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]
• • 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
• • 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
• • 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
• • 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
  • Y10T156/1015—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
  • Y10T156/10—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
  • Y10T156/1051—Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor with permanent bending or reshaping or surface deformation of self sustaining lamina by folding

Definitions

• the present disclosure broadly relates to fabrication of fiber reinforced composite laminates, and deals more particularly with a method of laminating composite tape over edges having convex radii.
• AFP machines may be used in the aircraft industry, for example, to fabricate structural members and skin assemblies by wrapping relatively narrow strips of slit prepreg tape known as "tows", collimated into a wider band around a manufacturing tool or other substrate.
• AFP machines have a material application head that includes a plurality of tape control modules which align, cut and place the tape strips, typically six or more, "on-the-fly" under numeric control.
• the tape strips are aligned in continuous, edge-to-edge contact forming a single wide conformal bandwidth which is compacted against the tool using a compaction device such as a compaction roller or a shoe.
• the plies forming the laminate structure may be made up of plies have differing fiber orientations, such as 0°, 45° and 90° plies, with each ply being formed by multiple courses of a conformal bandwidth of tape strips placed by the AFP machine.
• the substrate e.g. the tool
• the substrate may have one or more radius edges over which the tape strips must be applied and compacted.
• a problem sometimes exists where it is necessary to apply the tape strips at an angle, such as a 45° angle, over an edge having a relatively sharp, convex radius, such as a 90° convex radius.
• the disclosed embodiments provide a method of laminating composite tape over a relatively sharp convex radius edge, where the tape is applied with a fiber orientation that forms an angle, such as a 45° angle relative to the convex radius edge.
• the method reduces or eliminates lifting of just-laid tape away from the substrate is the radius edge, as a compaction roller traverses over the radius edge.
• a method of laminating composite tape over a convex radius edge on a substrate.
• the method comprises moving a material placement head over the substrate toward and around the convex radius edge, and laying down a bandwidth of the composite tape strips on the substrate is a material placement head moves over the substrate and around the convex radius edge, including using a compaction device to compact the tape strips against the substrate.
• the method further includes for preventing the compaction device from lifting off tape strips laid near the convex radius edge by pivoting the compaction device around a trailing edge of the bandwidth in contact with the convex radius edge.
• the method also includes folding in the bandwidth of the tape strips as the material placement head moves around the convex radius edge.
• the compaction device has a longitudinal axis and a tool center point lying along the longitudinal axis at one end of the compaction device, and pivoting the compaction device around the trailing edge of the bandwidth of tape strips includes pivoting the compaction device about the tool center point.
• Laying down the bandwidth of tape strips includes laying down a plurality of tape strips side-by-side on the substrate, and pivoting the compaction device includes pivoting the compaction device at a point lying along one of the tape strips near an edge of the bandwidth. Pivoting the compaction device is performed as the material placement head moves around the convex radius edge.
• the compaction device may be a compaction roller having an axis of rotation that is angularly offset from the convex radius edge. In one embodiment, the axis of rotation of the compaction roller is angularly offset from the convex radius edge by approximately 45°. Contact between the compaction device and the substrate is maintained throughout the movement of the material placement head around the convex radius edge.
• a method of laying down prepreg fibers on a substrate having two surfaces connected by a radius edge.
• the method comprises moving a composite material placement head across a first substrate surface at an angle to the radius edge, and laying down a bandwidth of prepreg fibers on the first substrate surface.
• the method further comprises moving the material placement head around the radius edge from the first substrate surface to a second substrate surface, and pivoting the material placement head about a point near one edge of the bandwidth of the prepreg fibers as the material placement head moves around the radius edge.
• the method may further comprise moving the material fiber placement head from a radius edge across the second substrate surface and an angle to the radius edge, and laying down a bandwidth of the prepreg fibers on the second substrate surface.
• Laying down a bandwidth of the prepreg fibers on the first substrate surface includes laying down strips of fiber tows in side-by-side, edge to edge contact with each other, and compacting the strips of fiber tows.
• the point about which the material placement head is pivoted is located within one of the strips of fiber tows near one edge of the bandwidth of prepreg fibers.
• Compacting the strips of fiber tows is performed using a compaction roller, and pivoting the material placement head includes pivoting the compaction roller about a tool center point lying near one end of the compaction roller.
• the method further comprises folding the bandwidth of prepreg fibers as the material placement head is moved around the radius edge from the first substrate surface to the second substrate surface.
• the angle of movement of the material placement head to the radius edge may be approximately 45°.
• a method of laminating composite tows over a convex radius using a material placement head having a compaction roller.
• the method comprises moving the material placement head around the convex radius as composite tows are being laminated in a bandwidth over the convex radius.
• the method further comprises pivoting the compaction roller at a location across the bandwidth that prevents a compaction roller from lifting off the tows laid just before the material placement head begins moving around the convex radius.
• the method also includes folding the bandwidth of prepreg tows as the compaction roller moves around the convex radius.
• the location across the bandwidth about which the compaction roller is pivoted is between a center tow and a last tow along the trailing edge of the bandwidth.
• a method of laminating composite tape over a convex radius using a tape laminating machine having a compaction roller.
• the method comprises programming the tape laminating machine to move along a path over a substrate, and directing the compaction roller to move along the path and pivot around a trailing edge of the tape that contacts the convex radius to prevent the compaction roller from lifting off the tape played just before the convex radius.
• the method also includes folding the tape as the compaction roller moves over the convex radius.
• the method may further comprise digitally defining a composite layup having a convex radius, and using the tape laminating machine to layout plies of the digitally defined layup.
• the tape laminating machine may be programmed such that the tape laminating machine moves along a modified path for laying up plies respectively having 0°, 45° and 90° fiber orientations. Directing the compaction roller to move along the path and pivot around a trailing edge of the tape is performed while folding the tape as the compaction roller moves over the convex radius.
• Figure 1 is an illustration of a perspective view of a tape laminating machine laying down composite tape over a substrate having a convex radius edge.
• Figure 2 is an illustration of a front view of a conformal bandwidth of tape being placed over a convex radius edge using a prior art method.
• Figure 3 is an illustration of the substrate shown in Figure 1 , showing an area of the bandwidth that is pulled away from the substrate when using the prior art method.
• Figure 4 is an illustration similar to Figure 3, but showing the compaction or roller having folded the bandwidth of tape around the radius edge using the prior art method.
• Figure 5 is an illustration of a flow diagram of a method of laminating composite tape over a convex radius edge.
• Figure 6 is an illustration of a front view similar to Figure 2, but showing a modified tool center point about which the compaction roller is pivoted as the radius edge is traversed by the compaction roller.
• Figure 7 is an illustration of a perspective view of a compaction roller beginning to traverse over the radius edge, according to the disclosed method.
• Figure 8 is an illustration similar to Figure 7, but showing the compaction roller having pivoted about the modified tool center point at the trailing edge of the conformal bandwidth.
• Figure 9 is an illustration of an overall flow diagram of a method of laying up a composite part which employs the disclosed technique of rotating the compaction roller as it traverses a radius edge at an angle.
• Figure 10 is an illustration of a flow diagram of aircraft production and service methodology.
• Figure 1 1 is an illustration of a block diagram of an aircraft.
• an automatic fiber placement (AFP) machine 12 includes a material placement head 20 whose movements may be controlled by a robot 14 suitable for the application.
• the robot 14, as well as the functions of the material placement head 20 are controlled by a controller 16 which may comprise, without limitation, a CNC (computer numerically controlled) controller or a computer employing one or more NC programs 18.
• the material placement head 20 may be similar to those described in US Patent No. 7,213,629, US Patent Application Serial No. 12/038,155 filed February 27, 2008, and US Patent Publication No. 20070029030 published February 8, 2007, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
• the material placement head 20 may include a material supply system (not shown) and a plurality of tape control modules (not shown) which may include rethread mechanisms, material guides, and material cutting mechanisms, all not shown but well known in the art.
• the material placement head 20 feeds 25 a conformal bandwidth 24, sometimes also referred to herein as a tape bandwidth 24, of composite tape strips 26 in the form of tape strips, prepreg tows or other ravings to a nip 45 between a compaction device such as a compaction roller 22, and a substrate 34 which may comprise a tool or a previously laid ply of composite material.
• a conformal bandwidth sometimes also referred to herein as a tape bandwidth 24
• composite tape strips 26 in the form of tape strips, prepreg tows or other ravings to a nip 45 between a compaction device such as a compaction roller 22, and a substrate 34 which may comprise a tool or a previously laid ply of composite material.
• tape strips is intended to include reinforced and reinforced plastic strips, prepreg tapes, tows and other ravings
• bandwidth and “conformal bandwidth” are intended to include a plurality of tape strips arranged in continuous side-by-side, substantially edge-to-edge
• compaction roller 22 is cylindrical in shape and has an axis of rotation 32 as well as a tool center point 30.
• the material placement head 20 moves the compaction roller 22 over the substrate 34, compacting the conformal bandwidth 24 onto the substrate 34.
• Each pass of the material placement head 20 over the substrate 34 results in the placement of a course of tape strips 26 forming conformal bandwidth 24, and multiple passes of the material placement head 20 result in the formation of plies (not shown) of composite material being laid down on and compacted against the substrate 34.
• the substrate 34 may have non-parallel substrate surfaces 36, 38 that are connected together along a convex radius edge 40.
• the material placement head 20 may place courses of the conformal bandwidths 24 of tape strips 26 at various angles of fiber orientation including, but not limited to 0°, 45° and 90° orientations relative to a reference axis 35 which corresponds to a horizontal or Z axis in the XYZ coordinate system 43.
• the material placement head 20 has partially placed a bandwidth 24 of tape strips twenty-six over one substrate surface 36 and is moving in a direction 27 toward the radius edge 40 at an angle ⁇ , which may be, for example and without limitation, a 45° angle.
• the compaction roller 22 moves from the substrate surface 36 up around the radius edge 40, and then across substrate surface 38 during placement of a tape course.
• Figures 2-4 illustrate a prior art method of placing composite tape strips 26 in a conformal bandwidth 24 over a convex radius edge 40.
• the tool center point 30 of the compaction roller 22 lies substantially midway between the two ends of the compaction roller 22, and along the centerline 42 of the center tape strip 26a in the conformal bandwidth 24. Because the compaction roller 22 moves toward the radius edge 40 at an angle ⁇ , when the tool center point 30 reaches the beginning of the radius edge 40, the leading edge 44 of the conformal bandwidth 24 has moved up above and begins to move over the radius edge 40 while the just-laid trailing edge 53 of the conformal bandwidth 24 remains beneath the radius edge 40.
• FIG. 4 shows compaction roller 22 having traversed around the radius edge 40, and beginning to compact the tape bandwidth 24 onto the substrate surface 38. As can be seen in figure 4, although the tape bandwidth 24 is applied around the radius edge 40, an area 46 of the tape bandwidth 24 is not tightly compacted against the substrate surface 36.
• Figures 5-8 broadly illustrate a method of laminating composite tape over a convex radius edge 40, that avoids pulling the tape bandwidth 24 away from the substrate surface 36 to which it has been compacted, described previously in connection with Figures 2-4.
• the method begins at step 50 in which a compaction roller 22 or similar compaction device, is moved over a substrate surface 36 at an angle ⁇ to a convex radius edge 40, such as when 45° tape courses are being placed to form a 45° ply.
• the radius edge 40 is shown as a 90° radius, however it should be noted here that the disclosed method may be employed to laminate composite tape over convex radius edges of other relatively sharp angles.
• composite prepreg tape is fed to the compaction roller 22 which compacts the tape against the substrate surface 36.
• the compaction roller 22 moves over the convex radius edge 40.
• the compaction roller 22 is rotated about the trailing edge 31 of the tape to prevent the just-laid tape below the radius edge 40 from being pulled away from the substrate surface 36.
• Figures 7 and 8 illustrate further details of the method outlined in Figure 6.
• modifications to the NC program 18 ( Figure 1 ) used to control the movements of the compaction roller 22 result in the relocation of the tool center point 30 along the axis of rotation 32 to the location designated as 30a, near the trailing edge 31 of the tape bandwidth 24.
• the tool center point 30 may be aligned with the centerline 39 ( Figure 6) of the second-to-last tape strip 26b, or at other points along the trailing edge 31 .
• the compaction roller 22 also pivots in the XZ plane about the Y axis through an angle ⁇ ( Figure 8).
• the pivot point i.e. the tool center point 30a is located near the trailing edge 31 of the tape bandwidth 24 as the compaction roller 22 continues around the radius edge 40, minimal or no force applied to the tape strips 26 at the trailing edge 31 which would tend to pull the just laid tape strips 26 away from the substrate surface 36. Instead.
• the coordinated movements of the compaction roller 22 about both the X and Y axes as it translates over the radius edge 40 results in compaction pressure being maintained across the entire tape bandwidth 24 until the compaction roller 22 has completely traversed the radius edge 40.
• Figure 9 illustrates an overall diagram of a method of laying up composite laminate parts using the method previously described in connection with Figures 5-8.
• the desired of part layup is digitally defined, using for example and without limitation, a CAD system (not shown).
• NC programming is initiated to produce a program suitable for controlling the operation and movements of the AFP machine.
• the NC programming is modified to shift the compaction roller rotation point (i.e. the tool center point 30) on 45° plies, such that the tool center point 30a is near the trailing edge 31 of the tape bandwidth 24 as the compaction roller 22 moves over the radius edge 40.
• the necessary and NC paths are generated which control the movement of the material placement head 20.
• the part program is post-processed, readying it for use for NC control of an AFP machine 12 used to layup the part.
• the program is loaded into a controller 16 used to control the AFP machine 12, following which the part may be laid up at step 70.
• Embodiments of the disclosure may find use in a variety of potential applications, particularly in the transportation industry, including for example, aerospace, marine, automotive applications and other application where composite parts may be used.
• embodiments of the disclosure may be used in the context of an aircraft manufacturing and service method 72 as shown in Figure 10 and an aircraft 74 as shown in Figure 1 1 .
• Aircraft applications of the disclosed embodiments may include, for example, without limitation, fabrication of stiffener members such as, without limitation beams, spars and stringers, to name only a few.
• exemplary method 72 may include specification and design 76 of the aircraft 74 and material procurement 78.
• component and subassembly manufacturing 80 and system integration into of the aircraft 74 takes place. Thereafter, the aircraft 74 may go through certification and delivery 84 in order to be placed in service 86. While in service by a customer, the aircraft 74 is scheduled for routine maintenance and service 88, which may also include modification, reconfiguration, refurbishment, and so on.
• a system integrator may include without limitation any number of aircraft manufacturers and major-system subcontractors; a third party may include without limitation any number of vendors, subcontractors, and suppliers; and an operator may be an airline, leasing company, military entity, service organization, and so on.
• the aircraft 74 produced by exemplary method 72 may include an airframe 90 with a plurality of systems 92 and an interior 94.
• high-level systems 92 include one or more of a propulsion system 96, an electrical system 98, a hydraulic system 100, and an environmental system 102. Any number of other systems may be included.
• an aerospace example is shown, the principles of the disclosure may be applied to other industries, such as the marine and automotive industries.
• Systems and methods embodied herein may be employed during any one or more of the stages of the production and service method 72.
• components or subassemblies corresponding to production process 80 may be fabricated or manufactured in a manner similar to components or subassemblies produced while the aircraft 74 is in service.
• one or more apparatus embodiments, method embodiments, or a combination thereof may be utilized during the production stages 80 and 82, for example, by substantially expediting assembly of or reducing the cost of an aircraft 74.
• apparatus embodiments, method embodiments, or a combination thereof may be utilized while the aircraft 96 is in service, for example and without limitation, to maintenance and service 88.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Robotics (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Composite Materials (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Moulding By Coating Moulds (AREA)

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• 2012
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