System And Method For Making Advanced Composite Laminates
AssigneeFiberforge Corporation
InventorsDavid R. Cramer, Don O. Evans, Christina M. McClard, Dennis L. Weinman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for making advanced composite laminates includes a tape dispensing system, a tape placement head, and a tooling surface. Tape sections are formed and moved through a tape section guide using a gripping assembly. The tape section guide system is suspended over the tooling surface. Once the tape section is positioned over a desired location on the tooling surface, a tape tacking device tacks or otherwise attaches the tape section to the tooling surface or another underlying tape section.
Claims24
A method for manufacturing a composite preform from tape material, the method comprising:
- feeding a tape section into a tape section guide that suspends the tape section across a tooling surface so that a first end of the tape section is initially disposed at a first position in the tape section guide and a second end of the tape section is initially disposed at a second position in the tape section guide;
- providing relative movement between the tape section guide and the tooling surface to position the tape section at a desired location and orientation relative to the tooling surface;
- moving the tape section so that the first end is moved to a third position and the second end is moved to a fourth position in the tape section guide;
- and
- securing the tape section to at least one of the tooling surface and a pre-existing tape section.
A method for manufacturing a composite preform from tape material, the method comprising:
- feeding a portion of tape into a tape section guide;
- gripping an end of the portion of tape and pulling the portion of tape through the tape section guide;
- cutting the portion of tape to form a tape section when the end of the portion of tape has been pulled to a predetermined location;
- and
- securing the tape section to at least one of a tooling surface and a pre-existing tape section.
An apparatus for manufacturing composite preforms from composite tape comprising:
- a tape section guide that receives a tape section;
- a tape gripping assembly configured to grip the tape section in the tape section guide;
- and
- a tape tacking device configured to tack the tape section to other like tape sections,
- wherein the tape gripping assembly includes a gripping member, the gripping member being configured to grip a portion of the tape section and to move along an axis associated with a length of the tape section guide, and
- wherein the gripping member moves from a first position of the tape section guide to a second position of the tape section guide and thereby moves the portion of the tape section from the first position to the second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.