jul. 25, 2012, all incorporated herein in their entirety.

STATE OF THE ART

Field of the invention

The present embodiments relate generally to advanced composites and, more particularly, to systems and methods for increasing the lay-up rate of an automated lay-up system. The embodiments relate to the equipment and systems used to make advanced composite components using an automated lay-up process using materials that are typically provided in the form of coiled tapes.

Background of the invention

Modern automated lay-up systems typically use several separate subsystems to perform the various functions of unwinding, feeding, cutting, placing, and adhering a tape section to a particular position. Since many of these functions are normally serial, the net productivity of the entire lay-up machine depends on the maximum speed with which each subsystem can operate.

The speed of the subsystem, which is used to stretch a strip material to length and position it in relation to the working surface, has a significant impact on the overall productivity of the lay-up machine. In general, such systems are equipped with a gripping mechanism which is attached to a linear drive. The gripping means engages the leading edge of the strip material and pulls it along a series of guideways to the desired length as determined by the layup program for the particular part to be produced. Unfortunately, the maximum achievable speed and acceleration of the linear actuator are subject to practical constraints based on a combination of several factors, such as friction, packaging limitations, and the mass of the gripping means and associated parts. Moreover, the maximum achievable force which the gripping mechanism can exert on the strip material determines the maximum rate of acceleration at which it can reliably pull the strip material without slippage.

There is therefore a need for increased lay-up rates and increased productivity of an entire automated lay-up system.

SUMMARY

The above and other objects of the invention are achieved by a lay-up machine for laying tape sections as defined in the independent claim 1.

In a first aspect, a lay-up machine is provided for laying and adhering tape portions to a part to be manufactured, comprising: a first material feeding unit for feeding tape material; a first cutter for cutting to length a strip portion of the first material supply unit; a movement table; and at least one tape stitching unit for placing on a working surface of the moving table and for adhering the tape portions; characterized in that the lay-on machine further comprises a second material feed unit for feeding strip material; and second cutting means for cutting to length a strip portion of the second material supply unit.

The apparatus is particularly suitable for carrying out a method, comprising: feeding strip material with a first material feed unit over a certain distance beyond a first cutting device; Gripping the leading edge of the strip material from the first material supply unit with a first gripping means; Moving the first gripping means a distance corresponding to the desired length of a band portion in a direction away from the first cutting means; Separating the end of the band portion from the first material supply unit with the first cutter; Moving the first gripping means further in the direction away from the first cutting means until the band portion is positioned at a desired location in guideways; first moving a moving table to a position for receiving the band portion; Placing the belt portion provided by the first material supply unit on a working surface of the moving table and adhering it by a first belt stitching unit; and moving the first gripping means back to a position adjacent the first cutter; characterized in that the method further comprises: Feeding strip material with a second material feed unit beyond a certain distance beyond a second cutter; Gripping the leading edge of the strip material from the second material supply unit with a second gripping means; Moving the second gripping means a distance equal to the desired length of a band portion in a direction away from the second cutting means; Separating the end of the band section from the second material supply unit with a second cutting device; Moving the second gripping means further in the direction away from the second cutting means until the band portion is positioned at a desired location in guideways; second moving the moving table to a position for receiving the band portion; Placing the band portion provided by the second material supply unit on the working surface of the moving table and adhering it through the first or second band stitching unit; and moving the second gripping means back to a position adjacent the second cutter.

Preferably, the first movement of the moving table to a position for receiving the band portion can be carried out simultaneously with the positioning of the band fed from the first material feeding unit in the guideways, and the second moving the moving table to a position for receiving the band portion simultaneously with the positioning of made in the guideways supplied from the second material feed unit band section.

Further preferably, the first gripping means may be formed by a first gripping mechanism mounted on a first linear drive and the second gripping means formed by a second gripping mechanism mounted on a second linear drive; and further feeding strip material with the second material feed unit a certain distance beyond the second cutter simultaneously with the positioning of the belt section fed from the first material feed unit in the guideways, and feeding strip material with the first material feed unit. Feeding unit over a certain distance beyond the first cutting device at the same time as the positioning of the supplied from the second material supply unit tape portion in the guideways.

Alternatively and more preferably, the first and second gripping means may also be constituted by a first gripping mechanism or a second gripping mechanism of a tape gripper assembly mounted on a linear drive, the linear drive having a range of movement allowing the first gripping mechanism to access tape material. provided by the first material feeding unit and allowing the second gripping mechanism to access tape material provided by the second material feeding unit; and further, after placing the tape portion provided by the first material feeding unit on a working surface of the moving table and adhering by the first tape stitching unit, feeding of tape material to the second material feeding unit is made to a certain distance beyond the second cutter and the linear driving is performed Belt gripper assembly moved over the remaining distance to place this in position for accessing strip material provided by the second material supply unit, and after placing the belt section provided by the second material supply unit on the processing surface and adhering through the first Tape stitching unit, the supply of strip material with the first material supply unit over a certain distance beyond the first cutting means is carried out and the linear drive moves the tape gripping assembly over the remaining distance to the di to place it in position for access to strip material provided by the first material feed unit.

Still alternatively, the first gripping means may be constituted by a first gripping mechanism mounted on a first linear drive and the second gripping means formed by a second gripping mechanism mounted on a second linear drive; further comprising the first material feed unit, the first gripping mechanism, the first linear drive, the first cutter, guideways, and a first belt stitching unit in a first lay-on head unit; the second material feed unit, the second gripping mechanism, the second linear drive, the second cutter, guideways and a second tape stitching unit are provided in a second lay-on head unit; the first lay-on head unit and the second lay-on head unit are arranged to alternate in pulling, placing and adhering tape portions on the working surface of the moving table; and further in that, simultaneously with the positioning of the ribbon portion fed from the first material supply unit in the guideways, the first movement of the moving table to a position for receiving the ribbon portion to a position below the first lay-on head unit, supplying ribbon material to the second material supply unit a certain distance beyond the second cutter, and the gripping of the leading edge of the strip material from the second material supply unit with the second gripping means; while pinning the one from the first Material supply unit provided by the tape band unit tape unit, the first edge of the strip material from the second material supply unit with the second gripping means moving the second gripping means over the distance corresponding to the desired length of the tape portion in the direction away from the second cutter , and the separation of the end of the band section from the material supply unit with a second cutting device takes place; and during the adhesion of the band portion provided by the second material supply unit by the second band stitching unit, moving the first gripping means over the distance corresponding to the desired length of the band portion in the direction away from the first cutting means and severing the end of the band portion from the first material feed unit to the first cutter.

More preferably, it may be provided that, after the tape portion provided by the first material supply unit is attached by the first tape stitching unit, the first tape stitching unit retracts while moving the first gripping mechanism back to a position adjacent to the first cutter, and the moving table returns to the position below the second lay-on head unit; while the moving table is moving to the position below the second laying head unit, the moving of the gripping mechanism further in the direction away from the first cutter until the tape section is positioned at the desired location in the tracks; after the second belt supply unit provided by the second material supply unit attaching the second belt stitching unit, the second belt stitching unit retracts while the second gripping mechanism is moved back to a position adjacent to the second cutting device, and the moving table is at the position below the first layup head unit returns; and as the moving table moves to the position below the first lay-on head unit, moving the first gripping mechanism further toward the first cutter until the tape portion is positioned at the desired location in the tracks.

Preferably, it can be provided that the first gripping means and the second gripping means alternately pull the strip material provided by the first material feed unit or by the second material feed unit.

Alternatively and preferably, it may also be provided that the method further comprises setting, by an algorithm, which is in a position of the first and the second gripping means to pull and place the next band section in the shortest time.

In another aspect, a lay-up machine is provided for laying and adhering tape portions to a part to be manufactured, comprising: a first material feeding unit for feeding tape material; first gripping means for drawing strip material from the first material supply unit and for positioning the strip material in guideways; a first cutter for cutting to length a strip portion of the first material supply unit; a movement table; and at least one tape stitching unit for placing on a working surface of the moving table and for adhering the tape portions; characterized in that the lay-on machine further comprises a second material feed unit for feeding strip material; second gripping means for drawing strip material from a second material feed unit and for positioning the strip material in guideways; and second cutting means for cutting to length a strip portion of the second material supply unit.

It can be preferably provided that the first gripping means are formed by a first gripping mechanism which is mounted on a first linear drive, and the second gripping means are formed by a second gripping mechanism which is mounted on a second linear drive.

It may also preferably be provided that the first material supply unit is mounted on one side of a main structure of the lay-up machine, and the second material supply unit is mounted on the opposite side.

In particular, it may also be provided that the material feed units, cutters and guideways are arranged in a staggered position from the belt stitching unit, and wherein a mechanism is provided to rotate the guideways holding the next belt sections to a position below the belt stitching unit or offset.

Preferably, it can also be provided that the first material supply unit, the first gripping mechanism, the first linear drive, the first cutting device, guideways and a first belt stitching unit are in a first Auflegekopfeinheit, and the second material feeding unit, the second gripping mechanism, the second Linear drive, the second cutter, guideways and a second tape stitching unit are in a second Auflegekopfeinheit, and wherein the first Auflegekopfeinheit and the second Auflegekopfeinheit are arranged, in the Alternate the drawing, placing and pinning of tape sections on the working surface of the moving table.

Further preferably, it may further be provided that the first and the second gripping means are formed by a first gripping mechanism and a second gripping mechanism of a band gripping assembly which is mounted on a linear drive, wherein the linear drive has a range of movement, which allows the first gripping mechanism, on strip material accessed by the first material feeding unit and allowing the second gripping mechanism to access tape material provided by the second material feeding unit.

Preferably, the lay-up machine may be configured to perform a method of laying and adhering tape sections to a part to be manufactured.

Furthermore, the material supply unit can also have an independent drive for unwinding the strip material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments can be better understood with reference to the figures and descriptions presented below. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, it is primarily to the illustration of the principles of the embodiments. In addition, it should be noted that identical reference numerals denote identical parts throughout the different views of the figures. Show it:

1 to 5 Views of a lay-on machine and its components according to a first embodiment;

6 to 11 Views of a lay-on machine and its components according to a second embodiment; and

12 to 15 Views of a lay-on machine and its components according to a third embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present embodiments relate to the equipment and systems for producing advanced composite components by the automated lay-up method using materials provided in the form of a wound-up belt.

Modern automated lay-up systems typically use several separate subsystems to perform the various functions of unwinding, feeding, cutting, placing, and adhering a tape section to a particular position. Since many of these functions are normally serial, the net productivity of the entire lay-up machine depends on the maximum speed with which each subsystem can operate.

The present embodiments seek to overcome the speed limitations of certain subsystems and to achieve significant increases in overall system productivity through alternative configurations of the machine design.

Double gripping mechanism

The speed of the subsystem, which is used to pull a strip section to length and position it in relation to the working surface, has a significant impact on the overall productivity of the lay-up machine. In general, such systems are equipped with a gripping means which is attached to a linear drive. The gripping means engages the leading edge of a strip material and pulls it along a series of guideways to the desired length as determined by the lay-on program for the particular part to be produced. Unfortunately, the maximum achievable speed and acceleration of the linear actuator are subject to practical constraints based on a combination of several factors, such as friction, packaging limitations, and the mass of the gripping means and associated parts. Moreover, the maximum achievable force which the gripping means can exert on the strip material determines the maximum rate of acceleration with which it can reliably pull the strip material without slippage.

In a first embodiment (cf. 1 ), the constraints described above are such that the lay-up machine is configured with double material feed units and double cutters. A material feed unit and a cutter are disposed on each side of the guideways in the lay-on machine. In addition, the lay-up machine is equipped with double gripping means, each of which is mounted on its own linear drive so that a gripping means can access the strip material provided by the material feed unit on one side of the lay-up machine and another Gripping means can access the strip material provided by the material supply unit on the opposite side of the lay-up machine.

With the configuration described above, after a gripping means pulls a band section lengthwise, positions it in the guideways, and begins to return to its corresponding material feeding unit, it is possible for the other gripping means to immediately start the next band section from the other material feed unit on the opposite side of the lay-up machine to length. With this arrangement, the time it takes the two gripping means to travel long distances to access the next belt section does not affect the productivity of the lay-up machine. It is suggested that this configuration would allow for potentially more significant reductions in overall process time than would be achievable with the currently achievable increases in linear drive speed and acceleration capacities.

The following is a detailed description of the system according to the first embodiment with reference to FIGS 1 to 5 ,

The lay-up machine 1 is with a material feed unit 2 equipped with one side of the main structure and with another material feed unit 3 which is mounted on the opposite side. A gripping mechanism 8th for a strip material is on the linear drive 4 mounted and pulls tape sections from the material feed unit 2 coming from the cutting device 6 cut to length and in the guideways 10 be positioned. Another gripping mechanism 9 for a strip material is on the linear drive 5 assembles and pulls strip sections from the material feed unit 3 coming from the cutting device 7 cut to length and in the guideways 10 be positioned. A ribbon stitch unit 12 is mounted on the main structure and moves up and down to tape sections on the working surface of the moving table 11 to place. The exercise table 11 can move as needed so that the tape sections can be placed in the desired positions and orientations.

• • Die Material-Zuführungseinheit 2 führt Bandmaterial über eine bestimmte Distanz über die Schneideinrichtung 6 hinaus zu;
• • Der Greifmechanismus 8 wird betätigt und greift die Vorderkante des Bandmaterials;
• • Der Linearantrieb 4 bewegt den Greifmechanismus 8 über eine bestimmte Distanz, die der gewünschten Länge des Bandabschnitts entspricht, in Richtung der Material-Zuführungseinheit 3;
• • Die Schneideinrichtung 6 wird betätigt, um das Ende eines Bandabschnitts von der Materialspule auf der Material-Zuführungseinheit 2 zu trennen;
• • Der Linearantrieb 4 bewegt den Greifmechanismus 8 weiter in Richtung der Material-Zuführungseinheit 3, bis der Bandabschnitt an der gewünschten Stelle in den Führungsbahnen 10 positioniert ist;
• • Gleichzeitig mit der Positionierung des von der Material-Zuführungseinheit 2 zugeführten Bandabschnitts in den Führungsbahnen:
• – bewegt sich der Bewegungstisch 11 in Position zur Aufnahme des Bandabschnitt;
• – führt die Material-Zuführungseinheit 3 Bandmaterial über eine bestimmte Distanz über die Schneideinrichtung 7 hinaus zu;
• • Nachdem der von der Material-Zuführungseinheit 2 bereitgestellte Bandabschnitt auf der Bearbeitungsfläche platziert und von der Bandhefteinheit 12 festgeheftet wurde, bewegt der Linearantrieb 4 den Greifmechanismus 8 zurück in eine Position angrenzend an die Schneideinrichtung 6;
• • Während sich der Greifmechanismus 8 zurück in seine Position angrenzend an die Schneideinrichtung 6 bewegt, wird der Greifmechanismus 9 betätigt und ergreift die Vorderkante des Bandmaterials, der von der Material-Zuführungseinheit 3 bereitgestellt wird;
• • Der Linearantrieb 5 bewegt den Greifmechanismus 9 über eine bestimmte Distanz, die der erwünschten Länge des nächsten Bandabschnitts entspricht, in Richtung der Material-Zuführungseinheit 2;
• • Die Schneideinrichtung 7 wird betätigt, um das Ende des Bandabschnitts von der Materialspule auf der Material-Zuführungseinheit 3 zu trennen;
• • Der Linearantrieb 5 bewegt den Greifmechanismus 9 weiter in Richtung der Material-Zuführungseinheit 2, bis der Bandabschnitt an der gewünschten Stelle in den Führungsbahnen 10 positioniert ist;
• • Gleichzeitig mit der Positionierung des von der Material-Zuführungseinheit 3 zugeführten Bandabschnitts in den Führungsbahnen:
• – bewegt sich der Bewegungstisch 11 in Position zur Aufnahme des Bandabschnitts;
• – führt die Material-Zuführungseinheit 2 Bandmaterial über eine bestimmte Distanz über die Schneideinrichtung 6 hinaus zu;
• • Nachdem der von der Material-Zuführungseinheit 3 bereitgestellte Bandabschnitt auf der Bearbeitungsfläche platziert und von der Bandhefteinheit 12 festgeheftet wurde, bewegt der Linearantrieb 5 den Greifmechanismus 9 zurück in eine Position angrenzend an die Schneideinrichtung 7;
• • Während sich der Greifmechanismus 9 zurück in seine Position angrenzend an die Schneideeinrichtung 7 bewegt, wird der Greifmechanismus 8 erneut betätigt und ergreift die Vorderkante des Bandmaterials, der von der Material-Zuführungseinheit 2 bereitgestellt wird;

The system works as follows:

• • The material feed unit 2 guides strip material over a certain distance over the cutter 6 out too;
• • The gripping mechanism 8th is actuated and grips the leading edge of the strip material;
• • The linear drive 4 moves the gripping mechanism 8th over a certain distance, which corresponds to the desired length of the band section, in the direction of the material supply unit 3 ;
• • The cutting device 6 is actuated to the end of a strip portion of the material spool on the material supply unit 2 to separate;
• • The linear drive 4 moves the gripping mechanism 8th continue towards the material feed unit 3 until the band section at the desired location in the guideways 10 is positioned;
• • Simultaneously with the positioning of the material feed unit 2 fed strip section in the guideways:
• - moves the movement table 11 in position for receiving the band section;
• - guides the material feed unit 3 Band material over a certain distance on the cutting device 7 out too;
• • After the from the material feed unit 2 provided band section placed on the working surface and from the tape stitching unit 12 stapled, the linear drive moves 4 the gripping mechanism 8th back to a position adjacent to the cutter 6 ;
• • While the gripping mechanism 8th back to its position adjacent to the cutter 6 moves, becomes the gripping mechanism 9 actuates and grips the leading edge of the strip material from the material feed unit 3 provided;
• • The linear drive 5 moves the gripping mechanism 9 over a certain distance, which corresponds to the desired length of the next band portion, in the direction of the material supply unit 2 ;
• • The cutting device 7 is actuated to the end of the band portion of the material spool on the material supply unit 3 to separate;
• • The linear drive 5 moves the gripping mechanism 9 continue towards the material feed unit 2 until the band section at the desired location in the guideways 10 is positioned;
• • Simultaneously with the positioning of the material feed unit 3 fed strip section in the guideways:
• - moves the movement table 11 in position for receiving the tape section;
• - guides the material feed unit 2 Band material over a certain distance on the cutting device 6 out too;
• • After the from the material feed unit 3 provided band section placed on the working surface and from the tape stitching unit 12 stapled, the linear drive moves 5 the gripping mechanism 9 back to a position adjacent to the cutter 7 ;
• • While the gripping mechanism 9 back to its position adjacent to the cutting device 7 moves, becomes the gripping mechanism 8th again actuates and grips the leading edge of the strip material coming from the material feed unit 2 provided;

The above sequence of operations is repeated, with the gripping mechanisms 8th and 9 alternately that from the material feed units 2 respectively. 3 Pull and place the tape sections provided.

In addition to the described simple reciprocal mode, the system can also be operated in an "intelligent" mode for situations in which a tape section is very short and the feeding of the tape material from the opposite side of the lay-up machine can take more time, as would be the case with a reuse of the same material feed unit. An algorithm determines which gripping mechanism is in position to pull and place the next tape section in the shortest time to optimize the lay-up workflow efficiency.

An alternative embodiment of the system described above is envisaged in which the material feed units, cutters and guideways are arranged in a position offset from the belt stitching unit, rather than being aligned therewith. Such a configuration would provide a clear path adjacent and parallel to the belt stitching unit, along which each gripping mechanism could pull and position the next belt section while the current belt section is stapled into place on the work surface.

After the tape stitching unit has tacked and completely retracted the tape portion, an additional mechanism would rotate or offset the tracks holding the next tape portion to a position below the tape stitching unit. The guideways and ribbon stitching unit would then descend again to place the new ribbon section on the work surface and tack it in the usual manner.

The alternative system would function in a nearly identical manner to the system described above, but would offer the possibility of shorter cycle times by relieving the gripping mechanism from having to wait until the belt stitching unit has fully retracted before the next belt material is withdrawn and retracted the guideways could be placed. With the operating configurations described above, various advantages can be gained. Thus, the distance and thus the unproductive time for positioning the gripping mechanism for the next band portion can be shortened, resulting in significant savings in the course of the production of a large number of parts can be achieved. The twofold sources of material feeding can shorten the time consumed to supplement used spools of material. It is also possible that, when a spool of material on one of the material supply units runs out, the system is programmed to temporarily use only the other material supply unit. The expired spool can thus be safely replaced without interrupting the production process.

Double lay-on head unit and single movement table

The speed of the subsystem, which is used to pull a strip section to length and position it in relation to the working surface, has a significant impact on the overall productivity of the lay-up machine. In general, such systems are equipped with a gripping means which is attached to a linear drive. The gripping means engages the leading edge of a strip material and pulls it along a series of guideways to the desired length as determined by the lay-on program for the particular part to be produced. Unfortunately, the maximum achievable speed and acceleration of the linear actuator are subject to practical constraints based on a combination of several factors, such as friction, packaging limitations, and the mass of the gripping means and associated parts. Moreover, the maximum achievable force which the gripping means can exert on the strip material determines the maximum rate of acceleration with which it can reliably pull the strip material without slippage.

Another factor that has a significant impact on the overall productivity of the lay-up machine is the speed of the subsystem used to position the individual tape sections in position on the part being produced. The time required to fuse one strip section of one thermoplastic composite to another is largely a fixed constant, the only variations of which depend on the strip thickness and the resin composition. Potential shortening of the time required to perform the stapling operation must therefore be obtained from the sequence of movements necessary to bring the staple subsystem into contact with the tape section and then retract to its original position.

As in the case of the subsystem used to pull a tape section to length and to position it relative to the working surface, larger increases in the speed and acceleration of the movement mechanisms are due to the same factors as mentioned above (friction, Packaging restrictions and the bulk of the system with accessories) practically impossible to achieve.

In a second embodiment (cf. 6 ), to overcome the limitations described above, the lay-up machine is configured with a double lay-on head unit arranged to be accessible to a single moving table. The Auflegekopfeinheiten are independent of each other and each configured with its own material feed unit, cutting device, gripping means with associated linear drive, guideways and belt stitching unit.

With the above-described configuration, a band portion can be drawn to length, positioned in the guideways and stitched in place with the first layup unit on the part to be produced while simultaneously pulling the next band portion to length and positioning it on the second layup head unit in the guideways. After the first belt section is tacked by the first launching head unit, the moving table conveys the part to be produced to the second launching head unit, during which the next belt section is prepared and positioned to be adhered to the part to be produced. Thus, the moving table constantly changes between the two laying head units to accommodate each new tape section without having to wait functionally, while the gripping mechanism performs its task of pulling a tape section to length and positioning it in the tracks.

With this arrangement, neither the time required for gripping means to travel long distances to access the next strip material nor the time required for the strip stitch retraction system significantly affects the lay-up machine productivity. It is suggested that this configuration allows for potentially more significant reductions in overall process times than the currently achievable increases in the speed and acceleration capabilities of the linear drives used to position a gripping mechanism or belt stitching unit.

The following is a detailed description of the system with reference to FIGS 6 to 11 ,

The lay-up machine 1 is with a first launching head unit 29 , a second lay-on head unit 30 and a exercise table 14 stocked. The first launching head unit 29 includes a material supply unit 17 , a cutting device 19 , a ribbon stitching unit 15 , a gripping mechanism 21 , a linear actuator 23 and guideways 25 ,

The second lay-on head unit 30 includes a material supply unit 18 , a cutting device 20 , a ribbon stitching unit 16 , a gripping mechanism 22 , a linear actuator 24 and guideways 26 ,

The exercise table 14 can rotate about a central axis and also move forward along a linear glide path, which has a sufficiently long reach for positioning at any point of its working surface, so that band portions with the first lay-on head unit 29 or the second lay-on head unit 30 can be placed in the desired location and orientation.

• • Die Material-Zuführungseinheit 17 führt Bandmaterial über eine bestimmte Distanz über die Schneideinrichtung 19 hinaus zu;
• • Der Greifmechanismus 21 wird betätigt und greift die Vorderkante des Bandmaterials;
• • Der Linearantrieb 23 bewegt den Greifmechanismus 21 über eine bestimmte Distanz, die der gewünschten Länge eines Bandabschnitts entspricht, in Richtung weg von der Schneideinrichtung 19;
• • Die Schneideinrichtung 19 wird erneut betätigt, um das Ende des Bandabschnitts von der Materialspule auf der Material-Zuführungseinheit 17 zu trennen;
• • Der Linearantrieb 23 bewegt den Greifmechanismus 21 weiter in Richtung weg von der Schneideinrichtung 19, bis der Bandabschnitt an der gewünschten Stelle in den Führungsbahnen 25 positioniert ist;
• • Gleichzeitig mit der Positionierung des von der Material-Zuführungseinheit 17 zugeführten Bandabschnitts an der gewünschten Stelle in den Führungsbahnen 25 durch den Greifmechanismus 21:
• – bewegt sich der Bewegungstisch 14 zur Position 27 unterhalb der ersten Auflegekopfeinheit 29;
• – führt die Material-Zuführungseinheit 18 auf der zweiten Auflegekopfeinheit 30 Bandmaterial über eine bestimmte Distanz über die Schneideinrichtung 20 hinaus zu
• – wird der Greifmechanismus 22 betätigt und greift die Vorderkante des Bandmaterials von der Material-Zuführungseinheit 18;
• • Der Bandabschnitt von der Materialspule auf der Material-Zuführungseinheit 17 wird auf der Bearbeitungsfläche des Bewegungstisches 14 platziert, und die Bandhefteinheit 15 wandert abwärts, um das Band zu kontaktieren und auf dem gerade produzierten Teil anzuheften;
• • Während der Bandabschnitt von der Material-Zuführungseinheit 17 in Position angeheftet wird:
• – bewegt der Linearantrieb 24 den Greifmechanismus 22 über eine festgelegte Distanz, die der gewünschten Länge des nächsten Bandabschnitts entspricht, weg von der Schneideinrichtung 20;
• – wird die Schneideinrichtung 20 erneut betätigt, um das Ende des Bandabschnitts von der Materialspule auf der Material-Zuführungseinheit 18 zu trennen;
• • Nachdem der von der Material-Zuführungseinheit 17 bereitgestellte Bandabschnitt angeheftet wurde:
• – zieht sich die Bandhefteinheit 15 zurück, während der Linearantrieb 23 den Greifmechanismus 21 zurück in eine Position angrenzend an die Schneideinrichtung 19 bewegt;
• – kehrt der Bewegungstisch 14 an die Position 28 unterhalb der zweiten Auflegekopfeinheit 30 zurück;
• • Während sich der Bewegungstisch 14 zur Position 28 bewegt:
• – fährt der Linearantrieb 24 damit fort, den Greifmechanismus 22 weg von der Schneideinrichtung 20 zu bewegen, bis der Abschnitt des Bandes an der gewünschten Stelle in den Führungsbahnen 26 positioniert ist;
• • Mit dem Bewegungstisch 14 an Position 28 wird der Bandabschnitt von der Materialspule auf der Material-Zuführungseinheit 18 auf der Bearbeitungsfläche des Bewegungstisches 14 platziert, und die Bandhefteinheit 16 wandert weiter abwärts, um das Band zu kontaktieren und auf dem zu produzierenden Teil anzuheften;
• • Während der Bandabschnitt von der Material-Zuführungseinheit 18 in Position angeheftet wird:
• – bewegt der Linearantrieb 23 den Greifmechanismus 21 erneut über eine festgelegte Distanz, die der gewünschten Länge des nächsten Bandabschnitts entspricht, weg von der Schneideinrichtung 19;
• – wird die Schneideinrichtung 19 erneut betätigt, um das Ende des Bandabschnitts von der Materialspule auf der Material-Zuführungseinheit 17 zu trennen;
• • Nachdem der von der Material-Zuführungseinheit 18 bereitgestellte Bandabschnitt angeheftet wurde:
• – zieht sich die Bandhefteinheit 16 zurück, während der Linearantrieb 24 den Greifmechanismus 22 zurück in eine Position angrenzend an die Schneideinrichtung 20 bewegt;
• – kehrt der Bewegungstisch 14 an die Position 27 unterhalb der zweiten Auflegekopfeinheit 29 zurück;
• • Während sich der Bewegungstisch 14 zurück zur Position 27 bewegt:
• – fährt der Linearantrieb 23 damit fort, den Greifmechanismus 21 weg von der Schneideinrichtung 19 zu bewegen, bis der Abschnitt des Bandes an der gewünschten Stelle in den Führungsbahnen 25 positioniert ist.

The system works as follows:

• • The material feed unit 17 guides strip material over a certain distance over the cutter 19 out too;
• • The gripping mechanism 21 is actuated and grips the leading edge of the strip material;
• • The linear drive 23 moves the gripping mechanism 21 over a certain distance corresponding to the desired length of a tape section, away from the cutter 19 ;
• • The cutting device 19 is again actuated to the end of the band portion of the material spool on the material supply unit 17 to separate;
• • The linear drive 23 moves the gripping mechanism 21 continue towards the cutter 19 until the band section at the desired location in the guideways 25 is positioned;
• • Simultaneously with the positioning of the material feed unit 17 fed tape section at the desired location in the guideways 25 through the gripping mechanism 21 :
• - moves the movement table 14 to the position 27 below the first launching head unit 29 ;
• - guides the material feed unit 18 on the second laying head unit 30 Band material over a certain distance on the cutting device 20 out too
• - becomes the gripping mechanism 22 actuates and grips the leading edge of the strip material from the material supply unit 18 ;
• • The tape section from the media spool on the media feed unit 17 will be on the working surface of the moving table 14 placed, and the ribbon stitching unit 15 wanders down to contact the tape and tack on the part being produced;
• • While the belt section is away from the media feed unit 17 is tacked in position:
• - moves the linear drive 24 the gripping mechanism 22 over a set distance that the desired length of the next band portion, away from the cutter 20 ;
• - Will the cutter 20 pressed again to the end of the tape section from the material spool on the material feed unit 18 to separate;
• • After the from the material feed unit 17 attached tape section has been attached:
• - the ribbon stitching unit pulls 15 back while the linear drive 23 the gripping mechanism 21 back to a position adjacent to the cutter 19 emotional;
• - the exercise table returns 14 to the position 28 below the second lay-on head unit 30 back;
• • While the exercise table 14 to the position 28 emotional:
• - drives the linear drive 24 with that, the gripping mechanism 22 away from the cutter 20 to move up the section of tape at the desired location in the guideways 26 is positioned;
• • With the movement table 14 at position 28 becomes the tape portion of the material spool on the material supply unit 18 on the working surface of the moving table 14 placed, and the ribbon stitching unit 16 continue to descend to contact the tape and pin it on the part to be produced;
• • While the belt section is away from the media feed unit 18 is tacked in position:
• - moves the linear drive 23 the gripping mechanism 21 again over a predetermined distance corresponding to the desired length of the next band portion away from the cutter 19 ;
• - Will the cutter 19 pressed again to the end of the tape section from the material spool on the material feed unit 17 to separate;
• • After the from the material feed unit 18 attached tape section has been attached:
• - the ribbon stitching unit pulls 16 back while the linear drive 24 the gripping mechanism 22 back to a position adjacent to the cutter 20 emotional;
• - the exercise table returns 14 to the position 27 below the second lay-on head unit 29 back;
• • While the exercise table 14 back to the position 27 emotional:
• - drives the linear drive 23 with that, the gripping mechanism 21 away from the cutter 19 to move up the section of tape at the desired location in the guideways 25 is positioned.

The above sequence of operations is repeated continuously, with the first lay-on head unit 29 and the second lay-on head unit 30 when pulling, placing and pinning tape sections on the working surface of the moving table 14 alternate.

An alternative embodiment of the system described above is envisaged in which the material feed units, cutters and guideways on each layup unit may be located in a position offset from the tape stitching unit rather than being aligned therewith. Such a configuration would provide a clear path adjacent and parallel to each tape stitching unit, along which each gripping mechanism could draw and position the next tape portion in length while the current tape portion is stapled into place on the work surface.

After the tape stitching unit has tacked and completely retracted the tape portion, an additional mechanism would rotate or offset the tracks holding the next tape portion to a position below the tape stitching unit. The guideways and ribbon stitching unit would then descend again to place the new ribbon section on the work surface and tack it in the usual manner.

The alternative system would operate in a nearly identical manner to the system described above, but would offer the possibility of shorter cycle times by relieving the gripping mechanism from having to wait until the tape stitching unit has fully retracted before the next tape section is withdrawn and retracted the guideways could be placed.

With the operating configurations described above, various advantages can be gained. Thus, the unproductive time for positioning the gripping mechanism for the next strip section can be removed from the production cycle time, which can result in significant savings in the course of producing a large number of parts. Also, the unproductive time for retraction of the belt stitching unit away from the working surface of the moving table can be removed from the production cycle time, which also results in significant savings in the manufacture of a large number of parts. The dual sources of material feeding can shorten the time consumed to supplement used spools of material. When a spool of material on one of the material supply units runs out, the system can be programmed to that it temporarily uses the other launching head unit. The expired spool can thus be safely replaced without interrupting the production process.

Two-sided gripping mechanism

The speed of the subsystem, which is used to pull a strip section to length and position it in relation to the working surface, has a significant impact on the overall productivity of the lay-up machine. In general, such systems are equipped with a gripping means which is attached to a linear drive. The gripping means engages the leading edge of a strip material and pulls it along a series of guideways to the desired length as determined by the lay-on program for the particular part to be produced. Unfortunately, the maximum achievable speed and acceleration of the linear actuator are subject to practical constraints based on a combination of several factors, such as friction, packaging limitations, and the mass of the gripping means and associated parts. Moreover, the maximum achievable force which the gripping means can exert on the strip material determines the maximum rate of acceleration with which it can reliably pull the strip material without slippage.

In a third embodiment (cf. 12 ), the above-described limitations are adopted such that the lay-up machine is configured with double material feed units and double cutters. A material supply unit and a cutter are arranged on each side of the material guide tracks in the lay-up machine. In addition, the band gripping arrangement is equipped with two adjoining gripping mechanisms as gripping means. Further, the linear actuator has sufficient range of movement to allow a gripping mechanism access to strip material provided by the material supply unit on one side of the lay-up machine and the other gripping mechanism access to strip material coming from the material supply unit on the opposite side of the lay-up machine is provided.

After the tape gripping assembly in the embodiment described above has pulled a tape portion to length and positioned in the tracks by means of a gripping mechanism, it is already largely in the position to pull the next tape portion from the opposite side of the lay-up machine. This arrangement eliminates the need for the tape gripping assembly to traverse longer distances to access the next tape portion. It is suggested that this configuration allows potentially more significant overall process duration reductions than those achievable by the currently achievable increases in linear drive speed and acceleration capacities.

The following is a detailed description of the system with reference to FIG 12 to 15 :
The lay-up machine 1' is with a material feed unit 2 ' configured mounted on one side of the main structure and with another material feed unit 3 ' which is mounted on the opposite side. The band gripping arrangement 31 pulls strip material along the guideways 10 ' to the desired length. The band gripping arrangement 31 includes a gripping mechanism 8th' for gripping band material coming from the material feed unit 2 ' is provided, and a gripping mechanism 9 ' for gripping band material coming from the material feed unit 3 ' provided. The band gripping arrangement 31 becomes with the linear drive 32 along the guideways 10 ' emotional. That of the material feed unit 2 ' provided strip material is from the cutter 6 ' cut into lengths to tape sections, and that of the material feed unit 3 ' provided strip material is from the cutter 7 ' cut to length to tape sections. A ribbon stitch unit 12 ' is mounted on the main structure and moves up and down to tape sections on the working surface of the moving table 11 ' to place. The exercise table 11 ' can move as needed so that the tape sections can be placed in the desired positions and orientation.

• • Die Material-Zuführungseinheit 2' führt Bandmaterial über eine bestimmte Distanz über die Schneideinrichtung 6' hinaus zu;
• • Der Greifmechanismus 8' auf der Bangreifanordnung 31 wird betätigt und greift die Vorderkante des Bandmaterials;
• • Der Linearantrieb 32 bewegt die Bandgreifanordnung 31 über eine bestimmte Distanz, die der gewünschten Länge des Bandabschnitts entspricht, in Richtung der Material-Zuführungseinheit 3';
• • Die Schneideinrichtung 6' wird betätigt, um das Ende des Bandabschnitts von der Materialspule auf der Material-Zuführungseinheit 2' zu trennen;
• • Der Linearantrieb 32 bewegt die Bangreifanordnung 31 weiter in Richtung der Material-Zuführungseinheit 3', bis der Bandabschnitt an der gewünschten Stelle in den Führungsbahnen 10' positioniert ist;
• • Gleichzeitig mit der Positionierung des von der Material-Zuführungseinheit 2' zugeführten Bandabschnitts in den Führungsbahnen 10' bewegt sich der Bewegungstisch 11' in Position zur Aufnahme des Bandabschnittes;
• • Nachdem der Bandabschnitt auf der Bearbeitungsfläche platziert und von der Bandhefteinheit 12' angeheftet ist:
• – führt die Material-Zuführungseinheit 3' Bandmaterial über eine festgelegte Distanz über die Schneideinrichtung 7' hinaus zu;
• – bewegt der Linearantrieb 32 die Bangreifanordnung 31 über die restliche Distanz, um diese in Position für den Zugriff auf Bandmaterial zu platzieren, das von der Material-Zuführungseinheit 3' bereitgestellt wurde.
• • Der Greifmechanismus 9' auf der Bandgreifanordnung 31 wird betätigt und greift die Vorderkante des Bandmaterials;
• • Der Linearantrieb 32 bewegt die Bandgreifanordnung 31 über eine bestimmte Distanz, die der gewünschten Länge des nächsten Bandabschnitts entspricht, in Richtung zurück zur Material-Zuführungseinheit 2';
• • Die Schneideinrichtung 7' wird betätigt, um das Ende des Bandabschnitts von der Materialspule auf der Material-Zuführungseinheit 3' zu trennen;
• • Der Linearantrieb 32 bewegt die Bandgreifanordnung 31 weiter in Richtung der Material-Zuführungseinheit 2', bis der Bandabschnitt an der gewünschten Stelle in den Führungsbahnen 10' positioniert ist;
• • Gleichzeitig mit der Positionierung des von der Material-Zuführungseinheit 3' zugeführten Bandabschnitts in den Führungsbahnen 10' bewegt sich der Bewegungstisch 11' in Position zur Aufnahme des Bandabschnittes;
• • Nachdem der Bandabschnitt auf der Bearbeitungsfläche platziert und von der Bandhefteinheit 12' festgeheftet wurde:
• – führt die Material-Zuführungseinheit 2' erneut Bandmaterial über eine bestimmten Distanz über die Schneideinrichtung 6' hinaus zu;
• – bewegt der Linearantrieb 32 die Bandgreifanordnung 31 über die restliche Distanz, um sie in Position für den Zugriff auf Bandmaterial zu platzieren, das von der Material-Zuführungseinheit 2' bereitgestellt wurde.

The system works as follows:

• • The material feed unit 2 ' guides strip material over a certain distance over the cutter 6 ' out too;
• • The gripping mechanism 8th' on the Bangreif arrangement 31 is actuated and grips the leading edge of the strip material;
• • The linear drive 32 moves the tape gripper assembly 31 over a certain distance, which corresponds to the desired length of the band section, in the direction of the material supply unit 3 ';
• • The cutting device 6 ' is actuated to the end of the band portion of the material spool on the material supply unit 2 ' to separate;
• • The linear drive 32 moves the Bangreif arrangement 31 continue towards the material feed unit 3 ' until the band section at the desired location in the guideways 10 ' is positioned;
• • Simultaneously with the positioning of the material feed unit 2 ' fed tape section in the guideways 10 ' the moving table moves 11 ' in position for receiving the band section;
• • After the belt section is placed on the work surface and off the belt stitch unit 12 ' is attached:
• - guides the material feed unit 3 ' Band material over a fixed distance over the cutting device 7 ' out too;
• - moves the linear drive 32 the Bangreif arrangement 31 over the remaining distance to place it in position for accessing strip material from the material feed unit 3 ' was provided.
• • The gripping mechanism 9 ' on the tape gripper assembly 31 is actuated and grips the leading edge of the strip material;
• • The linear drive 32 moves the tape gripper assembly 31 over a certain distance, which corresponds to the desired length of the next band section, in the direction back to the material supply unit 2 ';
• • The cutting device 7 ' is actuated to the end of the band portion of the material spool on the material supply unit 3 ' to separate;
• • The linear drive 32 moves the tape gripper assembly 31 continue towards the material feed unit 2 ' until the band section at the desired location in the guideways 10 ' is positioned;
• • Simultaneously with the positioning of the material feed unit 3 ' fed tape section in the guideways 10 ' the moving table moves 11 ' in position for receiving the band section;
• • After the belt section is placed on the work surface and off the belt stitch unit 12 ' was stapled:
• - guides the material feed unit 2 ' again strip material over a certain distance on the cutter 6 ' out too;
• - moves the linear drive 32 the band gripping arrangement 31 over the remaining distance to place them in position for accessing strip material from the material feed unit 2 ' was provided.

The above sequence of operations is repeated, the linear drive 32 the direction reverses after each tape section is placed, and the gripping mechanism 8th' and 9 ' alternately strip material from the material feed units 2 ' respectively. 3 ' draws.

In addition to the described simple reciprocal mode, the system can also be operated in an "intelligent" mode for situations in which one band section is very short and the movement of the gripper assembly to the opposite side can take more time than one Return to the same material feed unit would be the case. An algorithm determines which material feed unit is closer to the tape gripper assembly to minimize the required traverse time to reach a material feed unit.

• • Die Distanz und damit die unproduktive Zeit zur Positionierung des Bandgreifanordnung für den nächsten Bandabschnitt können verkürzt werden, woraus sich erhebliche Einsparungen im Laufe der Herstellung einer großen Anzahl an Teilen erzielen lassen;
• • Die zweifachen Quellen der Materialzuführung können die Zeit verkürzen, die zur Ergänzung verbrauchter Materialspulen verbraucht wird. Wenn eine Materialspule auf einer der Material-Zuführungseinheiten ausläuft, ist das System so programmiert, dass es vorübergehend ausschließlich die andere Material-Zuführungseinheit benützt wird. Die abgelaufene Materialspule kann somit sicher ersetzt werden, ohne den Produktionsvorgang zu unterbrechen.

With the operating configurations described above, the following advantages can be obtained:

• • The distance and thus the unproductive time for positioning the band gripper assembly for the next band section can be shortened, resulting in significant savings in the course of producing a large number of parts can be achieved;
• • The dual source of material feeding can shorten the time consumed to supplement used spools of material. When a spool of material on one of the material supply units runs out, the system is programmed to temporarily use only the other material supply unit. The expired material spool can thus be safely replaced without interrupting the production process.

The foregoing disclosure of the embodiments is provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive of the subject matter hereof or to set forth other embodiments of the precise forms as well as any limitations. Numerous variations and modifications of the embodiments described herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing disclosure.

In describing representative embodiments of the present embodiments, in the foregoing description, the method and / or method of the present embodiments may be represented as a specific sequence of operations. However, to the extent that the method or method does not rely on the particular sequence of operations as defined herein, the method or method may not be limited to the exact sequence of operations described. As readily recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art, other sequences of steps are possible. For this reason, the sequence of work steps specified in this specification may not be interpreted as limiting the claims. In addition, the claims directed to the method and / or method of the present embodiments should not be limited to the performance of their operations in the formulated order, and one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that the sequences may be varied without that Principle and scope of the present embodiments are left.

The embodiments provide systems for increasing the lay-up rate of an automated lay-up system. The embodiments may be particularly applied to the systems disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13 / 557,621 filed on Jul. 25, 2012, incorporated herein by reference.

Other systems, features, and advantages of the embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, features, and advantages be included in this specification and summary, be within the scope of the embodiments, and be protected by the claims.

• 1. Auflege-Maschine (1; 1') zum Auflegen und Anheften von Bandabschnitten auf ein herzustellendes Teil, aufweisend: eine ersten Material-Zuführungseinheit (2; 17; 2') zum Zuführen von Bandmaterial; erste Greifmittel zum Ziehen von Bandabschnitten von der ersten Material-Zuführungseinheit (2; 17; 2') und zum Positionieren der Bandabschnitte in Führungsbahnen (10; 25; 10'); eine erste Schneideinrichtung (6; 19; 6') zum Schneiden auf Länge der Bandabschnitts von der ersten Material-Zuführungseinheit (2; 17; 2'); einen Bewegungstisch (11; 14; 11'); und zumindest eine Bandhefteinheit (12; 15; 12') zum Platzieren auf einer Bearbeitungsfläche des Bewegungstisches und zum Festheften der Bandabschnitte; dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Auflege-Maschine (1) weiter aufweist eine zweite Material-Zuführungseinheit (3; 18; 3') zum Zuführen von Bandmaterial; zweite Greifmittel zum Ziehen von Bandabschnitten von der zweiten Material-Zuführungseinheit (3; 18; 3') und zum Positionieren der Bandabschnitte in Führungsbahnen (10; 25; 10'); und eine zweite Schneideinrichtung (7; 20; 7') zum Schneiden auf Länge der Bandabschnitts von der ersten Material-Zuführungseinheit (3; 18; 3').
• 2. Auflege-Maschine (1; 1') nach Ausführungsbeispiel 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die ersten Greifmittel gebildet sind durch einen ersten Greifmechanismus (8; 21), der an einem ersten Linearantrieb (4; 23) montiert ist, und die zweiten Greifmittel gebildet sind durch einen zweiten Greifmechanismus (9; 22), der an einem zweiten Linearantrieb (5; 24) montiert ist.
• 3. Auflege-Maschine (1; 1') nach einem der Ausführungsbeispiele 1 bis 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die erste Material-Zuführungseinheit (2; 2') auf einer Seite einer Hauptstruktur der Auflege-Maschine (1; 1') montiert ist, und die zweite Material-Zuführungseinheit (3; 3'), die auf der gegenüberliegenden Seite montiert ist.
• 4. Auflege-Maschine (1; 1') nach einem der Ausführungsbeispiel 1 bis 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Material-Zuführungseinheiten, Schneideinrichtungen und Führungsbahnen in einer von der Bandhefteinheit versetzten Position angeordnet sind, und wobei ein Mechanismus vorgesehen ist, um die Führungsbahnen, welche die nächste Strecke halten, in eine Position unterhalb der Bandhefteinheit drehen oder versetzen.
• 5. Auflege-Maschine (1; 1') nach einem der Ausführungsbeispiele 1 bis 4, wobei die erste Material-Zuführungseinheit (17), der erste Greifmechanismus (21), der erste Linearantrieb (23), die erste Schneideinrichtung (19), Führungsbahnen (25) und eine erste Bandhefteinheit (15) aufgewiesen sind in einer ersten Auflegekopfeinheit (29), und die zweite Material-Zuführungseinheit (18), der zweite Greifmechanismus (22), der zweite Linearantrieb (24), die zweite Schneideinrichtung (20), Führungsbahnen (25) für das Material und eine zweite Bandhefteinheit (16) aufgewiesen sind in einer zweiten Auflegekopfeinheit (30), und wobei die erste Auflegekopfeinheit (29) und die zweite Auflegekopfeinheit (30) eingerichtet sind, sich beim Ziehen, Platzieren und Anheften von Bandabschnitten auf der Bearbeitungsfläche des Bewegungstisches (14) abwechseln.
• 6. Auflege-Maschine (1; 1') nach Ausführungsbeispiel 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die ersten und die zweiten Greifmittel gebildet sind durch einen ersten Greifmechanismus (8') und einen zweiten Greifmechanismus (9') einer Bandgreifanordnung (31), die an einem Linearantrieb (32) montiert ist, wobei der Linearantrieb (32) eine Bewegungsreichweite aufweist, die es dem ersten Greifmechanismus (8') erlaubt, auf Material zuzugreifen, das von der ersten Material-Zuführungseinheit (2') bereitgestellt wird, und die es dem zweiten Greifmechanismus (9') erlaubt, auf Material zuzugreifen, das von der zweiten Material-Zuführungseinheit (3') bereitgestellt wird

The subject matter of the present disclosure may be further understood with reference to the following further embodiments:

• 1. lay-up machine ( 1 ; 1' ) for laying and adhering tape sections to a part to be produced, comprising: a first material supply unit ( 2 ; 17 ; 2 ' ) for feeding strip material; first gripping means for drawing strip sections from the first material supply unit ( 2 ; 17 ; 2 ' ) and for positioning the band sections in guideways ( 10 ; 25 ; 10 ' ); a first cutting device ( 6 ; 19 ; 6 ' ) for cutting to length the band portion of the first material supply unit ( 2 ; 17 ; 2 ' ); a movement table ( 11 ; 14 ; 11 ' ); and at least one ribbon stitching unit ( 12 ; 15 ; 12 ' ) for placing on a working surface of the moving table and for fixing the band portions; characterized in that the lay-up machine ( 1 ) further comprises a second material supply unit ( 3 ; 18 ; 3 ' ) for feeding strip material; second gripping means for drawing strip sections from the second material supply unit ( 3 ; 18 ; 3 ' ) and for positioning the band sections in guideways ( 10 ; 25 ; 10 ' ); and a second cutting device ( 7 ; 20 ; 7 ' ) for cutting to length the band portion of the first material supply unit ( 3 ; 18 ; 3 ' ).
• 2. lay-up machine ( 1 ; 1' ) according to embodiment 1, characterized in that the first gripping means are formed by a first gripping mechanism ( 8th ; 21 ) connected to a first linear drive ( 4 ; 23 ) is mounted, and the second gripping means are formed by a second gripping mechanism ( 9 ; 22 ) connected to a second linear drive ( 5 ; 24 ) is mounted.
• 3. lay-up machine ( 1 ; 1' ) according to one of the embodiments 1 to 2, characterized in that the first material supply unit ( 2 ; 2 ' ) on one side of a main structure of the lay-up machine ( 1 ; 1' ), and the second material supply unit ( 3 ; 3 ' ), which is mounted on the opposite side.
• 4. lay-up machine ( 1 ; 1' ) according to one of the embodiments 1 to 3, characterized in that the material supply units, cutting means and guideways are arranged in a staggered position from the belt stitching unit, and wherein a mechanism is provided to the guideways, which hold the next stretch in a Turn or move the position below the belt stitch unit.
• 5. lay-up machine ( 1 ; 1' ) according to one of the embodiments 1 to 4, wherein the first material supply unit ( 17 ), the first gripping mechanism ( 21 ), the first linear drive ( 23 ), the first cutting device ( 19 ), Guideways ( 25 ) and a first ribbon stitching unit ( 15 ) are shown in a first lay-on head unit ( 29 ), and the second material supply unit ( 18 ), the second gripping mechanism ( 22 ), the second linear drive ( 24 ), the second cutting device ( 20 ), Guideways ( 25 ) for the material and a second belt stitch unit ( 16 ) are shown in a second lay-on head unit ( 30 ), and wherein the first lay-on head unit ( 29 ) and the second lay-on head unit ( 30 ) are adapted, when pulling, placing and adhering tape sections on the working surface of the moving table ( 14 ) alternate.
• 6. lay-up machine ( 1 ; 1' ) according to embodiment 1, characterized in that the first and the second gripping means are formed by a first gripping mechanism ( 8th' ) and a second gripping mechanism ( 9 ' ) a band gripping arrangement ( 31 ) connected to a linear drive ( 32 ) is mounted, wherein the linear drive ( 32 ) has a range of motion that allows the first gripping mechanism ( 8th' ) allows access to material coming from the first material feed unit ( 2 ' ) and that it is the second gripping mechanism ( 9 ' ) allows access to material coming from the second material feed unit ( 3 ' ) provided

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1; 1'

Lay-machine

2, 2 '

Material supply unit

3, 3 '

Material supply unit

4

linear actuator

5

linear actuator

6; 6 '

cutter

7; 7 '

cutter

8, 8 '

gripping mechanism

9,9 '

gripping mechanism

10; 10 '

guideways

11; 11 '

motion table

12; 12 '

Tape Stapler

13

14

motion table

15

Tape Stapler

16

Tape Stapler

17

Material supply unit

18

Material supply unit

19

cutter

20

cutter

21

gripping mechanism

22

gripping mechanism

23

linear actuator

24

linear actuator

25

guideways

26

guideways

27

position

28

position

29

Auflegekopfeinheit

30

Auflegekopfeinheit

31

Tape gripping assembly

32

linear actuator

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• US 6607626 [0001]
• US 6939423 [0001]
• US 7235149 [0001]
• US 8007894 [0001]
• US8048253 [0001]
• US 8168029 [0001]

Claims (1)

Lay-up machine ( 1 ; 1' ) for applying and adhering band portions to a part to be produced, comprising: a first material supply unit ( 2 ; 17 ; 2 ' ) for feeding strip material; a first cutting device ( 6 ; 19 ; 6 ' ) for cutting to length the band portion of the first material supply unit ( 2 ; 17 ; 2 ' ); a movement table ( 11 ; 14 ; 11 ' ); and at least one ribbon stitching unit ( 12 ; 15 ; 12 ' ) for placing on a working surface of the moving table and for fixing the band portions; characterized in that the lay-up machine ( 1 ) further comprises a second material supply unit ( 3 ; 18 ; 3 ' ) for feeding strip material; and a second cutting device ( 7 ; 20 ; 7 ' ) for cutting to length of the band portion of the second material supply unit ( 3 ; 18 ; 3 ' ).

Images