Laser in-situ repair high shape-preserving device and method for thermoplastic composite material

Abstract

The invention relates to a laser in-situ repair high shape-preserving device and method for a thermoplastic composite material. The device comprises a laser heating module for generating a laser beam; the positioning and control module realizes accurate positioning and movement of the laser beam; the material spreading module is responsible for providing supplementary materials; the temperature system control module monitors and adjusts the temperature of the material in a specific temperature interval to ensure that the material is always kept in a semi-fluid state; and the pressurizing shape-preserving module applies pressure to ensure the high shape-preserving repairing effect. The method comprises the following steps: firstly, scanning and positioning a to-be-repaired area; and then, the laser emitting module and the material spreading module are started for synchronous repairing, meanwhile, the material is controlled and ensured to be in a semi-fluid state through a temperature system, and pressurization is applied to achieve shape-preserving curing. The device and the method can effectively repair the surface defects of the thermoplastic composite material, remarkably improve the service life and performance of the component, and are suitable for the fields of aerospace, automobile manufacturing and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of laser repair of composite material components, in particular to a high conformal laser in-situ repair device and method for carbon fiber thermoplastic composite material components. Background Art

[0002] With the widespread application of carbon fiber thermoplastic composites in various industries, their excellent mechanical properties and lightweight characteristics make them the first choice for modern engineering materials. However, these materials are prone to damage and defects in actual use, especially in high stress and high temperature environments, which affects their performance and safety. Traditional repair methods, such as machining, bonding or welding, often fail to meet the high-precision and high-strength repair requirements and may lead to further degradation of material performance.

[0003] Laser repair technology has gradually become an important research direction in the field of composite material repair due to its high energy density and rapid heating characteristics. Laser can accurately control the heating area to avoid damage to surrounding materials, while achieving rapid local heating and material regeneration. However, existing laser repair devices usually have the following shortcomings: First, there is a lack of real-time monitoring and feedback control of the repair process, resulting in unstable repair quality; second, the repair adaptability to complex-shaped components is insufficient, making it difficult to achieve high conformal repair; third, the coordination of material replenishment and pressurization conformal process is poor, affecting the repair effect.

[0004] Therefore, a new technical solution is urgently needed to solve the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0005] Purpose of the invention: The present invention provides a highly conformal laser in-situ repair device for thermoplastic composite materials, which is aimed at repairing damage to carbon fiber thermoplastic composite components. It aims to solve the problems of the prior art such as lack of real-time monitoring and feedback control, insufficient adaptability, and poor coordination between material replenishment and pressurization and conformal repair processes, and improve the repair quality and efficiency.

[0006] The present invention also provides a method for repairing a high conformal device by laser in-situ repairing the high conformal device using the thermoplastic composite material.

[0007] Technical solution: To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the laser in-situ repair high conformal device for thermoplastic composite materials provided by the present invention can adopt the following technical solution:

[0008] A high-conformity laser in-situ repair device for thermoplastic composite materials, comprising: a camera system, a laser heating module, a positioning and control module, a material laying module, a temperature system control module, a pressurizing and conforming module and a computer control system.

[0009] The laser heating module includes a laser generator and a laser head for outputting the laser emitted by the laser generator, and is used to generate a laser beam;

[0010] The positioning and control module includes a 3D scanner, a base and a multi-axis robotic arm installed on the base, the 3D scanner is used to obtain three-dimensional data of the component, and the laser head is installed on the execution end of the multi-axis robotic arm;

[0011] The material laying module includes a material supply device and a material laying robot arm;

[0012] The temperature system control module includes a temperature sensor, which monitors the material temperature and adjusts the laser power and heating time through a feedback computer control system to ensure that the material remains in an optimal semi-fluid state;

[0013] The pressurized shape-keeping module includes a pressure sensor and an actuator. The pressure sensor is used to feedback the pressure applied to the thermoplastic composite material, and the actuator applies an adjustable pressure to promote the forming and curing of the thermoplastic composite material.

[0014] The computer control system receives scanning data from the 3D scanner, including the geometry of the component to be repaired, the location, depth and shape of the damaged area, and plans the repair path based on the scanning data and optimizes the laser scanning trajectory and material placement path; the computer control system processes the image data from the camera system to monitor the repair process and quality control, analyzes the image of the repair area in real time and generates image analysis results, and dynamically adjusts the laser power, scanning speed, and material supply rate parameters; the computer control system controls the power output of the laser generator; and the computer control system controls the feeding rate of the material supply device.

[0015] Furthermore, the laser generator power range of the laser heating module is 500W-2000W, the wavelength is 1064nm, and the laser head adjustment range is ±30°.

[0016] Furthermore, the 3D scanning accuracy of the positioning and control module reaches ±0.1mm, and the base movement accuracy is ±0.05mm.

[0017] Furthermore, the material supply rate of the paving module is adjustable in the range of 0.5g / min-5g / min, and the positioning accuracy of the robotic arm reaches ±0.1mm.

[0018] Furthermore, the temperature monitoring range of the temperature system control module is from room temperature to 300°C, and the control accuracy is ±1°C; the monitoring range is from room temperature to 300°C; the control accuracy is ±1°C.

[0019] Furthermore, the pressure range applied by the pressurized shape-maintaining module is 0-5MPa, and has a real-time feedback adjustment function; the pressure range is 0-5MPa.

[0020] The high-conformity repair method provided by the present invention can adopt the following technical solutions:

[0021] A method for repairing a high conformal device by using laser in-situ repairing, comprising:

[0022] Obtain three-dimensional data: Use a 3D scanner to scan the area to be repaired and obtain three-dimensional data; analyze this data through a computer control system and establish a repair model;

[0023] Path planning and positioning: The computer control system plans the moving path of the laser head according to the repair model;

[0024] Laser repair: Start the laser heating module and control the power and scanning speed of the laser beam according to the instructions of the computer control system so that the energy emitted by the laser is evenly distributed in the repair area;

[0025] Material replenishment: operate the material laying robot arm to replenish the repair material in real time according to the moving path of the laser head; the material supply device provides the required supplementary material, and the robot arm accurately distributes the material in the repair area;

[0026] Temperature monitoring and control: During the repair process, the temperature system control module monitors the material temperature in real time and adjusts the laser power and heating time through the feedback control system to keep the material in a semi-fluid state;

[0027] Pressurization and shape retention: After the material is replenished, the pressurization and shape retention module promotes the forming and solidification of the material by applying adjustable pressure; the pressure sensor adjusts the applied pressure according to real-time feedback to keep the material in the required shape and density during the solidification process; after the repair is completed, the pressurization and shape retention module releases the pressure applied to the repair area through the actuator;

[0028] Real-time monitoring and adjustment: The temperature data of the repair area is collected through the temperature sensor, the pressure sensor monitors the pressure data, the camera system collects the paving status image, the control system processes the temperature field gradient, pressure distribution and paving quality data, and dynamically adjusts the process parameters accordingly.

[0029] Furthermore, when releasing the pressure applied to the repair area, starting when the material is completely solidified and the temperature sensor confirms that the temperature of the repair area has dropped below the glass transition temperature of the material, the pressure is first slowly reduced from the maximum value to 50%, then gradually reduced to 25%, and finally slowly reduced to 0.

[0030] Furthermore, the method for dynamically adjusting process parameters includes:

[0031] a) Laser power adjustment: When the temperature deviates from the target value, it is adjusted in steps of ±5% of the rated power, and the upper and lower power limits are set at the same time;

[0032] b) Scanning speed adjustment: According to the temperature deviation, the scanning speed is adjusted in steps of ±2mm / s to ensure smooth changes within the acceleration limit;

[0033] c) Material laying rate adjustment: Based on the melting state and defect detection results, the material laying rate is adjusted in steps of ±1mm / s and kept matching with the scanning speed.

[0034] Laser beam

[0035] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0036] Efficient and precise repair: By integrating laser heating and material supply, the repair time is significantly shortened and work efficiency is improved. At the same time, real-time monitoring and feedback control ensure high precision during the repair process, reduce the uncertainty of repair quality, and improve the overall repair effect.

[0037] High conformality: The pressurized conformal module effectively avoids the shape change of the material during the repair process and ensures the structural integrity of the repaired component. The module precisely controls the applied pressure to prevent the material from cracking or deforming due to sudden stress, thereby maintaining the performance of the repaired component.

[0038] Strong adaptability: The invention integrates high-precision 3D scanning technology and a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm system, which can quickly adapt to composite components of different shapes and sizes and complete highly conformal repairs. This flexible adaptability allows the device to be widely used in composite repair work in aerospace, automobile manufacturing and other fields, significantly improving the versatility and practical value of the repair.

[0039] The present invention provides an efficient and quality-controlled composite material repair solution, which is an important technological advancement in the field of in-situ repair of carbon fiber thermoplastic composite components. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a high conformal laser in-situ repair device for carbon fiber thermoplastic composite material components provided by the present invention;

[0041] Figure 2 It is a specific flow chart of the repair process of the present invention.

[0042] Explanation of numbers in the figure: 1. Control system; 2. Laser generator; 3. Laser head; 4. Laser beam; 5. Temperature sensor; 6. Damaged structural parts; 7. Area to be repaired; 8. 3D scanner; 9. Camera system; 10. Material supply device; 11. Robotic arm; 12. Base; 13. Multi-axis robot arm; 14. Pressure sensor; 15. Pressure execution structure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The present invention relates to a highly conformal laser in-situ repair device and method for carbon fiber thermoplastic composite material components, and the present invention is further described in detail below through drawings and examples. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0044] Please combine Figure 1 As shown, it is a specific embodiment of the laser in-situ repair high conformal device of thermoplastic composite material of the present invention. It includes: camera system 9, laser heating module, positioning and control module, material laying module, temperature system control module, pressurization conformal module and computer control system.

[0045] The laser heating module includes a laser generator 2 and a laser head 3 for outputting the laser emitted by the laser generator 2, and is used to generate a laser beam. The laser head can perform multi-axis adjustment under the control of the multi-axis robot arm according to the instructions of the positioning and control module to adapt to different repair angles and positions.

[0046] The positioning and control module includes a 3D scanner 8, a base 12 and a multi-axis mechanical arm 13 installed on the base 12. The 3D scanner 8 is used to obtain three-dimensional data of the component, and the laser head 3 is installed at the execution end of the multi-axis mechanical arm 13.

[0047] The material laying module includes a material supply device 10 and a material laying robot arm 11;

[0048] The temperature system control module includes a temperature sensor 5, which monitors the material temperature and adjusts the laser power and heating time through a feedback computer control system to ensure that the material remains in an optimal semi-fluid state;

[0049] The pressurizing and shape-maintaining module includes a pressure sensor 14 and an actuator 15. The pressure sensor is used to feedback the pressure applied to the thermoplastic composite material, and the actuator applies an adjustable pressure to promote the forming and curing of the thermoplastic composite material.

[0050] The computer control system receives scanning data from the 3D scanner 8, including the geometric shape of the component to be repaired, the position, depth and shape of the damaged area, and plans the repair path based on the scanning data and optimizes the laser scanning trajectory and material placement path; the computer control system processes the image data transmitted by the camera system 9 to monitor the repair process and quality control, analyze the image of the repair area in real time and generate image analysis results, and dynamically adjust the laser power, scanning speed, and material supply rate parameters; the computer control system controls the power output of the laser generator 2; the computer control system controls the feeding rate of the material supply device 10.

[0051] The laser generator power of the laser heating module ranges from 500W to 2000W, the wavelength is 1064nm, and the laser head adjustment range is ±30°.

[0052] The 3D scanning accuracy of the positioning and control module reaches ±0.1mm, and the base movement accuracy is

[0053] ±0.05mm.

[0054] The material supply rate of the paving module can be adjusted in the range of 0.5g / min-5g / min, and the positioning accuracy of the robotic arm reaches ±0.1mm.

[0055] The temperature monitoring range of the temperature system control module is from room temperature to 300°C; monitoring range is from room temperature to 300°C. This range covers the temperature conditions required for processing and repairing most thermoplastic composite materials. 300°C is the common softening temperature of many thermoplastic materials, which can ensure the best fluidity and adhesion of the material during the repair process. The control accuracy is ±1°C. High-precision temperature control can effectively prevent overheating or underheating of the material, avoid performance degradation or structural defects caused by temperature fluctuations, and thus improve the quality and reliability of repair.

[0056] The pressure range applied by the pressurized shape-keeping module is 0-5MPa, and it has a real-time feedback adjustment function; the pressure range is 0-5MPa. This range is suitable for the forming and curing process of most composite materials, and can effectively promote the density and shape retention of the material. Too low pressure may lead to poor material forming, while too high pressure may cause material damage, so setting it within this range can achieve the best forming effect. Real-time feedback adjustment function: This function ensures that the applied pressure can be dynamically adjusted according to the actual state of the material during the repair process to adapt to different repair needs and material properties, thereby improving the consistency and quality of the repair.

[0057] The figure shows a highly conformal laser in-situ repair device for carbon fiber thermoplastic composite components. Although the laser power range of the present invention is 500W-2000W and the scanning speed range is 5mm / s-50mm / s, in actual application, appropriate parameters should be selected according to the following factors:

[0058] a) Material type: Different composite materials have different absorption rates for lasers, and the power needs to be adjusted accordingly.

[0059] b) Damage degree: Minor damage can use lower power and faster scanning speed, while severe damage requires higher power and slower scanning speed.

[0060] c) Component thickness: The thicker the component, the higher the power required and the slower the scanning speed.

[0061] d) Repair accuracy requirements: High-precision repair requires lower power and slower scanning speed.

[0062] e) Pressure and shape retention requirements: During the repair process, appropriate pressure should be applied according to the geometric characteristics and material properties of the component to ensure the density and shape of the repair area. Generally, the pressure range is 0-5MPa, and the specific pressure value needs to be dynamically adjusted according to the shape complexity and material fluidity of the repair area.

[0063] This embodiment is directed to the repair of a carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin composite aircraft wing panel. The panel has a size of 1000 mm×500 mm, a thickness of 5 mm, and a scratch damage of about 50 mm×30 mm on the surface.

[0064] 1. Preparation

[0065] A 3D scanner (8) is used to scan the damaged area to obtain accurate three-dimensional data (with a resolution of 0.05 mm), and a computer control system (1) generates a repair path and parameters.

[0066] 2. Equipment Adjustment

[0067] According to the scanning results, the position and angle of the laser head (3) are adjusted by the multi-axis mechanical arm (13). The power of the laser generator (2) is set to 800W and the wavelength is 1064nm.

[0068] 3. Repair process

[0069] a) Cleaning: Use a protective gas nozzle to purge the damaged area to remove surface impurities. Use high-purity nitrogen as the protective gas, and set the flow rate to 15L / min.

[0070] b) Preheating: Use a low-power (200W) laser to preheat the repair area, with a scanning speed of 20mm / s and a preheating temperature controlled at 80±5℃.

[0071] c) Material addition: Start the material laying module, and the material supply device (10) provides carbon fiber prepreg that is the same as the raw material. The robot arm (11) accurately places the material on the damaged area, and the material supply rate is set to 2g / min.

[0072] d) Main repair: Increase the laser power to 800W and adjust the scanning speed to 10mm / s. The laser beam melts and solidifies the material along the preset path. During the whole process, the camera system (9) monitors the surface temperature in real time and keeps it at 180±10℃.

[0073] e) Pressurization to maintain shape

[0074] During the repair process, the pressurized conformal module applies uniform pressure (2MPa) to the repair area to ensure that the material fully fills the damaged area and maintains the integrity of the surface shape.

[0075] Real-time pressure adjustment: The pressurizing module is equipped with a high-precision pressure sensor to dynamically adjust the pressure according to the fluidity and solidification state of the material to avoid loosening of the material due to insufficient pressure, or overflow of the material or deformation of the component due to excessive pressure.

[0076] Shape-preserving effect: The shape of the pressure head of the pressure module is customized according to the 3D data of the damaged area, which can accurately fit the geometric shape of the repaired area, ensuring that the repaired surface is perfectly consistent with the surrounding area.

[0077] Pressure release: After the repair is completed, the module gradually reduces the pressure. Initial release: gradually reduce from 2MPa to 1MPa, the release time is 30 seconds, to ensure the stability of the material in the initial curing stage; intermediate release: reduce from 1MPa to 0.5MPa, the release time is 60 seconds, to ensure that the internal stress of the material is gradually evenly distributed; complete release: reduce from 0.5MPa to 0MPa, the release time is 90 seconds, to avoid cracks or deformation caused by sudden stress. This progressive pressure release method can effectively prevent the material from stress concentration due to sudden pressure release, ensure that the shape of the repair area remains stable, avoid defects such as cracks or delamination, and thus improve the reliability and consistency of the repair quality.

[0078] f) Cooling: After the repair is completed, gradually reduce the laser power and control the cooling rate to 5°C / min until the temperature drops to room temperature.

[0079] 4. Quality Inspection

[0080] Use ultrasonic testing equipment to perform non-destructive testing on the repair area to ensure the quality of the repair.

[0081] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that a person skilled in the art can make several improvements without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements should also be regarded as within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A highly conformal laser in-situ repair device for thermoplastic composite materials, characterized in that: include: A camera system (9), a laser heating module, a positioning and control module, a material laying module, a temperature system control module, a pressurizing and shape-keeping module and a computer control system, The laser heating module comprises a laser generator (2) and a laser head (3) for outputting laser light emitted by the laser generator (2), and is used to generate a laser beam; The positioning and control module comprises a 3D scanner (8), a base (12) and a multi-axis mechanical arm (13) mounted on the base (12); the 3D scanner (8) is used to obtain three-dimensional data of the component; and the laser head (3) is mounted on the execution end of the multi-axis mechanical arm (13); The material spreading module comprises a material supply device (10) and a material spreading mechanical arm (11); The temperature system control module includes a temperature sensor (5), which monitors the material temperature through the temperature sensor and adjusts the laser power and heating time through a feedback computer control system to ensure that the material remains in an optimal semi-fluid state; The pressurizing and shape-maintaining module comprises a pressure sensor (14) and an actuator (15), wherein the pressure sensor is used to feedback the pressure applied to the thermoplastic composite material, and the actuator applies an adjustable pressure to promote the forming and curing of the thermoplastic composite material; The computer control system receives scanning data from a 3D scanner (8), including the geometric shape of the component to be repaired, the position, depth and shape of the damaged area, and performs repair path planning based on the scanning data and optimizes the laser scanning trajectory and material placement path; the computer control system processes image data transmitted by the camera system (9) to monitor the repair process and quality control, analyze images of the repair area in real time and generate image analysis results, and dynamically adjust laser power, scanning speed, and material supply rate parameters; the computer control system controls the power output of the laser generator (2); and the computer control system controls the feeding rate of the material supply device (10).

2. The laser in-situ repair high conformal device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The laser generator power of the laser heating module ranges from 500W to 2000W, the wavelength is 1064nm, and the laser head adjustment range is ±30°.

3. The laser in-situ repair high conformal device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The 3D scanning accuracy of the positioning and control module reaches ±0.1mm, and the base movement accuracy is ±0.05mm.

4. The laser in-situ repair high conformal device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material supply rate of the paving module can be adjusted in the range of 0.5g / min-5g / min, and the positioning accuracy of the robot arm can reach ±0.1mm.

5. The laser in-situ repair high conformal device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The temperature monitoring range of the temperature system control module is from room temperature to 300℃, and the control accuracy is ±1℃; monitoring range is from room temperature to 300℃; control accuracy is ±1℃.

6. The laser in-situ repair high conformal device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pressure range applied by the pressurized shape-keeping module is 0-5MPa, and it has real-time feedback adjustment function; the pressure range is 0-5MPa.

7. A method for repairing high conformality using the laser in-situ repair high conformality device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: include: Obtaining three-dimensional data: using a 3D scanner (8) to scan the area to be repaired and obtain three-dimensional data; The data are analyzed through computer control system to establish a repair model; Path planning and positioning: The computer control system plans the moving path of the laser head (3) according to the repair model; Laser repair: Start the laser heating module and control the power and scanning speed of the laser beam according to the instructions of the computer control system so that the energy emitted by the laser is evenly distributed in the repair area; Material replenishment: operating the material spreading robot arm (11) to replenish the repair material in real time according to the moving path of the laser head (3); the material supply device (10) provides the required supplementary material, and the robot arm (11) accurately distributes the material in the repair area; Temperature monitoring and control: During the repair process, the temperature system control module monitors the material temperature in real time and adjusts the laser power and heating time through the feedback control system to keep the material in a semi-fluid state; Pressurization and shape retention: After the material is replenished, the pressurization and shape retention module promotes the forming and solidification of the material by applying adjustable pressure; The pressure sensor adjusts the applied pressure based on real-time feedback to keep the material in the desired shape and density during the curing process; After the repair is completed, the pressurized shape-preserving module releases the pressure applied to the repair area through the actuator (15); Real-time monitoring and adjustment: The temperature sensor (5) collects the temperature data of the repair area, the pressure sensor (14) monitors the pressure data, the camera system (9) collects the paving state image, and the control system processes the temperature field gradient, pressure distribution and paving quality data, and dynamically adjusts the process parameters accordingly.

8. The high-conformity repair method according to claim 7, characterized in that: When releasing the pressure applied to the repair area, starting when the material is completely solidified and the temperature sensor (5) confirms that the temperature of the repair area has dropped below the glass transition temperature of the material, the pressure is first slowly reduced from the maximum value to 50%, then gradually reduced to 25%, and finally slowly reduced to 0.

9. The high-conformity repair method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The method for dynamically adjusting process parameters comprises: a) Laser power adjustment: When the temperature deviates from the target value, it is adjusted in steps of ±5% of the rated power, and the upper and lower power limits are set at the same time; b) Scanning speed adjustment: According to the temperature deviation, the scanning speed is adjusted in steps of ±2mm / s to ensure smooth changes within the acceleration limit; c) Material laying rate adjustment: Based on the melting state and defect detection results, the material laying rate is adjusted in steps of ±1mm / s and kept matching with the scanning speed.

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