Continuous ultrasonic additive manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019358739-A1
Application number	US-201816156532-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 10, 2018
Priority date	May 24, 2018
Publication date	Nov 28, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

According to one aspect, the present disclosure provides a system for manufacturing transition structures including fiber threads embedded within a metal component. The system may include a supply of base sheet metal. The system may include a conveyor supported on a plurality of rollers and configured to move the base sheet metal in a production direction. The system may include a plurality of stages arranged in the production direction. Each stage may include a channel forming device configured to form a channel in the base sheet metal, a fiber inserting device configured to insert a portion of a fiber material into the channel, and one or more ultrasonic welders configured to consolidate a layer of metal foil over the fiber. The disclosure includes methods of using the system to produce transition structures and reinforced components.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for manufacturing transition structures including fiber threads embedded within a metal component, the system comprising:
a supply of base sheet metal; and a conveyor supported on a plurality of rollers and configured to move the base sheet metal in a production direction; a plurality of stages arranged in the production direction, each stage comprising:
a channel forming device configured to create a channel in the base sheet metal;
a fiber inserting device configured to insert a portion of a fiber material into the channel; and
one or more ultrasonic welders configured to consolidate a layer of metal foil over the portion of the fiber material.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a roller of the plurality of rollers is positioned along the conveyor opposite each of the one or more ultrasonic welders.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the roller includes a central support surface and side contraints that constrain the base sheet metal against movement transverse to the production direction.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more ultrasonic welders comprises a first ultrasonic welder in contact with the layer of metal foil and a second ultrasonic welder positioned opposite the first ultrasonic welder, wherein the second ultrasonic welder is driven out of phase, amplitude wise, with the first ultrasonic welder.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one stage of the plurality of stages is configured to insert a portion of fiber material or considate a layer of metal foil having a different composition than the base sheet metal or a previously inserted fiber material or consolidated layer of metal.

6 . A method of manufacturing transition structures including fiber threads embedded within a metal component, the method comprising:
receiving a base metallic layer at a conveyor; creating a channel in the base metallic layer; inserting a portion of a fiber material into the channel; receiving a metallic foil at each of a plurality of ultrasonic weld heads along the conveyor; ultrasonically welding the metallic foil to the base metallic layer at each of the plurality of ultrasonic weld heads to form a new base metallic layer enclosing the portion of the fiber material in the channel; and advancing the base metallic layer along the conveyor.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
creating a second channel in the new base metallic layer; inserting a second portion of a fiber material into the second channel; receiving a second metallic foil at each of a second plurality of ultrasonic weld heads along the conveyor; ultrasonically welding the second metallic foil to the base metallic layer at each of the plurality of ultrasonic weld heads to form a new base metallic layer enclosing the portion of fiber material in the channel; and advancing the base metallic layer along the conveyor.

8 . A method of manufacturing components reinforced with a reinforcement material, the method comprising:
receiving a base material at a conveyor; receiving a reinforcement material at each of a plurality of ultrasonic weld heads along the conveyor; ultrasonically welding the reinforcement material to a portion of the base material at each of the plurality of ultrasonic weld heads thereby forming a reinforced portion of the base material; and advancing the reinforced portion of the base material along the conveyor.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
creating a channel in the base material; and inserting a portion of a fiber material into the channel, wherein the reinforcement material is ultrasonically welded over the fiber material.

10 . A system for manufacturing reinforced structures, the system comprising:
a first reinforcement source that feeds a first reinforcement layer on a base sheet metal; a first ultrasonic welder positioned downstream of the first reinforcement source that secures the first reinforcement layer to the base sheet metal; a second reinforcement source positioned downstream of the first reinforcement source that feeds a second reinforcement layer on the first reinforcement layer; and a second ultrasonic welder positioned downstream of the second reinforcement source that secures the second reinforcement layer to the first reinforcement layer.

11 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a first channel forming device positioned upstream of the first reinforcement source configured to form a channel in the base sheet metal, wherein the first reinforcement source comprises a first fiber inserting device that is configured to insert a portion of a fiber material into the channel and a metal roll that is configured to feed a layer of metal foil over the portion of the fiber material to at least partially form the first reinforcement layer.

12 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a second channel forming device positioned upstream of the second reinforcement source and is configured to form a channel in the first reinforcement layer; wherein the second reinforcement source comprises a second fiber inserting device that is configured to insert a second portion of a fiber material into the channel formed by the second channel forming device and a metal roll that is configured to feed a layer of metal foil over the second portion of the fiber material to at least partially form the second reinforcement layer.

13 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising a conveyor that is supported on a plurality of rollers, wherein the conveyor is configured to move the base sheet metal in a production direction.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein a first roller is positioned along the conveyor opposite the first ultrasonic welder, and a second roller is positioned along the conveyor opposite the second ultrasonic welder.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the first roller or the second roller includes a central support surface and side contraints that constrain the base sheet metal against movement transverse to the production direction.

16 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising a third ultrasonic welder positioned opposite the first ultrasonic welder, wherein the third ultrasonic welder is driven out of phase amplitude wise with the first ultrasonic welder.

17 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a third reinforcement source that feeds a third reinforcement layer on the base sheet metal a first distance apart from the first reinforcement layer; and a third ultrasonic welder positioned downstream of the third reinforcement source that secures the third reinforcement layer to the base sheet metal.

18 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the first reinforcement layer comprises a different composition than the second reinforcement layer.

19 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the metal foil of the first reinforcement layer is a different composition than the metal foil of the second reinforcement layer.

20 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the fiber material of the first reinforcement layer comprises a different composition than the fiber material of the second reinforcement layer.

21 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the first reinforcement layer comprises a different composition than the third reinforcement layer.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd
• Ohio State Innovation Foundation

Inventors

• HAHNLEN Ryan
• DAPINO Marcelo
• Headings Leon
• Gingerich Mark Bryant

Classifications

• B29C65/785

  using magnetic forces to hold at least one of the parts to be joined (magnetic work holders in general B25B11/002) · CPC title

• B29C66/742

  to metals or their alloys · CPC title

• B29C65/787

  using conveyor belts or conveyor chains (B29C66/83421, B29C66/83521, B29C66/83531 take precedence) · CPC title

• B29C66/72141

  Fibres of continuous length · CPC title

• B23K2103/172

  wherein at least one of the layers is non-metallic · CPC title