Method and manufacturing unit for producing fiber composite material components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10189213-B2
Application number	US-201113988124-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2011
Priority date	Nov 19, 2010
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

In a method and apparatus for producing fiber composite material components, a first web of the fiber composite material is applied to a mold by means of an application tool arranged on a positioning device. A height profile of the applied first web is measured by means of a height profile measuring sensor. During the application of a second web of the fiber composite material to the mold, a control device activates at least one drive motor of the positioning device depending on the measured height profile, so that application errors, such as overlapping of the webs, are avoided. The webs are applied in opposite application directions by rotating the application tool 180° relative to the positioning device upon a change in the application direction. Two height profile measuring sensors arranged next to one another on the application tool for measuring the height profile of the applied webs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing fiber composite material components comprising the following steps:
providing a manufacturing unit to apply a fiber composite material to a component mould,
wherein the manufacturing unit has a positioning device and an application tool arranged thereon,
wherein the positioning device comprises a robot which has at least four pivot axes for the application tool,
wherein the positioning device to position the application tool relative to the component mould has a plurality of drive motors, which are activatable by a control device, the plurality of drive motors comprising a drive motor associated with each of the at least four pivot axes, and
wherein the manufacturing unit has at least two height profile measuring sensors, each with a detection range directed onto the component mould;

applying a first web of the fiber composite material to the component mould;
measuring a height profile in such a way that at least a part of the applied first web is located in the detection range of one of the height profile measuring sensors; and
applying a second web of the fiber composite material to the component mould in such a way that the control device activates at least one of the drive motors depending on the measured height profile, wherein the control device is operable to activate the at least one of the drive motors based on only one of the at least two height profile measuring sensors;
wherein the first and second webs are applied in opposite application directions,
wherein the at least two height profile measuring sensors comprise a first height profile measuring sensor and a second height profile measuring sensor arranged next to one another on the application tool such that the detection range of the first height profile measuring sensor is spaced apart from the detection range of the second height profile measuring sensor during application of the first and second webs;
wherein the first height profile measuring sensor measures a height profile of a previously applied web when the application tool is traveling in a first direction;
wherein the second height measuring sensor measures a height profile of a previously applied web when the application tool is traveling in a second direction;
wherein the application tool is rotated through 180° relative to the positioning device upon a change in the application direction;
wherein at least a part of a previously applied web is located in the detection range of one of the first and second height profile measuring sensors and not in the detection range of the other of the first and second height profile measuring sensors when the application tool is traveling in each of the first and second directions; and
wherein each of the first and second height profile measuring sensors is configured as a light section sensor configured to contactlessly measure the height profile of a previously applied web using a light section method comprising projecting a light line on the previously applied web and detecting a reflection of the light line, wherein the light line projected by each of the first and second height profile measuring sensors defines the detection range of each respective height profile measuring sensor.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the height profile is measured during the application of the first web.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal edge of the first web is detected using the measured height profile and the second web is applied by the positioning device laterally next to the first web depending on the detected longitudinal edge of the first web.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein a first reference mark is detected using the measured height profile and the second web is applied by the positioning device laterally next to the first web depending on the detected first reference mark.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein a height difference in relation to the first web is detected using the measured height profile and the second web is applied to the first web by the positioning device depending on the detected height difference.

6. A method according to claim 5 , wherein a contact pressing force of the application tool on the component mould is changed during the application of the second web by the positioning device.

7. A method according to claim 5 , wherein a contact pressing force of the application tool on the component mould is measured during the application of the second web by a force measuring sensor arranged between the application tool and the positioning device.

8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein a height difference between the first web and a second reference mark is detected using the measured height profile and the second web is applied by the positioning device to the first web depending to the detected height difference.

9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second webs are applied in relation to an absolute coordinate system.

10. A method according to claim 1 , wherein during the application of a web, application errors that have occurred during application are detected by an optical camera sensor.

11. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the first height profile measuring sensor and the second height profile measuring sensor are identical.

12. A manufacturing unit for producing fiber composite material components, comprising:
an application tool to apply a fiber composite material to a component mould;
a positioning device comprising a plurality of drive motors to position the application tool arranged thereon relative to the component mould, wherein the positioning device comprises a robot which has at least four pivot axes for the application tool and wherein the plurality of drive motors comprise a drive motor associated with each of the at least four pivot axes;
at least two height profile measuring sensors, each with a detection range directed onto the component mould, the at least two height profile measuring sensors comprising a first height profile measuring sensor and a second height profile measuring sensor arranged next to one another on the application tool, wherein the first height profile measuring sensor measures a height profile of a previously applied web when the application tool is traveling in a first direction and the second height measuring sensor measures a height profile of a previously applied web when the application tool is traveling in a second direction; and
a control device for activating the plurality of drive motors, wherein the control device is operable to activate the plurality of drive motors based on only one of the at least two height profile measuring sensors, the control device being configured in such a way that
a first web of the fiber composite material is applicable to the component mould,
a height profile is measurable in such a way that at least a part of the applied first web is located in the detection range of one of the height profile measuring sensors, and
a second web of the fiber composite material is applicable to the component mould in such a way that at least one of the drive motors is activated depending on the measured height profile;
wherein the first and second webs are applicable in opposite application directions;
wherein the application tool is rotated through 180° relative to the positioning device upon a change in the application direction;
wherein at least a part of a previously applied web is located in the detection range of one of the first and second height profile measuring sensors and not in the detection range of the other of the first and second height profile measuring sensors when the applic

Assignees

• Pause Bernhard
• Boge Christian
• Broetje Automation Gmbh

Inventors

• Pause Bernhard
• Boge Christian

Classifications

• B29C70/38 Primary

  Automated lay-up, e.g. using robots, laying filaments according to predetermined patterns {(application heads for tyres B29D30/28)} · CPC title

• B29C70/388 Primary

  Tape placement heads, e.g. component parts, details or accessories · CPC title