System and method for making advanced composite laminates
AssigneeDieffenbacher GmbH Maschinen- und Anlagenbau
InventorsDavid R. Cramer, Don O. Evans, Christina M. McClard, Dennis L. Weinman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for making advanced composite laminates includes a tape dispensing system, a tape placement head, and a tooling surface. Tape sections are formed and moved through a tape section guide using a gripping assembly. The tape section guide system is suspended over the tooling surface. Once the tape section is positioned over a desired location on the tooling surface, a tape tacking device tacks or otherwise attaches the tape section to the tooling surface or another underlying tape section.
Claims22
A method for manufacturing a composite preform from tape material, the method comprising:
- feeding a tape section into a tape section guide that suspends the tape section across a tooling surface so that a first end of the tape section is initially disposed at a first position in the tape section guide and a second end of the tape section is initially disposed at a second position in the tape section guide;
- providing relative movement between the tape section guide and the tooling surface to position the tape section at a desired location and orientation relative to the tooling surface;
- after the tape section is fed into the tape section guide, moving the tape section relative to the tape section guide so that the first end is moved from the first position to a third position in the tape section guide and the second end is moved from the second position to a fourth position in the tape section guide;
- and
- securing the tape section to at least one of the tooling surface and a pre-existing tape section.
A method for manufacturing a composite preform from tape material, the method comprising:
- feeding a portion of tape into a tape section guide;
- gripping an end of the portion of tape and pulling the portion of tape through the tape section guide;
- cutting the portion of tape to form a tape section when the end of the portion of tape has been pulled to a first location;
- after forming the tape section, moving the tape section within the tape section guide so that the tape section moves relative to the tape section guide and the end of the portion of tape is pulled to a second location beyond the first location;
- and
- securing the tape section to at least one of a tooling surface and a pre-existing tape section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.