Rotary Compaction Tool
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsPaul R. Stone, David Lynn Phillips
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for placing a piece of composite material onto a substrate. The piece of composite material is placed on the substrate with using an end effector. The piece of composite material is held against the substrate using the end effector. The piece of the composite material is compacted against the substrate while also holding the piece of composite material against the substrate using the end effector.
Claims20
A method for placing a piece of composite material onto a substrate comprising:
- placing the piece of composite material on the substrate using an end effector;
- holding the piece of composite material against the substrate using the end effector;
- and
- compacting the piece of composite material against the substrate while also holding the piece of composite material against the substrate using the end effector.
A method for compacting a multilayer material, the method comprising:
- moving a rotary actuator in an end effector along an axis towards the multilayer material such that a flexible membrane connected to the rotary actuator contacts the multilayer material at an engagement surface of the flexible membrane in which the flexible membrane does not rotate;
- applying a force on the flexible membrane using a force transfer system in the end effector that is rotatably connected to the rotary actuator;
- and
- rotating the force transfer system about the axis by the rotary actuator such that the force transfer system causes the flexible membrane to deform and compact the multilayer material using a sweeping motion while holding a piece of composite material in place.
A method for placing a piece of a composite material, the method comprising:
- picking up the piece of the composite material from a source using an end effector using a vacuum applied to the piece;
- moving the end effector along a path towards a multilayer material with a piece of the multilayer material attached to a flexible membrane in the end effector using the vacuum applied to the piece of the multilayer material;
- placing the piece on the multilayer material on a tool;
- moving a rotary actuator in the end effector along an axis towards the multilayer material using a biasing system that is operable to bias the rotary actuator along the axis towards the multilayer material such that a flexible membrane connected to the rotary actuator contacts the multilayer material at an engagement surface of the flexible membrane in which the flexible membrane does not rotate;
- the rotary actuator comprises a shaft extending along the axis in which the shaft does not rotate during operation of the rotary actuator;
- an impeller that is translatable along the shaft;
- a body moveably connected to the shaft in which the body is rotatable about the axis and moveable along the axis;
- and
- a flange extending from the body in which ball transfer units in a force transfer system are connected to the flange;
- applying a force on the flexible membrane using the force transfer system in the end effector that is rotatably connected to the rotary actuator;
- rotating the force transfer system about the axis by the rotary actuator such that the force transfer system moves in a circular path and causes the flexible membrane to deform and compact the multilayer material with a sweeping motion;
- and
- releasing the piece from the end effector in which the piece remains in place on the multilayer material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.