Automated resin and fiber deposition for resin infusion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11260606-B2
Application number	US-201815894673-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2018
Priority date	Jun 26, 2011
Publication date	Mar 1, 2022
Grant date	Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

A composite structure is fabricated by laying up at least one ply of fiber reinforcement and at least one layer of resin on a tool. The resin film layer is formed by laying strips of resin film. The fiber reinforcement is infused with resin from the resin layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of fabricating a composite structure, the method comprising:
connecting a frame on an arm of a manipulator;
feeding a dry fiber reinforcement from a first spool on the frame through a first guide and onto a substrate;
feeding an unreinforced resin film on a backing paper from a second spool on the frame through a second guide;
peeling the backing paper from the unreinforced resin film and taking up the backing paper onto a take-up reel on the frame;
feeding the unreinforced resin film onto the dry fiber reinforcement;
guiding the unreinforced resin film and the dry fiber reinforcement into a substantially aligned overlapping relationship;
moving a compaction roller laterally along the substrate and generating, with a first pneumatic cylinder mounted on the arm and the frame at an end located on a side of the take-up reel away from the second spool, a force on the compaction roller into the substrate and thereby compacting the unreinforced resin film and the dry fiber reinforcement between the compaction roller and the substrate;
cutting, using a cutting blade connected to a second pneumatic cylinder connected to the frame, the unreinforced resin film and the dry fiber reinforcement while moving the compaction roller laterally along the substrate and forming a layup; and
compacting the layup and uniformly infusing resin from the unreinforced resin film into the dry fiber reinforcement and curing the layup into the composite structure.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
vacuum bagging the layup in an out-of-autoclave process comprising placing a breather and a peel ply between a vacuum bag and the layup, and oven curing the layup.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the unreinforced resin film and the dry fiber reinforcement are fed to the compaction roller, and then compacted on the substrate substantially simultaneously.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising cutting the dry fiber reinforcement to a strip of a desired length while moving the compaction roller laterally along a surface of the substrate.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
feeding the unreinforced resin film to the compaction roller in strips; and
automatically controlling the arm and thereby moving the compaction roller along the substrate and placing the strips of the unreinforced resin film substantially edge-to-edge.

6. A method of infusing a dry fiber reinforcement with a resin and curing a layup, the method comprising:
separately and simultaneously feeding the dry fiber reinforcement and an unreinforced resin film with a backing paper, from a first creel and a second creel on a frame on an arm of a manipulator through a first guide and a second guide, respectively, and onto a substrate;
peeling, between the second guide and the substrate, the backing paper from the unreinforced resin film and taking up the backing paper onto a take-up reel;
cutting both the dry fiber reinforcement and the unreinforced resin film after passing through the first guide and the second guide, respectively, with a single blade connected to the frame by a pneumatic cylinder;
moving a compaction roller laterally over the substrate in a direction towards the second creel;
forcing, using a second pneumatic cylinder, the compaction roller against the substrate and thereby compacting the unreinforced resin film and the dry fiber reinforcement against the substrate and forming the layup, the second pneumatic cylinder being mounted on one of two plates slidably mounted to each other and mounted onto the arm and to an end of the frame located on a side of the take-up reel located away from the second creel; and
further compacting the layup and uniformly infusing the resin, from the unreinforced resin film, into the dry fiber reinforcement and curing the layup into a composite structure.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
drawing a strip of the dry fiber reinforcement from the first creel, wherein the first creel holds a fiber supply spool; drawing a strip of the unreinforced resin film from the second creel, wherein the second creel holds a resin film supply spool;
guiding the strips of the dry fiber reinforcement and the unreinforced resin film to the compaction roller; and
vacuum bagging and oven curing the layup in an out-of-autoclave process.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein:
the dry fiber reinforcement is fed between the substrate and the unreinforced resin film; and
compacting the unreinforced resin film and the dry fiber reinforcement includes the compaction roller compacting the unreinforced resin film onto the dry fiber reinforcement.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein:
the unreinforced resin film is fed between the substrate and the dry fiber reinforcement; and
compacting the unreinforced resin film and the dry fiber reinforcement includes the compaction roller compacting the dry fiber reinforcement onto the unreinforced resin film.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
cutting lengths of the dry fiber reinforcement and the unreinforced resin film while moving the compaction roller laterally along a surface of the substrate.

11. A method of a fabricating a composite structure, the method comprising:
assembling a layup on a tool by performing the following steps:
feeding a dry fiber reinforcement from a first spool connected to a first frame connected to an arm of a manipulator and through a first guide and laying up the dry fiber reinforcement onto the tool;
cutting the dry fiber reinforcement using a first blade connected to the first frame by a first pneumatic cylinder;
moving a first compaction roller, connected to the first frame, laterally along the dry fiber reinforcement on the tool;
feeding an unreinforced resin film from a second spool connected to a second frame connected to the arm through a second guide and thereafter removing a backing paper from the unreinforced resin film and taking up the backing paper onto a take-up reel connected to the second frame;
laying up the unreinforced resin film as an overlay on the dry fiber reinforcement on the tool; and
cutting, using a second blade connected to a second pneumatic cylinder connected to the second frame, the unreinforced resin film into strips of desired lengths;

forcing a second compaction roller toward the tool with a force generated by a third pneumatic cylinder mounted on the second frame on an assembly comprising plates slidably mounted to each other and connected to the second frame at an end on a side of the take-up reel away from the second spool, and thereby compacting the unreinforced resin film and the dry fiber reinforcement between the second compaction roller and the tool;
moving the second compaction roller, connected to the second frame, laterally along the unreinforced resin film on the dry fiber reinforcement on the tool; and
further compacting the layup and uniformly infusing a resin of the unreinforced resin film into the dry fiber reinforcement, and curing the layup into the composite structure.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plates slidably mounted to each other comprise a first plate connected to the arm and a second plate connected to the second frame.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising vacuum bagging and curing the layup in an out-of-autoclave process comprising:
sealing a vacuum bag over the layup;
evacuating the vacuum bag; and
oven curing the layup.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, guiding the unreinforced resin film and the dry fiber reinforcement into a substantially aligned overlapping relationship while laying up the

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Silcock Michael D
• Howe Christopher A
• Johnson Brice A

Classifications

• B29C66/9241

  by controlling or regulating the pressure, the force or the mechanical power · CPC title

• B29C2793/0027

  Cutting off · CPC title

• B29K2105/0872

  Prepregs · CPC title

• B29C70/388

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

• Y10T156/1378

  Cutter actuated by or secured to bonding element · CPC title