# US 9,873,230 B1 · Mobile system for automated layup and compaction of composite laminates > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,873,230 B1 - Document ID: US9873230B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 14/463,022 - Filed: 2014-08-19 - Granted: 2018-01-23 - Earliest claimed: 2014-08-19 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Matthew R. DesJardien; James N. Buttrick; Terrence J. Rowe; Daniel Mark McDonagh; Silas Lawton Studley; Tracy E. Zimmerman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9873230B1 ## CPC - B29C 70/38: Automated lay-up, e.g. using robots, laying filaments according to predetermined patterns {(application heads for tyres B29D30/28)} - B29C 70/388: {Tape placement heads, e.g. component parts, details or accessories} - B29C 70/30: Shaping by lay-up, i.e. applying fibres, tape or broadsheet on a mould, former or core; Shaping by spray-up, i.e. spraying of fibres on a mould, former or core - B29C 70/386: {Automated tape laying [ATL]} - B29C 70/54: Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations {, e.g. feeding or storage of prepregs or SMC after impregnation or during ageing} - B29C 70/541: {Positioning reinforcements in a mould, e.g. using clamping means for the reinforcement (positioning inserts in moulds B29C33/12; lay-up on a mould B29C70/30)} - B29K 2105/06: containing reinforcements, fillers or inserts - B29K 2105/253: {Preform} - B29L 2031/3076: {Aircrafts (blades, propellers B29L2031/08)} - Y10S 901/44: inspection - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A mobile vehicle is used to place, compact and inspect composite plies at selected locations on a tool. The vehicle includes an on-board supply of composite plies, a transfer platen for transferring plies to the tool, a compactor for compacting plies on the tool, and an inspection device for inspecting plies on the tool, each operated and manipulated by an on-board manipulator such as a robot. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Apparatus for laying up and compacting composite plies on a tool, comprising: a mobile vehicle; a ply supply on the vehicle, the ply supply including a plurality of composite plies; a platen on the vehicle for picking up and transferring the plies from the ply supply to the tool; and a compactor on the vehicle for compacting the plies on the tool. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a guidance and drive system for guiding and driving the vehicle alongside the tool. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a tool indexer coupling the vehicle with the tool at preselected, indexed locations along the tool. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ply supply includes: a case, and a plurality of drawers in the case, each of the drawers capable of holding at least one of the plies. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the case is removably mounted on the vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, at least one robot on the vehicle for manipulating each of the platen and the compactor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising: at least one inspection device on the vehicle capable of being manipulated by the robot for inspecting at least one feature of plies on the tool. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each of the platen, the compactor and the inspection device includes a releasable coupling and is capable of being releasably coupled with the robot. ### Claim 9 Apparatus for laying up and compacting composite plies on an elongate tool, comprising: a mobile vehicle movable along a length of the tool; end effectors on the vehicle for placing and compacting plies on the tool; and a manipulator on the vehicle for manipulating the end effectors. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the end effectors include a platen for picking up and placing plies on the tool, and a compactor for compacting plies on the tool. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the end effectors include at least one inspection device for inspecting at least one feature of plies on the tool. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising: a plurality of movable drawers on the vehicle, each of the drawers be capable of holding at least one of the plies. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the platen includes: a generally curved ply engaging face, and a vacuum pickup system for holding plies on the face. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein: the ply engaging face is compliant, and the vacuum pickup system includes a plurality of perforations in the ply engaging face through which air may be drawn forming a vacuum drawing a ply against the ply engaging face. ### Claim 15 A method of laying up and compacting plies on a tool, comprising: loading a supply of composite plies on a mobile vehicle; moving the vehicle to each of a plurality of locations along the tool; robotically transferring plies from the vehicle to the tool; and robotically compacting the plies on the tool. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein loading a supply of composite plies includes placing at least one ply in each of a plurality of drawers on the vehicle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: moving the vehicle between a ply source location and each of a plurality of locations along the tool where the plies are robotically transferred and compacted on the tool, and wherein placing plies of each of the plurality of drawers is performed at the ply source location. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein: robotically transferring the plies includes coupling a robot with a transfer platen and using the transfer platen to pick up and transfer the plies from the vehicle to the tool, and robotically compacting the plies includes coupling the robot with a compactor and using the compactor to compact the plies on the tool. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising: coupling the robot with at least one inspection device, and inspecting at least one feature of a ply on the tool using the inspection device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein robotically transferring the plies and robotically compacting the plies is performed at each of the plurality of locations along the tool. ### Claim 21 A method of placing a composite ply on a tool, comprising: drawing the ply against a generally curved platen face; bringing the ply into a substantially line contact with the tool; rolling the curved platen face to pivot around a corner of the tool; and releasing the ply from the curved platen face as the curved platen face rolls over the tool so that the ply is wrapped around and onto the tool corner.