Method and system for generating a layup plan for forming a composite laminate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10974465-B2
Application number	US-201816013506-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2018
Priority date	Jun 20, 2018
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

A method and system for forming a composite laminate. A layup plan is generated for laying up a plurality of plies having a plurality of merge zones, each ply of the plurality of plies having a corresponding merge zone at which ends of a first plurality of tows for each ply and ends of a second plurality of tows for each ply meet. The locations of the plurality of merge zones are offset relative to each other through a thickness of the composite laminate. The plurality of plies is then laid up according to the layup plan to form a composite laminate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for forming a composite laminate, the method comprising:
generating a layup plan for laying up a plurality of plies having a plurality of merge zones, each ply of the plurality of plies having a corresponding merge zone in which first ends of a first plurality of tows and second ends of a second plurality of tows converge at a merge zone to form a ply, locations of the plurality of merge zones being offset relative to each other through a thickness of the composite laminate; and
laying up the plurality of plies according to the layup plan to form the composite laminate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the layup plan comprises:
computing a first path for laying up the first plurality of tows and a second path for laying up the second plurality of tows for forming a selected ply of the plurality of plies.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the locations of at least two merge zones of the plurality of merge zones are vertically offset relative to each other and at least one of horizontally offset or angularly offset relative to each other.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the layup plan comprises:
computing a first path for laying up the first plurality of tows for a selected ply and a second path for laying up the second plurality of tows for the selected ply, wherein the first path and the second path are at least one of non-parallel or nonlinear and wherein the first plurality of tows and the second plurality of tows form the selected ply having a baseline orientation.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein generating the layup plan comprises:
modeling a laying up of the selected ply according to the layup plan such that the selected ply has a merge zone at which ends of the first plurality of tows and ends of the second plurality of tows meet to thereby form the selected ply having the baseline orientation.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein generating the layup plan further comprises:
identifying a plurality of overlaps of the ends of the second plurality of tows with the ends of the first plurality of tows within the merge zone of the selected ply.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein generating the layup plan further comprises:
identifying a plurality of gaps between the ends of the second plurality of tows with the ends of the first plurality of tows formed within the merge zone of the selected ply.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein generating the layup plan further comprises:
modifying the layup plan based on the plurality of overlaps and the plurality of gaps identified such that a next ply has a merge zone offset from the merge zone of the selected ply.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein modifying the layup plan comprises:
computing a first path for laying up the first plurality of tows for the next ply and a second path for laying up the second plurality of tows for the next ply such that the merge zone of the next ply is offset from the merge zone of the selected ply.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the layup plan comprises:
generating the layup plan for the plurality of plies, wherein the plurality of plies includes a plurality of baseline plies designated for a baseline orientation relative to a tool and a plurality of other plies designated for different orientations relative to the tool, wherein the plurality of baseline plies have the plurality of merge zones, and wherein various merge zones of the plurality of merge zones are vertically offset relative to each other and at least one of horizontally offset or angularly offset relative to each other.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the layup plan comprises:
generating the layup plan such that at least two merge zones of the plurality of merge zones are horizontally offset with a spacing of between about 0.2 inches and about 0.8 inches, wherein the at least two merge zones are either adjacent to each other or separated by one or more other plies within the composite laminate.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the layup plan comprises:
generating the layup plan such that at least two merge zones of the plurality of merge zones are vertically offset such that overlaps and gaps within the at least two merge zone are not directly stacked on top of each other within the composite laminate, wherein the at least two merge zones are either adjacent to each other or separated by one or more other plies within the composite laminate.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein laying up the plurality of plies comprises:
laying up the plurality of plies according to the layup plan using an automated fiber placement system.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the layup plan comprises:
generating the layup plan such that the composite laminate formed using the layup plan has variations in thickness less than about 0.5 inches relative to a selected thickness for the composite laminate.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating step is performed using a computer system and wherein the laying up step is performed using a tow placement system.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first merge zone and a second merge zone of the plurality of merge zones are vertically aligned and wherein first locations of first overlaps and first gaps in the first merge zone are offset from second locations of respective second overlaps and second gaps in the second merge zone.

17. A method for forming a composite laminate, the method comprising:
computing a layup plan for laying up a plurality of plies, a portion of the layup plan corresponding to a selected ply of the plurality of plies including a first path for laying up a first plurality of tows and a second path for laying up a second plurality of tows, the first path and the second path being at least one of non-parallel or nonlinear;
modeling a laying up of the first plurality of tows according to the first path and the second plurality of tows according to the second path to thereby form the selected ply having a merge zone at which first ends of the first plurality of tows and second ends of the second plurality of tows meet;
identifying overlaps of the first ends and the second ends and gaps between the first ends and the second ends formed within the merge zone of the selected ply; and
modifying a portion of the layup plan corresponding to a next ply based on the overlaps and the gaps identified such that the next ply has a merge zone offset from the merge zone of the selected ply.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein modifying the layup plan comprises:
computing a first path for laying up a first plurality of tows for the next ply and a second path for laying up a second plurality of tows for the next ply such that the merge zone of the next ply is offset from the merge zone of the selected ply, wherein the next ply and the selected ply are adjacent to each other.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
repeating the computing, modeling, identifying, and modifying steps to thereby form a plurality of plies for a composite laminate, the plurality of plies having a plurality of merge zones that is staggered horizontally and vertically within a merge region of the composite laminate.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein at least two merge zones of the plurality of merge zones are horizontally offset with a spacing of between about 0.2 inches and about 0.8 inches, and wherein the at least two merge zones are either adjacent to each other or separated by one or more other plies wi

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Moore Jeron D
• Louie Michael Kenneth-Que
• Saini Gagandeep
• Perla Luis A
• Johnson Brice Aaron
• Ibbotson Stewart James
• Meyer Robert G

Classifications

• B29C70/382 Primary

  Automated fiber placement [AFP] · CPC title

• B29C70/304 Primary

  In-plane lamination by juxtaposing or interleaving of plies, e.g. scarf joining · CPC title

• B29L2031/3076

  Aircrafts (blades, propellers B29L2031/08) · CPC title

• B29C70/38

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