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US 12,643,251 B2Granted
Electrostatic vertical ply storage
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorChristopher Robert McDermott
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method, apparatus, and system for storing a carbon fiber ply. The carbon fiber ply is moved to an electrostatic storage panel. The carbon fiber ply is attached to the electrostatic storage panel using an electrostatic charge generated by the electrostatic storage panel.
Claims25
A method for storing a composite ply, the method comprising:
- moving, by an end effector having an electrostatic gripper, the composite ply to an electrostatic storage panel, wherein the electrostatic storage panel is vertically oriented in a composite part manufacturing system;
- and
- attaching the composite ply to the electrostatic storage panel using an electrostatic charge generated by the electrostatic storage panel.
A method for storing a composite ply, the method comprising:
- moving the composite ply to an electrostatic storage panel using a placement system comprising an end effector having an electrostatic gripper, wherein the electrostatic storage panel is vertically oriented in a composite part manufacturing system;
- causing the composite ply to contact an attachment surface on the electrostatic storage panel using the placement system;
- engaging the composite ply with the attachment surface on the electrostatic storage panel through an electrostatic charge generated by the electrostatic storage panel in response to the composite ply contacting the attachment surface of the electrostatic storage panel;
- and
- releasing the composite ply from the placement system in response to the composite ply being engaged with the attachment surface on the electrostatic storage panel.
2 more elements
A method of processing composite plies, the method comprising:
- cutting composite plies from a source material in a cutting order that is different from a placement order for a composite part;
- moving the composite plies to an attachment surface on an electrostatic storage panel using a placement system;
- and
- engaging the composite plies with the attachment surface on the electrostatic storage panel through an electrostatic charge generated by the electrostatic storage panel in response to the composite ply contacting the attachment surface of the electrostatic storage panel.
1 more element
A composite manufacturing system comprising:
- electrostatic storage panel, wherein the electrostatic storage panel is vertically oriented in the composite part manufacturing system;
- a placement system comprising an end effector having an electrostatic gripper;
- a controller configured to:
- pick up the composite ply using the placement system;
- move the composite ply to the electrostatic storage panel using the placement system;
- cause the composite ply to contact an attachment surface on the electrostatic storage panel using the placement system;
- engage the composite ply with the attachment surface on the electrostatic storage panel through an electrostatic charge generated by the electrostatic storage panel in response to the composite ply contacting the attachment surface of the electrostatic storage panel;
- and
- release the composite ply from the placement system in response to the composite ply being engaged with the attachment surface on the electrostatic storage panel.
6 more elements
A method for managing composite plies, the method comprising:
- picking up a composite ply from a pick location where the composite ply was cut from a source material;
- placing the composite ply at a storage location on an electrostatic storage panel using a placement system comprising an end effector having an electrostatic gripper, wherein the electrostatic storage panel is vertically oriented;
- and
- indexing the composite ply at the storage location to identify a position of the composite ply at the storage location.
1 more element
A method for managing composite plies, the method comprising:
- picking up, by an end effector having an electrostatic gripper, a composite ply from a storage location on an electrostatic storage panel using a position of the composite ply at the storage location, wherein the position is from indexing the composite ply at the storage location, wherein the electrostatic storage panel is vertically oriented;
- and
- placing the composite ply in a final placement location using the position from indexing the composite ply.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.