Apparatus for manufacturing fibre-reinforced components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12377615-B2
Application number	US-202017796521-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2020
Priority date	Jan 31, 2020
Publication date	Aug 5, 2025
Grant date	Aug 5, 2025

Abstract

The invention is directed to an apparatus (10) for manufacturing fiber-reinforced component parts (1) according to a three-dimensional winding method, comprising at least one computer-controlled winding machine for winding filiform continuous fiber strands (12) provided on at least one spool (18) around at least one fiber carrier (11) arranged on a pivot pin (16) with at least one winding pattern. The at least one winding machine is constructed as a robot arm (13) which has a plurality of rotational axes and which lays down at least two fiber strands (12) simultaneously. The at least one robot arm (13) is adapted to simultaneously lay down the at least two fiber strands (12) so as to be distributed to at least two fiber carriers (11) arranged, respectively, on a separate pivot pin (16) and/or to simultaneously lay down the at least two fiber strands (12) on only one fiber carrier (1) arranged on a separate pivot pin (16).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus ( 10 ) for manufacturing fiber-reinforced component parts ( 1 ) according to a three-dimensional winding method, comprising:
at least one computer-controlled winding machine configured to wind filiform continuous fiber strands ( 12 ) provided on at least one spool ( 18 ) around at least one fiber carrier ( 11 ), arranged on a pivot pin ( 16 ) with at least one winding pattern,
wherein the at least one winding machine comprises:
two robot arms ( 13 ) each having six rotational axes, said two arms ( 13 ) are configured to lay down at least two of the fiber strands ( 12 ) simultaneously,
wherein the two robot arms ( 13 ) are configured to simultaneously lay down the at least two fiber strands ( 12 ) so as to be distributed to the at least one fiber carrier ( 11 ) arranged on a pivot pin ( 16 ),
wherein the pivot pin ( 16 ) provides a seventh axis of rotation,
wherein two robot arms ( 13 ) are arranged opposite one another, the two robot arms ( 13 ) being configured to provide an inverse laydown of the at least one fiber strand ( 12 ), respectively, on the at least one fiber carrier ( 11 ) arranged between the robot arms ( 13 ) on at least one of the pivot pin pins ( 16 ).

2. The apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , wherein two fiber carriers ( 11 ) are arranged adjacent to one another on the pivot pin ( 16 ).

3. A method for generating winding patterns on at least one fiber carrier ( 11 ) with an apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , wherein an even multiple of parallelized fiber strands ( 12 ), and at least two fiber strands ( 12 ), are wound onto at least one of the fiber carriers ( 11 ) by the apparatus ( 10 ).

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein a specifiable fiber strand tension is maintained during the winding process independent from the fiber feed direction of a fiber strand ( 12 ) between spool ( 18 ) and fiber carrier ( 11 ).

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein two rotational axes of each robot arm ( 13 ) having a plurality of rotational axes is so controlled during a parallelized laydown of fiber strands ( 12 ) in a distributed manner on the at least one fiber carrier ( 11 ), the parallelized fiber strands ( 12 ) arranged parallel to one another that they are operated with a constant angle during the winding process.

6. The apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus ( 10 ) has at least one device ( 19 ) configured to maintain a specifiable fiber strand tension independent from the feed direction of the respective fiber strand ( 12 ) between the at least one spool ( 18 ) and the at least one fiber carrier ( 11 ).

7. The apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one device ( 19 ) comprises at least one electronically controlled synchronous motor ( 20 ) configured to drive the spool ( 18 ).

8. The apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one device ( 19 ) further comprises at least one sensor ( 22 ) configured to detect the fiber strand tension and at least one computer ( 21 ) configured to control the at least one synchronous motor ( 20 ) in dependence upon the detected fiber strand tension.

9. The apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one device ( 19 ) is connected to a receiver ( 26 ) configured to receive the at least one spool ( 18 ).

10. The apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 9 , wherein at least one spool ( 18 ) is arranged at a distance from the two robot arms ( 13 ).

11. The apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one spool ( 18 ) is arranged at the two robot arms ( 13 ).

12. The apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 10 , wherein the separate pivot pin ( 16 ) on which each fiber carrier ( 11 ) is arranged is arranged at the two robot arms ( 13 ).

13. The apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 11 , further comprising at least one filament eye ( 24 ) arranged at each robot arm ( 13 ) and configured to provide a substantially frictionless feed of the respective fiber strand.

14. The apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 13 , wherein the filiform continuous fiber strands ( 12 ) are pre-impregnated semi-finished product, configured as one of: a tow-preg semi-finished product, yarn-preg semi-finished product, uni-tape semi-finished product, and pre-preg semi-finished product.

15. The apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 13 , wherein at least one fiber carrier ( 11 ) are arranged substantially parallel to another carrier ( 11 ) on the pivot pin ( 16 ).

Assignees

• Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen

Inventors

• Müller Ingolf
• Stieglitz Andre

Classifications

• B29C70/382

  Automated fiber placement [AFP] · CPC title

• B29C53/76

  about more than one axis {, e.g. T-pieces, balls} · CPC title

• B29C53/582

  comprising reinforcements, e.g. wires, threads · 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

• B29C70/32 Primary

  on a rotating mould, former or core · CPC title