Lamination system and method using a plurality of static lamination heads

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10994502-B2
Application number	US-202016862010-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2020
Priority date	Nov 1, 2018
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

A manufacturing system includes a plurality of lamination heads statically positioned in end-to-end relation to each other and defining a lamination station, and configured to dispense a layup material along a dispensing direction. The manufacturing system also includes a lamination surface movable underneath the lamination station. The lamination heads are configured to sequentially apply the layup material onto the lamination surface and onto previously applied layup material as the lamination surface passes through the lamination station to thereby form a composite laminate having a stack of composite plies arranged in a desired ply stacking sequence defined by positions of the lamination heads relative to each other within the lamination station.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A manufacturing system, comprising:
a lamination surface movable along a direction of travel generally aligned with a dispensing direction between a lamination surface home position and a lamination surface aft position;
a plurality of lamination heads statically positioned in end-to-end relation to each other in the direction of travel of the lamination surface and defining a lamination station, each one of the plurality of lamination heads is configured to dispense a layup material along the dispensing direction; and
wherein each one of the plurality of lamination heads is positioned to lay up the layup material on top of layup material dispensed by one or more upstream ones of the plurality of lamination heads in a single pass, the plurality of lamination heads configured to sequentially apply the layup material onto the lamination surface and onto previously applied layup material as the lamination surface passes through the lamination station to thereby form a composite laminate having a stack of composite plies arranged in a desired ply stacking sequence defined by positions of the plurality of lamination heads relative to each other within the lamination station.

2. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more trimming devices located proximate at least one of opposing ends of the lamination station and configured to trim the composite laminate during at least one of:
movement of the lamination surface from the lamination station to the lamination surface home position; and
movement of the lamination surface from the lamination station to the lamination surface aft position.

3. The manufacturing system of claim 2 , wherein:
at least one of the trimming devices is configured as at least one of an ultrasonic knife, a laser device, and a mechanical cutter blade.

4. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the lamination surface comprises one of:
an outer surface of at least one continuous loop lamination belt movable underneath the plurality of lamination heads;
an outer surface of at least one rigid lamination mandrel translatable underneath the plurality of lamination heads.

5. The manufacturing system of claim 4 , further comprising:
one or more trimming devices;
the plurality of lamination heads are configured to continuously dispense layup material onto the outer surface of the lamination surface; and
the one or more trimming devices are configured to periodically cut the composite laminate along a transverse direction to divide the composite laminate into end-to-end lengthwise segments.

6. The manufacturing system of claim 4 , further comprising:
a vacuum pressure source;
the lamination surface having a plurality of apertures fluidly coupled to the vacuum pressure source; and
the vacuum pressure source configured to generate vacuum pressure at the outer surface to secure the composite laminate to the outer surface at least during application of layup material onto the outer surface or onto layup material previously applied to the outer surface.

7. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of lamination heads each include laterally opposing sides including a first side and a second side each having head components; and
the first side of at least one of the plurality of lamination heads being movable into a material application position aligned with the dispensing direction for applying layup material to the lamination surface while the second side is moved into a material reload position for servicing the second side of the at least one of the plurality of lamination heads; and
the second side being movable into the material application position aligned with the dispensing direction for applying layup material to the lamination surface while the first side is moved into the material reload position for servicing the first side.

8. The manufacturing system of claim 7 , wherein:
the plurality of lamination heads are configured to independently rotate at least 180 degrees about a vertical axis to position either the first side or the second side in the material application position and position a remaining one of the first side and second side in the material reload position.

9. The manufacturing system of claim 7 , wherein one or more of the plurality of lamination heads comprises:
a mounting frame having the first side and the second side;
at least one head module having a frame coupling element removably coupling the head components to one of the first side and the second side of the mounting frame; and
the head module being removable from the mounting frame at the frame coupling element to allow for replacement of the head module.

10. The manufacturing system of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the plurality of lamination heads comprises:
the first side and the second side each have a head module removably coupled to the mounting frame;
each head module being vertically movable relative to the mounting frame;
the head module on the first side being lockable in an up position while the head module on the second side is vertically movable to dispense layup material; and
the head module on the second side being lockable in an up position while the head module on the first side is vertically movable to dispense layup material.

11. The manufacturing system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a horizontal shaft oriented parallel to the plurality of lamination heads; and
each of the plurality of lamination heads being rotatable about the horizontal shaft by at least 180 degrees to move the first side and the second side between the material application position and the material reload position.

12. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a reloading system having a head transfer mechanism and a reloading station; and
the head transfer mechanism configured to remove one of the plurality of lamination heads from the lamination station, install a replacement lamination head in place of a removed lamination head, and transport the removed lamination head to the reloading station.

13. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a reloading system having a head transfer mechanism and a reloading station;
at least one mounting frame;
the plurality of lamination heads being configured as head modules each including a frame coupling element removably coupling head components to the mounting frame;
at least one of the head modules being removable from the mounting frame at the frame coupling element to allow for replacement of the head module; and
the head transfer mechanism configured to remove a selected one of the head modules from the lamination station, install a replacement head module in place of a removed head module, and transport the removed head module to the reloading station.

14. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the plurality of lamination heads includes head components comprising:
at least one material supply drum configured to support a material roll of backed material comprising layup material backed by a backing layer;
at least one material dispensing mechanism configured to receive the backed material from the material supply drum and separate the backing layer from the layup material; and
at least one backing layer collection drum configured to take up the backing layer after separation from the layup material.

15. A manufacturing system, comprising:
a lamination belt having an outer surface movable along a direction of travel generally aligned with a dispensing direction;
a series of lamination heads statically posi

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Modin Andrew E
• Jones Darrell D
• Willden Kurtis S

Classifications

• B29C70/545

  Perforating, cutting or machining during or after moulding · CPC title

• B32B38/0004

  Cutting, tearing or severing, e.g. bursting; Cutter details (cutting in general B26D; laminating combined with punching or perforating B32B38/04; removing all or part of the layers B32B38/10; cutting in combination with laying up and registration B32B38/185 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T156/10

  Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor · CPC title

• B29C70/388 Primary

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

• B29C70/386 Primary

  Automated tape laying [ATL] · CPC title