System and method for manufacturing cross-ply pre-impregnated material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11919256-B2
Application number	US-202217655155-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2022
Priority date	Apr 28, 2021
Publication date	Mar 5, 2024
Grant date	Mar 5, 2024

Abstract

A manufacturing system includes a cutting machine, an adhesion machine, and a pick-and-place system. The cutting machine sequentially cuts a continuous length of a unidirectional prepreg into prepreg segments. Each prepreg segment has an opposing pair of segment cut edges that are non-parallel to a lengthwise direction of the unidirectional prepreg. The adhesion machine has a conveyor belt and an adhesion station. The pick-and-place system sequentially picks up the prepreg segments from the cutting machine, and places the prepreg segments in end-to-end relation on the conveyor belt, and in an orientation such that the segment cut edges are generally parallel to a lengthwise direction of the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt feeds the prepreg segments to the adhesion station. The adhesion station adheres the prepreg segments to a continuous length of a backing material, thereby resulting in a continuous length of a backed cross-ply prepreg.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A manufacturing system for manufacturing a backed cross-ply prepreg, comprising:
a cutting machine having a cutting station configured to cut a continuous length of a unidirectional prepreg into prepreg segments, each having an opposing pair of segment cut edges that are non-parallel to a lengthwise direction of the unidirectional prepreg;
an adhesion machine having a conveyor belt and an adhesion station;
a pick-and-place system configured to vertically lift the prepreg segments off the cutting machine, rotate the prepreg segments into an orientation such that the segment cut edges are generally parallel to a lengthwise direction of the conveyor belt, and vertically lower the prepreg segments in end-to-end relation onto the conveyor belt; and
wherein the conveyor belt is configured to feed the prepreg segments to the adhesion station, the adhesion station configured to adhere the prepreg segments to a continuous length of a backing material, thereby transferring the prepreg segments from the conveyor belt to the backing material, and resulting in a continuous length of a backed cross-ply prepreg.

2. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the cutting machine comprises:
a nip roller assembly having opposing nip rollers positioned relative to each other to define a roller interface configured to receive and clamp onto the unidirectional prepreg, and feed a lengthwise section of the unidirectional prepreg into the cutting station.

3. The manufacturing system of claim 2 , wherein the cutting machine comprises:
a backed unidirectional prepreg chuck configured to support a backed unidirectional prepreg drum containing a roll of the continuous length of the unidirectional prepreg supported on a backing layer; and
a backing layer collection chuck configured to support a backing layer collection drum for collecting the backing layer as the backing layer is peeled from the unidirectional prepreg.

4. The manufacturing system of claim 3 , wherein the cutting machine comprises:
a pneumatic dancer assembly located between the backed unidirectional prepreg drum and the nip roller assembly, and configured to apply a constant tension load on the unidirectional prepreg as the nip roller assembly draws the unidirectional prepreg through the cutting machine.

5. The manufacturing system of claim 3 , wherein:
the backing layer collection drum is located downstream of the nip roller assembly and upstream of the cutting station, and is configured to peel the backing layer from the unidirectional prepreg as the unidirectional prepreg exits the nip roller assembly prior to entering the cutting station.

6. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the cutting station is configured to cut the continuous length of the unidirectional prepreg into the prepreg segments each having the segment cut edges that are oriented at one of +45 degrees, −45 degrees, or 90 degrees, relative to the lengthwise direction of the unidirectional prepreg.

7. The manufacturing system of claim 6 , wherein the cutting station comprises:
a cutting assembly having a cutting device and a cutting device actuator configured to translate the cutting device across a width of the unidirectional prepreg for cutting the unidirectional prepreg into the prepreg segments; and
a turntable configured to support the cutting assembly, and lock an orientation of the cutting device relative to the lengthwise direction of the unidirectional prepreg.

8. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the cutting machine comprises:
a segment pickup location where each prepreg segment is picked up by the pick-and-place system; and
a segment delivery system configured to transport the prepreg segment from the cutting station to the segment pickup location.

9. The manufacturing system of claim 8 , wherein the segment delivery system comprises:
a segment clamping system comprising a pair of prepreg clamps configured to clamp onto opposing segment side edges of the prepreg segments;
a pair of linear guide rails respectively supporting the pair of segment clamps; and
a clamp transporter actuator configured to move the segment clamps along the linear guide rails, and thereby transport the prepreg segments from the cutting station to the segment pickup location.

10. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the adhesion machine comprises:
a backing material chuck configured to support a backing material drum, supporting a roll of the backing material for spooling off of the backing material drum and feeding through the cutting machine;
a cross-ply material collection chuck configured to support a cross-ply material collection drum for collecting the backed cross-ply prepreg; and
the backing material chuck and the cross-ply material collection chuck each having a chuck servomotor for respectively rotatably driving the backing material chuck and the cross-ply material collection chuck.

11. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the pick-and-place system is configured to place the prepreg segments in non-overlapping relation to each other on the conveyor belt, and at a maximum gap of 0.10 inch between adjacent prepreg segments.

12. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the pick-and-place system is configured to orient the prepreg segments on the conveyor belt such that fiber angles of the prepreg segments are parallel to each other.

13. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the pick-and-place system is a robotic device.

14. The manufacturing system of claim 13 , wherein:
the pick-and-place system has a vacuum end effector for vacuum coupling to the prepreg segments.

15. The manufacturing system of claim 14 , wherein:
the vacuum end effector has a vacuum plenum that is divided into two or more vacuum zones that are shaped complementary to the prepreg segments.

16. The manufacturing system of claim 15 , wherein:
the vacuum zones are independently activatable with vacuum pressure to allow the vacuum end effector to engage with different shapes of the prepreg segments.

17. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the conveyor belt is configured to move at a constant speed, and the pick-and-place system is configured to match a speed of the conveyor belt when placing a prepreg segment of the prepreg segments on the conveyor belt.

18. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the conveyor belt is a vacuum conveyor belt configured to be fluidically coupled to a vacuum source for securing the prepreg segments to the vacuum conveyor belt upon placement by the pick-and-place system.

19. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the cutting machine is positioned in alignment with the adhesion machine, such that a direction of movement of the unidirectional prepreg through the cutting machine is aligned with the direction of movement of the conveyor belt.

20. The manufacturing system of claim 19 , wherein:
the pick-and-place system is a robotic device positioned to a side of the manufacturing system to avoid interfering with the unidirectional prepreg passing from the cutting machine to the adhesion machine.

Assignees

• Boeing Co
• Univ Washington

Inventors

• Dong Shuonan
• Studley Silas L
• Pedigo Samuel F
• Secinaro Nathan A
• Wavrin Lukas
• Hsu Kevin
• Hutchinson James
• Burch Connor
• Hong Nini
• Ide Devin
• Singh Lucky
• Devasia Santosh

Classifications

• B29C70/30 Primary

  Shaping by lay-up, i.e. applying fibres, tape or broadsheet on a mould, former or core; Shaping by spray-up, i.e. spraying of fibres on a mould, former or core · CPC title

• B29C70/545

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

• B29C2793/0081

  before shaping · CPC title

• B29K2105/0881

  unidirectional · CPC title

• B29C70/34 Primary

  and shaping or impregnating by compression {, i.e. combined with compressing after the lay-up operation} · CPC title