Edge stability
AssigneeAirbus Operations GmbH
InventorsHauke Seegel, Dominic Bloom
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for cutting a Non-Crimp Fabric for improving edge stability and reducing stitch retraction is disclosed. The part of the NCF to be cut is treated with a binder and heated to activate the binder and therefore bind the tows and stitches together. By treating only the cutting path the drapability of the wider fabric is maintained. This may be achieved by heating only the part of the NCF to be cut, or applying binder to only the part of the NCF to be cut. The NCF may be compressed and cooled before cutting to improve binding action. A ply cutter may be adapted to carry out the invention by including a heat source and optionally a binder dispenser, compressor and cooler.
Claims7
A method of cutting a fabric using an automated ply cutter, the fabric comprising a binder, and the automated ply cutter comprising a dispenser, a local heating unit, a pressure source, and a cutter, the method comprising:
- identifying a cutting path on the fabric and moving the automated ply cutter along a cutting path, wherein the step of moving the automated ply cutter along the cutting path comprises:
- using the dispenser to dispense binder onto the fabric along the cutting path;
- using the local heating unit to activate the binder along the cutting path by heating the fabric;
- and
- using the pressure source to compress the fabric along the cutting path;
- and
- using the cutter to cut the fabric along the cutting path;
- wherein the cutter, the pressure source, the heating unit, and the dispenser are positioned in sequence with respect to a direction of travel of the automated ply cutter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.