Composite tape placement apparatus with natural path generation means

A method for depositing an unstretchable composite tape in its natural path along a selected tape course upon complex contoured surface by means of a controllable tape laying head, said method comprising the steps of:

• generating natural path data for a selected tape course in terms of the geometric motions of a tape being laid in said natural path, said data being derived from an incremental step along said natural path, the width of said composite tape, and a mathematical representation of the variations in said contoured surface;
• interpreting said natural path data and generating machine instructions therefrom to control said tape laying head to perform said geometric motions;
• transmitting said machine instructions to a tape head controller as the desired positions of the tape laying head;
• and
• executing said machine instructions with said tape head controller to move the tape laying head from position to position to lay the selected tape course along said natural path.

A multi-axis tape laying machine for depositing composite tape in selected generally parallel courses upon a mandrel having a complex contoured surface to form a conforming ply thereon;

• and for laying succeeding plies in a like manner upon said first-mentioned ply to build a laminated structure upon said mandrel, said tape laying machine comprising:
• a tape laying head moveable in a plurality of axes under controlled power applied in accordance with control signals;
• means for generating said control signals by executing a part program defining the course path for each tape course for each ply;
• and
• means for calculating each course path from a representation of said complex surface and an indication of course path orientation on the surface such that each course path conforms to the variations of said complex contoured surface, said course path orientation being defined with respect to a reference point and said course path calculation being initiated at said reference point so that the orientation of each course at the reference point will be the reference orientation.

A multi-axis tape laying machine for depositing composite tape in selected generally parallel courses upon a mandrel having a complex contoured surface to form a conforming ply thereon, and for laying succeeding plies in a like manner upon said first mentioned ply to build a laminated structure upon said mandrel, said tape laying machine comprising:

• a tape laying head moveable in a plurality of axes under controlled power applied in accordance with control signals;
• means for generating said control signals by executing a part program defining the course path for each tape course of each ply;
• means for calculating each course path from a representation of said complex surface and an indication of course path orientation such that each course path conforms to the variations of the complex surface, wherein said course path is generated as non-machine specific geometric data defining the tape laying head motions in space necessary to lay said course;
• and
• means for interpreting said geometric data of each course path and for translating said geometric data into said control signals which are specific to said tape laying head.

A multi-axis tape laying machine for depositing composite tape in selected generally parallel courses upon a mandrel having a complex contoured surface to form a conforming ply thereon;

• and for laying succeeding plies in a like manner upon said first-mentioned ply to build a laminated structure upon said mandrel, said tape laying machine comprising:
• a tape laying head moveable in a plurality of axes under controlled power applied in accordance with control signals;
• means for generating said control signals by executing a part program defining the course path for each tape course for each ply;
• means for calculating each course path from a representation of said complex surface and an indication of course path orientation on the surface such that each course path conforms to the variations of said complex contoured surface;
• means for displaying the plurality of tape courses forming each ply;
• and
• means for determining the amount of overlap or gap between adjacent tape courses in each ply.