Apparatus for laminating composites

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9764918-B2
Application number	US-201414258015-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2014
Priority date	Aug 4, 2011
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

Composite tape is laminated onto a substrate using a gantry to move a tape laminating head along the length of the substrate. The laminating head is mounted for movement along a beam on the gantry that extends across the width of the substrate. The direction of lamination may be altered by changing the angular orientation of the beam.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A composite tape laminating head, comprising;
a supply of composite tape;
a compaction roller adapted to compact the tape onto a substrate;
a tape feed assembly for feeding tape from the tape supply to the compaction roller; and
a cutter assembly including a reciprocating cutter blade for cutting the tape fed to the compaction roller, the cutter assembly further including a rotator assembly for rotating the cutter blade to any of a plurality of cutting angles, wherein the cutter blade is pivotable along an arc during a cut, wherein the tape cutting assembly further includes an anvil against which the cutter blade cuts the tape, and wherein the anvil is pivotable along the arc with the blade;
a first servo motor connected to the cutter blade and configured to move the cutter blade; and
a second servo motor connected to the anvil and configured to move the anvil, wherein:
the first servo motor is configured to move the cutter blade at a same speed as movement of the composite tape during operation of the composite tape laminating head; and
the second servo motor is configured to move the anvil at a same speed as movement of the composite tape during operation of the composite tape laminating head.

2. The composite tape laminating head of claim 1 , wherein the rotator assembly includes:
a housing,
a cylinder rotatably mounted on the housing, and
a piston coupled with the cutter blade and reciprocal within the cylinder.

3. The composite tape laminating head of claim 2 , wherein:
the rotator assembly includes an actuator coupled with the cylinder for rotating the cylinder to any of a plurality of rotational positions.

4. The composite tape laminating head of claim 2 , wherein the cutter assembly further includes:
a valve adapted to be coupled with a pressurized air source, and
an electrical voice coil for operating the valve.

5. A composite tape laminating head, comprising:
a compaction roller adapted to compact a supply of composite tape onto a substrate;
a tape feed assembly for feeding the composite tape from the supply to the compaction roller; and
a tape cutting assembly for cutting the tape, including a cutting blade movable along with the tape as the tape is being cut, wherein the cutting blade is pivotable along an arc during a cut, wherein the tape cutting assembly further includes an anvil against which the cutting blade cuts the tape, and wherein the anvil is pivotable along the arc with the cutting blade
a first servo motor connected to the cutting blade and configured to move the cutting blade; and
a second servo motor connected to the anvil and configured to move the anvil, wherein:
the first servo motor is configured to move the cutter blade at a same speed as movement of the composite tape during operation of the composite tape laminating head; and
the second servo motor is configured to move the anvil at a same speed as movement of the composite tape during operation of the composite tape laminating head.

6. The composite tape laminating head of claim 5 , wherein the tape cutting assembly includes:
trunnions for pivotally mounting the blade on the head.

7. The composite tape laminating head of claim 5 , further comprising:
a frame, and
wherein the tape cutting assembly is pivotally mounted on the frame.

8. The composite tape laminating head of claim 5 , wherein the tape cutting assembly is rotatable to any of a plurality of cutting angles on the head.

9. A composite tape laminating head, comprising:
a supply of composite tape;
a compaction roller adapted to compact the tape onto a substrate;
a tape feed assembly for feeding tape from the tape supply to the compaction roller;
a tape cutting assembly for cutting the tape, including a movable cutting blade and a movable anvil against which the blade cuts the tape; and
a drive system for moving the blade and the anvil in an arc in synchronism with each other, the drive system comprising:
a first servo motor connected to move the movable cutting blade and configured to move the cutting blade; and
a second servo motor connected to move the movable anvil and configured to move the anvil, wherein:
the first servo motor is configured to move the movable cutter blade at a same speed as movement of the composite tape during operation of the composite tape laminating head; and
the second servo motor is configured to move the movable anvil at a same speed as movement of the composite tape during operation of the composite tape laminating head.

10. The composite tape laminating head of claim 9 , wherein the blade and the anvil are each rotatable.

11. The composite tape laminating head of claim 9 , wherein the drive system includes a pair of motors for respectively rotating the blade and the anvil.

12. The composite tape laminating head of claim 9 , wherein the motors are synchronized to respectively rotate the blade and the anvil at substantially the same rotational speeds.

13. The composite tape laminating head of claim 9 , wherein the tape cutting assembly includes:
a housing; and
a first rotor having the blade secured thereto and a second rotor having the anvil secured thereto, wherein the first rotor and the second rotor are each journalled for rotation on the housing.

14. Apparatus for laminating composite tape on a substrate having a length and a width, comprising:
at least a first laminator movable along the length of the substrate, the first laminator including a pair of movable supports and a beam extending across the width of the substrate and coupled with each of the supports;
a first laminating head mounted on and movable along the beam for laminating composite tape on the substrate, the first laminating head including—
a supply of composite tape,
a compaction roller for compacting tape onto the substrate,
a tape feed assembly for feeding tape from the tape supply to the compaction roller, and
a tape cutting assembly for cutting lengths of the tape fed to the compaction roller, the tape cutting assembly including a cutting blade mounted for movement in an arc along with the tape and rotatable to any of a plurality of cutting angle positions;
a first servo motor connected to the cutting blade and configured to move the cutting blade; and
a second servo motor connected to an anvil and configured to move the anvil, wherein:
the first servo motor is configured to move a cutter blade at a same speed as movement of the composite tape during operation of the composite tape laminating head; and
the second servo motor is configured to move the anvil at a same speed as movement of the composite tape during operation of the composite tape laminating head.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising pivotal connections between the beam and the supports allowing changes in a angular orientation of the beam.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein:
the first laminating head laminates composite tape across the width of the substrate; and
the supports are movable relative to each other along the length of the substrate.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the tape cutting assembly includes an anvil movable through the arc along with the tape and the cutting blade during a tape cut, the anvil and the cutting blade moving in synchronization.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising:
a second laminator movable along the length of the substrate, the second laminator including a beam extending across the width of the substrate; and,
a second laminating head mounted on the beam of the second laminato

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Hagman Thomas J
• Branch Gregory Lowman
• Dwyer James P
• Hood Brian Edward
• Lund Erik
• Morris Wade Matthew
• Schwedhelm Jonathan Richard
• Stone Thomas C

Classifications

• B32B38/0004

  Cutting, tearing or severing, e.g. bursting; Cutter details (cutting in general B26D; laminating combined with punching or perforating B32B38/04; removing all or part of the layers B32B38/10; cutting in combination with laying up and registration B32B38/185 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T156/125

  Plural severing means each acting on a different work piece · CPC title

• Y10T156/1788

  Work traversing type and/or means applying work to wall or static structure · CPC title

• Y10T156/1077

  Applying plural cut laminae to single face of additional lamina · CPC title

• B65H35/008

  Arrangements or adaptations of cutting devices · CPC title