Blade cleaning for automated fiber placement machines
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsCorydon Hilton, Derek McCann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for cleaning composite fabrication machinery. One embodiment is a method for cleaning of a composite application machine, comprising: displacing an anvil of a head of an Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) machine from an operation location relative to a cutter, cleaning at least one of the cutter and the anvil, and relocating the anvil to the operation location relative to the cutter.
Claims31
A method for cleaning of a composite application machine, comprising:
- displacing an anvil of a head of an Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) machine from an operation location relative to a cutter;
- cleaning at least one of the cutter and the anvil;
- and
- relocating the anvil to the operation location relative to the cutter.
(canceled)
A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying programmed instructions which, when executed by a processor, are operable for performing a method for cleaning of a composite application machine, comprising:
- displacing an anvil of a head of an Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) machine from an operation location relative to a cutter;
- sliding a cleaning element into contact with a face of the cutter;
- scouring the face of the cutter with the cleaning element;
- retracting the cleaning element from the cutter;
- and
- relocating the anvil to the operation location relative to the cutter.
-24. (canceled)
An apparatus for cleaning a composite application cutter comprising:
- a head of a composite application machine, the head comprising:
- an anvil;
- a cutter that is located relative to an operation location of the anvil;
- a first apparatus that displaces the anvil from the cutter;
- and
- a second apparatus that facilitates cleaning of at least one of the cutter and the anvil while the anvil is displaced from the cutter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.