Fibre-laying machine and method for producing laid fibre scrims

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11724419-B2
Application number	US-201415113236-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2014
Priority date	Jan 22, 2014
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

A fiber laying machine for producing laid fiber scrims has a tool table for positioning a mold, said tool table being linearly displaceable in an x direction by means of an x carriage and being pivotable about a vertical pivot axis. Arranged above the tool table is a fiber laying head which is linearly displaceable transversely to the x direction by means of a y carriage. Since the fiber laying head is linearly displaceable, the arrangement of the tool table on the machine frame is comparatively easy, and so laid fiber scrims are producible quickly and efficiently. In particular, automatic loading and unloading of the tool table is easily possible.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fiber laying machine for producing laid fiber scrims, comprising:
a machine frame;
a machine bed which extends in a horizontal x direction and in a horizontal y direction is fixed to the machine frame;
an x carriage disposed on the machine bed or disposed on x guide rails disposed on the machine bed, wherein the x carriage is linearly displaceable in the horizontal x direction,
a tool table for positioning a mold, said tool table being arranged on the x carriage and being pivotable relative to the x carriage about a vertically extending pivot axis,
a fiber laying head for laying fibers on a mold, said fiber laying head being arranged above the tool table in a vertical z direction, wherein the fiber laying head is arranged on the machine frame,
a fiber supply unit configured to supply the fibers to be laid by the fiber laying head, and
an air-conditioning unit,
wherein the fiber laying head is linearly displaceable by a y carriage in the horizontal y direction extending transversely to the horizontal x direction,
wherein the fiber laying head is disposed within a machine housing, and the air-conditioning unit is configured for selectively air-conditioning an interior of the machine housing,
wherein the machine housing comprises a first covering element and the machine housing defines a first housing opening, wherein the first housing opening is closable by the first covering element.

2. The fiber laying machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the x carriage is displaceable on x guide rails which extend from a loading side of the machine frame to an unloading side of the machine frame.

3. The fiber laying machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tool table has a plurality of clamping units configured to mechanically clamp and release mold pallets.

4. The fiber laying machine as claimed in claim 1 , comprising at least one pallet handling unit configured to load the tool table with a mold pallet and/or for unloading a mold pallet from the tool table.

5. The fiber laying machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the machine frame has at least one cross member which extends in the horizontal y direction and on which the y carriage is arranged.

6. The fiber laying machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the machine frame has two cross members, which are spaced apart in the horizontal x direction and on which the y carriage is arranged in a displaceable manner.

7. The fiber laying machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a z carriage is arranged on the y carriage, said z carriage being linearly displaceable in the vertical z direction, and the fiber laying head is arranged on the z carriage.

8. The fiber laying machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fiber supply unit has at least one fiber package store and at least one deflection element, wherein the at least one deflection element is arranged, relative to the fiber laying head, opposite the at least one fiber package store.

9. The fiber laying machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fiber supply unit has at least one dancer magazine for compensating for dynamic effects of forces acting on the fibers.

10. The fiber laying machine as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the at least pallet handling unit is arranged on a loading side or an unloading side of the machine frame.

11. The fiber laying machine as claimed in claim 5 , wherein at least one passage opening for the tool table is formed beneath the at least one cross member in the horizontal z direction.

12. The fiber laying machine as claimed in claim 7 , wherein a control unit is provided, which is configured such that the fiber laying head is displaceable in the horizontal z direction by the z carriage during the laying of fibers in order to produce the laid fiber scrims.

13. The fiber laying machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the machine housing further comprises a second covering element and defines a second housing opening, wherein the first housing opening is defined on a loading side and the second housing opening is defined on an unloading side, the second housing opening being closable by the second covering element.

Assignees

• Broetje Automation Gmbh

Inventors

• Baeurle Armin
• Haupt Sebastian
• Vester Tobias
• Meyer Matthias
• Fink Michael

Classifications

• B29C70/38

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

• B29C31/006 Primary

  Handling moulds, e.g. between a mould store and a moulding machine (movable moulds B29C33/34; for injection moulding B29C45/1756) · CPC title

• B29C70/382 Primary

  Automated fiber placement [AFP] · CPC title

• B29C64/194

  during lay-up · CPC title

• B29C64/307

  Handling of material to be used in additive manufacturing · CPC title