Composite lamination system and methods
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsMichael Kenneth-Que Louie, Matthew H. Mellin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and methods for indexing an automated fiber placement head to a surface of a substrate are provided. The system comprises a first measurement system comprising a first plurality of sensors configured to scan the surface of the substrate; a second measurement system comprising a second plurality of sensors configured to locate the automated fiber placement head; and a data management device configured to generate a full resolution transformation using measurements from the first measurement system and determine a position of the automated fiber placement head using data from the second measurement system.
Claims23
A system for indexing an automated fiber placement head to a surface of a substrate, comprising:
- a first measurement system comprising a first plurality of sensors configured to scan the surface of the substrate;
- a second measurement system comprising a second plurality of sensors configured to locate the automated fiber placement head;
- and
- a data management device configured to generate a full resolution transformation from an initial mandrel scan using sufficient measurements from the first measurement system that interpolation is not performed and determine a position of the automated fiber placement head using data from the second measurement system.
A method of performing composite lamination comprising:
- performing an initial mandrel scan of a substrate within a manufacturing environment using a first measurement system;
- determining a position of an automated fiber placement head within the manufacturing environment using a second measurement system;
- generating a full resolution transformation using results from the initial mandrel scan including sufficient measurements that interpolation is not performed;
- and
- beginning a layup on the substrate by the automated fiber placement head based on the full resolution transformation and the position.
A method of performing composite lamination comprising:
- scanning a surface of a substrate to generate first measurements using a first plurality of sensors;
- locating an automated fiber placement head using a second plurality of sensors;
- indexing the automated fiber placement head to the substrate based on the first measurements;
- laying up composite material on the surface of the substrate using the automated fiber placement head after indexing the automated fiber placement head;
- computing a full resolution transformation using results from the first measurements including sufficient measurements that interpolation is not performed;
- and
- moving the automated fiber placement head according to the full resolution transformation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.