Control of radiant heating system for thermoplastic composite tape
AssigneeCincinnati Milacron Inc.
InventorPaul A. Zaffiro
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A radiant heating control system for a computerized tape laying machine is described in which the radiant heater is controlled so as to reliably heat thermoplastic composite tape to a processing temperature above the melting point of the thermoplastic matrix irrespective of velocity or change in velocity of the tape as it travels from a spool of tape to a tape application point for application to a layup tool or the like.
Claims24
Apparatus for heating thermoplastic composite tape travelling along a tape path, the tape being heated to a processing temperature for application to a surface at a terminus of the tape path, the apparatus comprising:
- a. infrared heating means adjacent the tape path for generating a variable amount of radiant energy for heating the thermoplastic composite tape as it travels relative the heating means;
- b. thermal sensing means for generating a temperature signal corresponding to the temperature of the heated tape;
- c. velocity sensing means for generating a velocity signal corresponding to the velocity of the tape relative to the heating means;
- and
- d. system means responsive to the temperature signal and the velocity signal for generating a control signal having a compensation component relating energy required for tape heating to the difference between the desired processing temperature and the temperature of the heated tape represented by the temperature signal, and a predictive component relating energy required for tape heating to the volume of tape moving relative the heating means per unit time, said infrared heating means being responsive to said control signal to generate said amount of radiant energy.
A system for heating thermoplastic composite tape travelling along a tape path, the tape being heated to a processing temperature for application to a surface at a terminus of the tape path, the system comprising:
- a. infrared heating means adjacent the tape path and responsive to a control signal to generate a variable amount of radiant energy for heating the thermoplastic composite tape as it travels relative the heating means;
- b. thermal sensing means for generating a temperature signal corresponding to the temperature of the heated tape;
- c. velocity sensing means for generating a velocity signal corresponding to the velocity of the tape relative to the heating means;
- and
- d. control means responsive to said temperature and velocity signals for generating said control signal, said control signal being correlated to the velocity of the tape, the difference between a desired processing temperature and the temperature of the unheated tape, and the difference between the desired processing temperature and the temperature of the heated tape, the control signal controlling the heating means so as to heat the tape to a processing temperature irrespective of the tape velocity and changes in the tape velocity.
A method of heating thermoplastic composite tape travelling along a tape path, the tape being heated to a processing temperature for application to a surface at a terminus of the tape path, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. generating a variable amount of radiant energy for heating the thermoplastic composite tape as it travels relative a source of said radiant energy;
- b. generating a temperature signal corresponding to the temperature of the heated tape;
- c. generating a velocity signal corresponding to the velocity of tape relative the source of radiant energy;
- d. generating a control signal having a compensation component relating energy required for tape heating to the difference between a desired processing temperature and the temperature of the heated tape represented by the temperature signal and a predictive component relating energy required for tape heating to the volume of tape moving relative the heating means per unit time as determined from the velocity signal;
- and
- e. varying the amount of radiant energy generated in accordance with said control signal to generate said amount of radiant energy.
A method of heating thermoplastic composite tape travelling along a tape path, the tape being heated to a processing temperature for application to a surface at a terminus of the tape path, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. generating in response to a control signal a variable amount of radiant energy for heating the thermoplastic composite tape as it travels relative a source of said radiant energy;
- b. generating a temperature signal corresponding to the temperature of the heated tape;
- c. generating a velocity signal corresponding to the velocity of the tape relative the source of radiant energy;
- and
- d. generating in response to said temperature and velocity signals said control signal, said control signal being correlated to the temperature of the unheated tape, the temperature of the heated tape, and the velocity of the tape whereby to control the amount of radiant energy generated so that the travelling tape is heated to a processing temperature irrespective of the velocity and changes in the velocity of the tape along the tape path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.