Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C70/00—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts
  • B29C70/04—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts comprising reinforcements only, e.g. self-reinforcing plastics
  • B29C70/28—Shaping operations therefor
  • B29C70/30—Shaping by lay-up, i.e. applying fibres, tape or broadsheet on a mould, former or core; Shaping by spray-up, i.e. spraying of fibres on a mould, former or core
  • B29C70/38—Automated lay-up, e.g. using robots, laying filaments according to predetermined patterns
  • B29C70/386—Automated tape laying [ATL]
  • B29C70/388—Tape placement heads, e.g. component parts, details or accessories
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T156/00—Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
  • Y10T156/10—Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
  • Y10T156/1002—Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor with permanent bending or reshaping or surface deformation of self sustaining lamina
  • Y10T156/1007—Running or continuous length work
  • Y10T156/1008—Longitudinal bending
  • Y10T156/1011—Overedge bending or overedge folding
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T156/00—Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
  • Y10T156/12—Surface bonding means and/or assembly means with cutting, punching, piercing, severing or tearing
  • Y10T156/1348—Work traversing type
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T156/00—Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
  • Y10T156/17—Surface bonding means and/or assemblymeans with work feeding or handling means
  • Y10T156/1785—Magazine stack directly contacting work

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method and a machine for applying fibers for the production of composite material parts, more particularly a method and a machine for applying a fiber band on convex surfaces and / or with edges .
• Fiber application machines commonly known as fiber placement machines, are known for applying to a male or female mold a wide band formed of a plurality of resin-impregnated, ribbon-like flat fibers, carbon fibers impregnated with a thermosetting or thermoplastic resin.
• These machines as described in the patent document WO2006 / 092514, conventionally comprise a fiber application head capable of applying to a application surface of a mold a strip formed of a plurality of flat fibers, and a system for moving the said fiber application head.
• the fiber application head also called fiber placement head, conventionally comprises a compaction roller intended to come into contact with the mold in a nip for applying the fiber web, and fiber guiding means under the shape of a band on said compaction roller.
• the displacement system ensures the displacement of the application head in at least three directions perpendicular to each other.
• the displacement system may be formed by a standard six-axis robot-type poly-articulated arm, arranged on the ground or mounted on a linear axis, with an end wrist to which the application head is attached, or by a Cartesian robot. gantry type equipped with an end wrist carrying the application head.
• the latter When applying or removing fibers by the compacting roll, the latter maintains a continuous pressure on the mold application surface to gradually evacuate the air trapped between the deposited fiber strips. After applying several layers of bands, the resulting piece is cured under vacuum by passage in an oven, usually autoclave.
• This compacting operation during removal provides a part before curing operation whose dimensions substantially correspond to those of the final piece obtained after curing.
• the application machines proposed to date are not used for essential parts, particularly in the aeronautical sector, such as aircraft wing rails, wind turbine blade beams, aerodynamic profiles, fittings or
• the object of the present invention is to provide a solution to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks, which allows the realization, by means of a fiber application machine, parts with ridges and / or convex surfaces. having good mechanical properties.
• the present invention proposes a method of applying a strip formed of several flat fibers, substantially contiguous, on an application surface comprising a first substantially flat surface and a second substantially flat surface connected by an edge or by a rounded surface, for example in an arc of a circle,
• a fiber application head which comprises a compaction system comprising a compaction roller, said method comprising contacting the compaction roller against the application surface and moving the compaction head to apply a web of fibers to the application surface, said method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps :
• a compaction member of the compaction system disposed downstream of the compacting roller with respect to the direction of advance of the head, said compacting member being in substantially contact with all the fibers of the strip in at least one line of contact,
• the head comprises an additional compaction member by which it is brought into contact against the band applied against the application surface, in at least one contact line, then the head is pivoted so as to maintain said member compacting against the strip according to at least one contact line, while maintaining a relative speed in translation substantially zero between said compacting member and the application surface, that is to say substantially without sliding.
• the contacting of the compaction member is performed by tilting back of the head, via the head displacement system and / or by displacement of the compaction member by a displacement system specific to said compaction member.
• the pivoting step is performed after a step of moving the head tangentially to the application surface to bring the compacting roller past the edge, beyond the junction line between the first surface and the rounded surface, or beyond the generatrix of the convex surface, to allow the pivoting operation, said step of pressing the compaction member being performed simultaneously or after this moving step.
• said method comprises the following steps:
• said method comprises the following steps: - bringing the compaction roller into contact with each other against the first surface in at least one line of contact and move the head application method for applying a strip of fibers on said first surface, in a first direction forming an angle ⁇ l with the first line of junction, substantially linear, between the first surface and the rounded surface, - at the approach of said first line joining the head in said first direction, tangentially to the first surface, to bring the compacting roller past said first line of junction, and simultaneously or successively contact the compaction member against the strip applied on the first surface,
• the displacement of the head preceding the pivoting step is performed before bringing the roll into contact with the rounded surface.
• the rounded surface may extend over an angular sector greater than 180 °.
• said method comprises the following steps
• the application head after displacement of the head tangentially to the convex application surface at said point of contact, in a direction making an angle ⁇ 1 with the generatrix of the convex surface passing through said point of contact, with or without contact of the compaction member with the convex application surface, preferably non-contacting by removing said member from the convex application surface, the application head can be rotated about the convex application surface against the convex application surface by its compaction member, until the compacting roller is brought into contact with the convex application surface, and
• the displacement of the head preceding the pivoting step is performed before bringing the roll into contact with the convex application surface.
• the present process is advantageously used for an angle ⁇ 1 different from 90 °, preferably between 10 ° and 80 °, preferably between 20 and 70 °, more preferably between 30 and 60 °, for example of the order of 45 ° .
• the present invention also relates to a fiber application machine, for producing parts made of composite materials, usable for the implementation of the method defined above, comprising:
• a fiber application head capable of applying to a surface of application a strip formed of a plurality of flat fibers, and which comprises a compacting system comprising a compacting roller intended to come into contact with the application surface for applying the web, and fiber guiding means, in the form of a web, to said compaction roller, and
• said compaction system further comprises a compaction member disposed downstream of said compaction roller and having a substantially flat contact surface, said compaction member being adapted to be supported by its contact surface, against an application surface, over substantially the entire width of a strip, according to at least one contact line.
• Said compaction member is advantageously formed from an elastomeric material, preferably covered with a release film, such as a Teflon film.
• the contact surface of the compaction member is advantageously arranged closer to the compaction roller.
• the compacting member comprises a compacting wedge, independent of the compaction roller.
• the compacting member comprises an endless belt mounted on an upstream return roller and a downstream return roller, the two rollers being mounted, preferably rotatable, downstream of the compacting roller, parallel to the axis of compacting roller, the lower strand of the endless belt constituting said contact surface of the compaction member.
• the compacting member comprises an endless belt mounted on the compacting roller and a downstream return roller, said downstream return roller being mounted downstream and parallel to the compacting roller, the lower strand of the endless band constituting said contact surface of the compaction member.
• the application head comprises a support structure by which said head is assembled to the displacement system, the compaction member and the compacting roller are mounted on said support structure in a fixed manner relative to one another. to the other, without relative displacement of the contact surface of the compaction member relative to the axis of the compaction roller, said compaction member is then brought into abutment against an application surface by displacement of the head application by the machine moving system.
• the compacting member is mounted to move on the support structure, displacement means being able to move said compacting member between a retracted position and one or more active positions, by a rotational and / or translational movement, for bringing said compaction member against the application surface.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an application machine according to a first embodiment applying a fiber web on the application surface of a mold
• FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic view in perspective of the application head of the machine of FIG. 1, applying a band of fibers to the mold;
• FIGS. 3 and 4A are two schematic perspective views of the compaction system of the head of FIG. 2 applying a strip of fibers to a mold application surface comprising a first substantially flat surface and a second surface; substantially flat disposed substantially at 90 ° to each other and connected by a rounded arcuate surface, the application head being in the process of applying the strip on the first surface;
• FIGS. 4B to 4G are diagrammatic perspective views similar to that of FIG. 4A, illustrating different positions of the application head during the application of the fiber band to the first surface, the rounded surface and the second surface. surface, with an orientation of the order of 45 °;
• FIG. 5 is an enlarged schematic side view of the application surface of FIG. 3, on which is illustrated the trajectory of a point of the roll in vertical projection during the displacement of the head in order to apply the fiber band to the rounded surface;
• FIG. 6 is a view from above of the strip of fibers applied to the first surface of the application surface of FIG. 3;
• FIGS. 7A and 7B are respectively a perspective view and a side view of the compaction system of an application head according to a second embodiment of the invention.
• FIGS. 8A and 8B are respectively a perspective view and a side view of the compaction system of an application head according to a third embodiment of the invention.
• the fiber application machine comprises a fiber application head 1 and a displacement system 5 for moving said fiber application head in all directions.
• the displacement system here comprises a poly-articulated arm 51, of the six-axis robot type, known per se, mounted movably on a linear axis 52, and whose end wrist 51a is equipped with the application head 1.
• the poly-articulated arm is fixed by its base 52b on a carriage 53 slidably mounted on the linear axis 52, said linear axis consisting of two parallel rails fixed to the ground.
• the carriage is equipped with drive means, for example motorized rollers controlled by a control unit for moving the application head along these rails.
• the fiber application machine further comprises fiber storage means and conveying means (not shown) for feeding fibers from said storage means to the application head.
• the fibers will advantageously be stored in a reel on a creel, mounted for example on a trolley follower sliding on the axis 52, and individually conveyed to the application head via flexible conveying tubes, as described in the patent document WO2006 / 092514.
• the fiber application head comprises a support structure 10, by which the head is mounted at the end of the wrist of the robot, and on which are mounted fiber guiding means and a system compacting device comprising a compaction roller 2.
• the guiding means guide the fibers entering the head towards the compaction roller in the form of a strip of fibers pre-impregnated with resin, the fibers of the strip being arranged side by side substantially joined.
• the compacting roller By moving the head by the robot, the compacting roller, known per se, is adapted to be brought into contact with the application surface of a mold 9 to apply the strip formed of several fibers.
• the head is for example a head of the type described in the patent document FR 2 913 365.
• Said compaction roller 2 is rotatably mounted on the support structure 10, removably, via lateral supports 21.
• the roll consists of a elastomeric material coated with a non-stick material, for example Teflon.
• the width of the roll is slightly greater than the width of the web, which is formed of 8 fibers in the illustrated embodiment.
• the compacting system further comprises a compacting member formed in this embodiment of a compacting wedge 3 disposed downstream of said compacting roller with respect to the direction of advance of the head, represented by the arrow referenced Fl on Figure 3, for the application of a band of fibers on an application surface.
• the compacting wedge consists of a block 30, for example substantially parallelepipedal, the width of which, defined by the distance between the two lateral faces 31 of the block, is substantially equal to the width of the compaction roller 2
• the lower face of the block constitutes a so-called contact surface 32, substantially flat, through which said compacting wedge is intended to abut in at least one contact line over the entire width of the strip just deposited by the compaction roller.
• the compacting wedge is mounted on the support structure 10, in a fixed manner, via a central connecting arm 35, behind the compacting roller, so that its contact surface 32 is arranged tangentially to the compacting roller, the contacting of the head against the newly deposited strip of fibers being obtained by tilting back of the head via the poly-articulated arm 51.
• the front face of the block disposed on the roller side, advantageously has a concave surface 33 whose radius of curvature is adapted to that of the roller for mounting the shim, and in particular its contact surface 32, closer to the roller.
• the front edge 34 defined between the concave surface 33 and the contact surface 32 has a height as small as possible, said front edge 34 being almost linear.
• the guiding means bring the fibers against the compacting roller, the fibers passing between the roller and the compacting wedge, substantially without contact with the latter.
• the block is advantageously formed of an elastomer material similar to that of the roll, the lower face advantageously being coated with an anti-adhesive film, for example a Teflon film, constituting the contact surface 32.
• the head equipped with this compaction system is advantageously used for the removal of a band of fibers on an application surface having a convex edge or surface to ensure good compaction of the band at said convex edge or surface. , especially when the applied band forms an angle with the convex edge or surface, for example 45 ° or 135 °.
• a description of the method of application of a strip by means of the fiber application machine according to the invention to a mold application surface will now be made with reference to FIGS. 3, 4A to 4G, 5 and 6, in the case of an application surface 90 comprising a first substantially flat surface 91 and a second substantially flat surface 92 connected by a rounded surface 93 in an arc.
• the two surfaces 91 and 92 are arranged at 90 ° to one another, the rounded surface 93 extends in an arc of a circle over an angular sector of 90 °.
• the references 93a and 93b respectively denote the first substantially linear junction line between the first surface 91 and the rounded surface 93 and the second substantially linear junction line between the second surface and the rounded surface.
• the first and second surfaces are said to be substantially planar.
• substantially flat surface means a flat surface, as well as the case of a concave or convex surface, the convexity or concavity of which is sufficiently small to allow the roller to rest on said surface on its entire width, in order to compact all the fibers of the strip, the roll of elastomeric material may optionally deform slightly to ensure this support.
• the application head deposits a strip 8 of fibers 7 on the first surface 91.
• the application head is conventionally bearing against the first surface 91 by the compaction roller 2, according to at least one line of contact.
• the roll of deformable material is supported in a narrow band.
• the head is moved in the direction Fl to apply a band forming an angle ⁇ 1 (Fig. 6) with the first connecting line 93a.
• the head is moved in the same direction F1, to the first connecting line 93a, as shown in FIG. 4B.
• an origin point Po of the head which corresponds for example to the middle of the generatrix G of the roll in contact with the surface is defined.
• the application head is moved until the origin point Po is substantially on the first line of junction.
• the applicator head is moved in the same direction F1, tangentially to the first surface 91, over a distance L1, so that the edge of the outer fiber 71 of the strip applied to the first surface at the level of the first line of junction. For a bandwidth equal to 2d, said distance L1 is equal to / tan ⁇ 1.
• the displacement of the head in the direction F 1, tangentially to the first surface, is continued over a distance L 2, this distance L 2 being at least the length of fiber necessary for its winding on the rounded surface between the two junction lines, added the distance separating the generatrix G from the roll of the compaction wedge.
• the application head is then inclined backwards to bring the compaction shim 3 against the first surface, the contact surface 32 of the shim against the fiber band applied to said first surface, as illustrated in FIG. 4C.
• the tilting back of the head to press the compacting wedge is made at the end or when the head is displaced at distances L1 and L2 or at distance L2, preferably at the end of said displacement to prevent any slippage. the wedge in relation to the fibers.
• FIG. 5 illustrates the vertical projection trajectory of the point P1 of the contact generatrix G of the roll, said point P1 being the point of the generatrix disposed at the edge of the outer fiber 71 of the strip.
• Each point of the roll describes an involute curve corresponding to the winding of a fiber of length L2 around the arc described by the rounded surface between the two junction lines.
• the point P1 arrives on the second surface 92, so that the front edge 34 of the compaction wedge is disposed beyond the second connecting line, with the end of this front edge 34 located in line with the point P1 possibly arranged substantially along said second junction line 93b.
• the head resumes its draping with only the compaction roller in contact, following with a direction F2 making an angle ⁇ 2 with respect to the second connecting line, this angle ⁇ 2 being substantially equal to 180 ° - ⁇ l.
• a direction F2 making an angle ⁇ 2 with respect to the second connecting line, this angle ⁇ 2 being substantially equal to 180 ° - ⁇ l.
• the displacement of the head over the distance L2 makes it possible to unwind the fibers and to shift the shim with respect to the first junction line over a length sufficient to allow the band to be compacted by the shim on the lug. whole of the rounded surface during the pivoting operation.
• the application of the strip on the rounded surface can be carried out in several operations of displacement and pivoting, in particular when the winding arc of each fiber between the two connecting lines is large and / or when the shim has a length less than said winding arc.
• the head is moved tangentially to the first surface a distance L1, as before, then a distance L '2 below said winding arc.
• After tilting of the head for the support of the wedge it rotates the head until the contact of the roller against the rounded surface.
• the head is then moved tangentially to the point of contact over a distance L "2 possibly equal to the distance L '2.
• the wedge can be held against the rounded surface, or preferably the head is tilted forward for move it away from the rounded surface and thus prevent slipping If the shim has been removed, after the displacement on the distance L2, the wedge is brought against the rounded surface in a line of contact by tilting back the The head is then rotated, as described above, if the roller comes into contact with the second surface after this pivoting, the head is then tilted back to achieve the conventional application of the band on the second If not, the movement and pivoting operations are repeated until the roll is brought into contact with the second surface.
• the method according to the invention can of course be adapted for various application surfaces comprising two surfaces forming an edge or connected by a rounded surface, in particular two substantially parallel surfaces connected by a curved surface in a circular arc. over 180 ° or more than 180 °.
• the aforementioned tangential displacement and pivoting operations can be continuously chained, for example for draping on a small diameter cylinder.
• the head In the simple case of two surfaces connected by a sharp edge or by a rounded surface whose radius of curvature is sufficiently small to allow compaction of the rounded surface by elastic deformation of the compacting wedge, the head is moved a distance at least equal to the distance L1 above, preferably added with the distance separating said generator from the front edge of the compacting wedge, the head is then tilted backwards to support the wedge, and then pivoted to the support roll against the second surface.
• FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate a second embodiment of a compaction system that can be mounted on the support structure of a head.
• the compacting system comprises, as before, a compacting roller 102 and a compacting member 103 comprising an endless belt 130, or belt, mounted on an upstream return roller 136 and a downstream return roller 137.
• the two return rollers are rotatably mounted on the support structure of the head, downstream of the compaction roller, parallel to the axis of the compaction roller, the lower strand 138 of the endless belt constituting said contact surface 132 through which the compacting member is put in support against the mold.
• This contact surface 132 formed by an endless band makes it possible to prevent any sliding of the contact surface with respect to the mold during the pivoting operation, and makes it possible to tilt the head for the bearing of this surface of contact before the pivoting operation, without sliding relative to said mold surface, for example when the origin point PO is on the first joining line and / or during the movement of the head on the distance L1 and / or the distances L2, L'2 and L "2 above.
• FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate a third embodiment of the compaction system in which the compaction member 203 comprises an endless belt 230 mounted on the compacting roller 202 and a downstream returning roller 237. The latter is mounted downstream and parallel to the compaction roller.
• the endless belt then constitutes the contact surface of the compaction roller and its lower strand 238 constitutes said contact surface 232 of the compacting member.
• the downstream return roller is mounted via side arms 235 to the side supports 221 of the compacting roller.
• the aforementioned endless belts 130 and 230 are advantageously made of an elastomeric material coated externally with a release film, for example a Teflon film.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Robotics (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Composite Materials (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Treatment Of Fiber Materials (AREA)
• Moulding By Coating Moulds (AREA)
• Yarns And Mechanical Finishing Of Yarns Or Ropes (AREA)
• Nonwoven Fabrics (AREA)
• Absorbent Articles And Supports Therefor (AREA)

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• 2009
  • 2009-04-02 FR FR0952144A patent/FR2943943A1/fr active Pending
  • 2009-05-01 US US12/434,253 patent/US8052819B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2010
  • 2010-03-31 PT PT107119117T patent/PT2414152E/pt unknown
  • 2010-03-31 CN CN201080000856.9A patent/CN102015263B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2010-03-31 CA CA2757064A patent/CA2757064A1/fr not_active Abandoned
  • 2010-03-31 EP EP10711911.7A patent/EP2414152B1/fr active Active
  • 2010-03-31 RU RU2011144378/05A patent/RU2526071C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2010-03-31 JP JP2012502683A patent/JP5466755B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2010-03-31 WO PCT/EP2010/054377 patent/WO2010112573A1/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2010-03-31 ES ES10711911.7T patent/ES2498341T3/es active Active

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