Fiber application machine

A fiber application machine comprising:

• a fiber application head comprising:
• an application roller;
• and
• means for guiding fibers onto said application roller;
• fiber storing means;
• and
• fiber conveying means for conveying fibers from said fiber storing means to the fiber application head, wherein the fiber conveying means include flexible tubes having a generally rectangular cross-section, each tube being able to receive a fiber in an inner channel of the flexible tube wherein the fibers are in the form of ribbons and the tubes convey the fiber to the fiber application head in a substantially flat configuration.

A fiber application head, adapted to be mounted at an end of a displacement system, the fiber application head comprising:

• an application roller;
• and
• means for guiding the fibers onto said application roller,
• wherein the fiber application head further includes means for the application of resin to each fiber, said application means being able to apply resin to the fibers as the fibers leave the guiding means on only a surface of the fiber that is opposite of a surface that contacts the application roller.

A fiber application machine that includes a system for moving a fiber application head, the fiber application machine comprising:

• a fiber application head, wherein the fiber application head comprises an application roller and means for guiding fibers onto said application roller;
• fiber storing means;
• and
• fiber conveying means for conveying the fibers from said fiber storing means to the application head, wherein the fiber application machine comprises at least one tension limiting system positioned between the fiber storing means and the application head, the at least one tension limiting system comprising
• at least two mutually parallel cylinders, whereon a plurality of fibers are able to be partly wound, and
• drive means for rotating the at least two mutually parallel cylinders substantially at the same speed, said drive means being automatically controlled by a control unit of the fiber application machine, such that peripheral speeds of the cylinders are faster than moving speeds of the fibers resulting in a tensile stress exerted on the fibers that limits a take-up tension of the fibers at the application roller,
• wherein belts are mounted around each of the at least two mutually parallel cylinders of the tension limiting system, such that one belt becomes interleaved between each fiber and each cylinder, each belt being able to adhere to a fiber and to be driven by the cylinder as a function of a pressure exerted by the fiber on the belt.