Gantry type full-automatic belt laying equipment and method suitable for composite materials

Abstract

The gantry type full-automatic tape laying equipment comprises a machining platform, a gantry frame assembly stretching across the machining platform, a full-automatic tape laying head erected on the gantry frame assembly and a positioning system used in cooperation with the full-automatic tape laying head. The portal frame assembly comprises linear rails laid on the two sides of the machining platform, portal frame stand columns in sliding fit with the linear rails and a cross beam connected with the portal frame stand columns on the two sides, and the cross beam is provided with a transverse rail and a sliding base in sliding fit with the transverse rail in the length direction. The sliding base is used for installing the full-automatic tape laying head. The invention further provides a gantry type full-automatic belt laying method. The equipment provided by the invention can realize an automatic tape laying procedure of a large-sized workpiece.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of automatic processing of composite materials, and in particular relates to a gantry-type fully automatic tape laying device and method suitable for composite materials. Background Art

[0002] Composite material forming technology is designed based on the anisotropic mechanical properties of composite materials, which can give full play to the excellent characteristics of reinforced tape materials. It is currently widely used in many fields such as aerospace. The gantry tape laying machine is an important equipment in the field of composite material forming technology. Its core operating component is the tape laying head, which includes basic actions such as unwinding, guiding, cutting, compacting, and liner recovery.

[0003] The workpiece adaptability, work efficiency, molding accuracy and automation level of the composite tape laying machine are important factors in evaluating its advanced level, so it is necessary to design a gantry-type fully automatic tape laying equipment suitable for composite materials.

[0004] (1) During the laying process of existing tape laying equipment, due to the limitations of the tape laying head structure and its supporting application software, there is manual operation, and the laying of parts and the cutting of materials after laying cannot be completed in one positioning.

[0005] (2) The frame structure of the existing tape laying equipment that supports the movement of the tape laying head is relatively complex and occupies a large space. It does not guarantee sufficient rigidity and stability, fails to ensure sufficient static and dynamic accuracy, and has poor adaptability and low laying efficiency.

[0006] Patent document CN118478250A discloses a CNC gantry machining center, including a gantry, a fixed box is installed under the gantry, a cover support plate is installed on the upper end of the fixed box, a blanking port is opened in the center of the cover support plate, a guide rail is installed on the upper end surface of the cover support plate, a movable seat is installed on the guide rail, a workbench located in the space above the blanking port is installed on the movable seat, a collecting box is provided in the space below the blanking port, a filter plate is installed on the upper end of the collecting box, a field mesh is arranged on the filter plate, a filter block is installed in the field mesh, a magnetic suction mechanism, a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the magnetic suction column in the magnetic suction mechanism, and a cooling mechanism are installed on the fixed box.

[0007] Patent document CN118455777A includes a processing table, a gantry and a cutting mechanism, wherein the cutting mechanism includes a shell, the inner wall of the shell is fixedly connected to a laser, and the bottom of the laser is fixedly connected to a laser head that passes through the shell, and also includes: a heat dissipation fin fixed to the top of the laser, which is used to extract the heat inside the laser. When the temperature sensor detects that the laser temperature is high, the external cooling system of the cutting machine for display screen processing conveys cooling water to the shell through a water inlet pipe, a cooling pipe and a water outlet pipe for circulation, and cools the air inside the shell. At the same time, the cooling fan blows the cooled air into the shell, and cooperates with the setting of the cooling fins and the heat dissipation groove to quickly dissipate heat from the laser. Summary of the invention

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a gantry-type fully automatic tape laying device and method suitable for composite materials, wherein the device can realize the automatic tape laying process of large workpieces.

[0009] In order to achieve the first object of the present invention, the following technical solution is provided: a gantry-type fully automatic tape laying equipment suitable for composite materials, comprising a processing platform and a gantry assembly spanning above the processing platform, and a fully automatic tape laying head mounted on the gantry assembly and a matching positioning system; The gantry assembly includes linear rails laid on both sides of the processing platform and gantry columns slidably matched with the linear rails, and a crossbeam connecting the gantry columns on both sides, the crossbeam is provided with a transverse rail and a sliding base slidably matched with the transverse rail along the length direction, and the sliding base is used to install the fully automatic tape laying head; The laying direction of the linear track is the X-axis, the length direction of the beam is the Y-axis, and the height direction of the gantry column is the Z-axis. The positioning system is used to obtain the position of the workpiece placed on the processing platform, and generate control instructions based on the preset processing path to control the gantry assembly and the fully automatic tape laying head to work; The fully automatic tape laying head is used to lay the tape material on the workpiece placed on the processing platform.

[0010] Specifically, the positioning system uses a plurality of laser projection sensors to acquire spatial information of the processing platform, and the plurality of laser projection sensors are arranged at intervals along a linear track on one side of the processing platform.

[0011] Specifically, the sliding base includes a Y-axis component arranged on the transverse track for transverse movement, and a Z-axis component for transverse movement along with the Y-axis component, and the Z-axis component is used to drive the fully automatic tape laying head to perform lifting movement.

[0012] Specifically, a dustproof accordion cover is laid on the linear track.

[0013] Specifically, the fully automatic tape laying head comprises a tape laying head frame, on which are mounted a tape material clamping and unwinding assembly, a tape material guiding assembly, a tape material cutting assembly, a tape material compacting assembly, a liner paper recovery assembly and an ultrasonic cutting assembly; The strip clamping and unwinding assembly is used to install the strip roll and provide strips for subsequent assemblies; The belt guide assembly is used to mechanically limit the conveying position of the belt; The strip cutting assembly is used to cut the strip into the shape required by the process; The strip material compacting assembly is used to provide a compacting force for the cut strip material to be attached to the workpiece; The backing paper recycling group is used to recycle the backing paper with the material after pasting; The ultrasonic cutting assembly is used to cut the multiple layers of uncured tape laid on the workpiece.

[0014] Specifically, the tape laying head frame is also equipped with a self-rotating component, which includes an A-axis switching component and a C-axis switching component. The A-axis switching component uses the Y-axis as the rotation axis to drive the tape laying head frame to rotate; the C-axis switching component uses the Z-axis as the rotation axis to drive the tape laying head frame to rotate.

[0015] Specifically, the belt guide assembly is equipped with an automatic belt deviation correction system, which includes an edge detection sensor and a control circuit. The edge detection sensor is used to obtain the current position of the belt and send a deviation signal between the preset position and the current position to the control circuit. The control circuit generates a control instruction based on the deviation signal to adjust the conveying posture of the belt.

[0016] In order to achieve the second object of the present invention, the following technical solution is provided: a gantry-type fully automatic tape laying method is implemented by the above-mentioned gantry-type fully automatic tape laying equipment suitable for composite materials, comprising the following steps: Fix the workpiece to be processed on the processing platform, and use the laser projection sensor to obtain the spatial information of the current workpiece in the processing scene; Reset the gantry assembly, install the tape roll onto the fully automatic tape laying head, and start the gantry assembly so that the fully automatic tape laying head is located above the workpiece; The processing path corresponding to the target tape laying task is input into the positioning system, and the fully automatic tape laying head is started to lay the tape until the target tape laying task is completed.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: Through the gantry assembly and the matching positioning system, the spatial information in the current scene is obtained to achieve accurate material laying. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a gantry-type fully automatic tape laying device provided in this embodiment; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a gantry assembly provided for this embodiment; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a Y-axis assembly provided for this embodiment; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a Z-axis assembly provided for this embodiment; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a fully automatic tape laying head provided in this embodiment; In the figure, 1, gantry assembly; 2, laser projection positioning system; 3, fully automatic tape laying head; 4, processing platform; 5, linear track; 11, gantry frame column; 12, Y-axis assembly; 13, Z-axis assembly; 14, fully automatic tape laying head; 121, Y-axis drive motor; 122, Y-axis drive gear rack; 123, Y-axis drive belt; 124, Z-axis drive assembly support frame; 125, Y-axis guide slider drive assembly; 131, Z-axis drive motor; 132, Z-axis drive coupling; 13 3. Z-axis driving screw; 134. Z-axis driving guide rail slider assembly; 135. Z-axis driving support frame; 141. Self-rotation assembly; 142. Tape laying head frame; 143. Tape detection assembly; 144. Tape clamping and unwinding assembly; 145. Automatic deviation correction assembly; 146. Tape guiding assembly; 147. Tape cutting assembly; 148. Tape pressure shoe assembly; 149. Tape pressure roller assembly; 1410. Backing paper recovery assembly; 1411. Ultrasonic cutter assembly; 1412. Heating assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical scheme in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present invention generally described and shown in the drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments in the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] like Figure 1As shown, the gantry type fully automatic tape laying equipment provided for this embodiment mainly includes: a gantry assembly 1 (three linear motion axes are defined as X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, respectively, and two rotary motion axes are positioned as A-axis and C-axis, respectively), a fully automatic tape laying head 3, a laser projection positioning system 2, a processing platform 4, and a linear track 5. The laser projection positioning system 2 is arranged on the side of the linear track 5, and the linear track 5 is arranged under the gantry assembly 1 and is in full contact with the gantry assembly 1, and is mainly responsible for the X-axis movement of the gantry assembly 1. The gantry Y-axis and Z-axis are installed on the gantry crossbeam, and can realize its adjustment on the Y-axis and Z-axis. The tooling operating table assembly is arranged on the inner side of the gantry frame to enable the gantry tape laying equipment to complete the laying on its tooling surface.

[0021] like Figure 2 As shown, the gantry assembly 1 includes a gantry frame column 11, a Y-axis assembly 12, and a Z-axis assembly 13. The gantry frame column 11 is installed at the bottom of the gantry frame to support the entire gantry frame. The Y-axis assembly 12 is supported and installed above the gantry frame column, and the Z-axis assembly 13 is installed as a whole above the Y-axis assembly 12. The Z-axis assembly 13 forms a sliding pair adjustment on the Y-axis assembly 12. The Z-axis assembly 13 can realize longitudinal position adjustment. The fully automatic tape laying head 3 is installed at the bottom of the Z-axis assembly 13, which can form a rotating pair to adjust the position of the tape laying head.

[0022] like Figure 3 As shown, the Y-axis assembly provided in the above embodiment includes a Y-axis drive motor 121, a Y-axis drive gear rack 122, a Y-axis drive belt 123, a Z-axis drive assembly support frame 124, and a Y-axis guide slider drive assembly 125.

[0023] The Y-axis drive motor 124 is arranged in front of the Y-axis assembly. The output shaft of the Y-axis drive motor 124 and the drive gear are transitionally matched to form a rotating pair. The guide rail slider mechanism is driven by the Y-axis drive gear rack 122 to form a sliding pair, so that the Z-axis drive assembly support frame 124 is driven by the Y-axis assembly 12 of the gantry frame to adjust horizontally along the Y-axis on the gantry frame beam.

[0024] like Figure 4 As shown, the Z-axis assembly provided in the above embodiment includes a Z-axis drive motor 131, a Z-axis drive coupling 132, a Z-axis drive screw 133, a Z-axis drive guide rail slider assembly 134, and a Z-axis drive support frame 135.

[0025] The Z-axis drive motor 131 is fixedly installed above the Z-axis assembly 13, and the output shaft of the Z-axis drive motor 131 is clearance-matched with the Z-axis drive coupling 132 to form a rotating pair. The Z-axis drive coupling 132 drives the Z-axis drive screw 133 to rotate, thereby driving the Z-axis drive support frame 135 to form a sliding pair on the guide rail slider assembly to control the up and down adjustment of the Z-axis assembly.

[0026] like Figure 5 As shown, the three parts of the fully automatic tape laying head group mainly include: a self-rotating component 141, a tape laying head frame 142, a tape detection component 143, a tape clamping and unwinding component 144, an automatic deviation correction component 145, a tape guiding component 146, a tape cutting component 147, a tape pressure shoe component 148, a tape pressure roller component 149, a backing paper recovery component 1410, an ultrasonic cutting component 1411, a heating component 1412, a power supply component, etc.

[0027] The self-rotating assembly 141 includes an A-axis switching assembly and a C-axis switching assembly. The A-axis switching assembly uses the Y-axis as the rotation axis to drive the tape head frame to rotate; the C-axis switching assembly uses the Z-axis as the rotation axis to drive the tape head frame to rotate. The tape laying head frame 142 is installed below the self-rotating assembly 141 to form a rotating pair. The tape unwinding assembly 143 is arranged on the inner side of the tape laying head frame 142, and is used for clamping and releasing the prepreg tape; the automatic deviation correction assembly 145 is arranged on the side of the tape laying head frame 142, and can drive the unwinding assembly to move left or right to make it in the center position; the tape guide assembly is arranged below the tape unwinding assembly 144, and the tape guide assembly 146 has a mechanical limit for the prepreg tape; the tape cutting assembly 147 is arranged at the front of the tape laying head frame to cut the prepreg tape before laying into the required shape; the tape pressure shoe 149 and the pressure roller assembly 148 are arranged below the tape laying head frame, and can adaptively lay the tape. The surface is placed and the paving pressing force is ensured to be stable within the corresponding range of the programmed value; the lining paper recovery component 1410 is arranged at the tail of the tape laying frame, and the remaining lining paper can be wound back during the tape laying process; the tape material detection component 143 is arranged above the tape material guide component 146, and can detect defects larger than 6×6mm on the tape roll during laying, and it can monitor the conveying position of the tape material in the tape material guide component 146 in real time, and send its position information to the control system; the ultrasonic cutting component 1411 is arranged on the side of the tape laying head frame 142, and can cut and process the multi-layer uncured prepreg tape laid on the tooling. The heating component 1412 performs infrared heating before the prepreg tape is laid to make it better. Under the joint operation of the above-mentioned execution components, the tape laying head device realizes the complete composite material laying process, and each operation component can operate simultaneously, and there is no obvious distinction between the front and the back. Thereby effectively improving the tape laying efficiency and the automation level in the field of composite material laying molding technology.

[0028] This embodiment also provides a gantry-type fully automatic tape laying method, which is implemented by the gantry-type fully automatic tape laying equipment provided in the above embodiment, and includes the following specific processes: After the operator presses the start button of the portable display handheld operation unit, according to the actual tooling operation table assembly of the flat or gently curved parts with large surface areas such as wall panels and skins at the bottom of the tape laying head, the operator operates the start buttons of the axis gantry frame to achieve the following: the machine tool body assembly drives the gantry frame column to drive the gantry frame X-axis-longitudinal axis to move longitudinally along the guide rail; the Y-axis drive assembly drives the gear rack mechanism to rotate, driving the Z-axis drive assembly to move horizontally on the beam relative to the Y-axis-transverse axis of the gantry frame; the gantry frame drive motor drives the Z-axis drive assembly to move vertically along the beam relative to the Z-axis-vertical axis; the gantry frame C-axis rotates around the gantry frame Z-axis; the gantry frame A-axis rotates around the gantry frame X-axis. The gantry tape laying equipment accurately positions the composite prepreg tape, and after positioning once, the tape laying equipment can automatically realize the laying of parts and the cutting of materials after laying.

[0029] Preparation work before feeding and replenishing: measure the measuring tooling assembly through the tracker, reasonably adjust the placement of the tape roll, and manually adjust the center of the tape guide assembly through the centering knob; manually adjust the cutting depth of the prepreg tape cutting assembly, and manually move the cutter to the knife length measurement module.

[0030] Strip unwinding: Start the strip unwinding assembly drive motor, the unwinding assembly drive motor rotates to drive the unwinding roller to rotate, and unwind the strip. The prepreg tape clamping and unwinding assembly is mainly used for clamping and unwinding prepreg tapes. The central axis that drives the prepreg tape to rotate should be servo-controlled and can perform interpolation motion with other axes. The diameter of the reel is measured by a laser rangefinder sensor, and the torque of the reel mechanism is dynamically controlled according to the reel diameter to achieve precise tension; Automatic web deflection correction: Start the automatic deflection correction component, the edge detection sensor immediately detects the edge of the web, and feeds back the deviation signal to the deflection correction component drive motor. The drive motor rotates to drive the lateral deviation adjustment of the entire web roller shaft to ensure that the center of the web is always in the center of the web guide component.

[0031] The material belt guide assembly is lifted up, and the material belt moves: the damping wheel cylinder is ventilated, and the damping wheel cylinder drives the guide assembly to lift up, and the material belt moves along with the material belt guide assembly.

[0032] The strip cutting assembly cuts the strip: manually adjust the cutting knife depth and move the cutting knife to the knife length measuring module; start the strip cutting transverse drive motor to drive the cutting transverse slide assembly to move linearly; at the same time, start the drive motor and cylinder ventilation in the ultrasonic cutter module, and the ultrasonic cutter extends. It is linked with the center axis of the strip reel to perform interpolation movement and cut the required strip shape. The tape laying head integrates automatic cutting knife cleaning and automatic knife setting components.

[0033] Strip centering and guiding: The fine-tuning knob controls the left and right movement of the middle guide plate to achieve strip centering; the centering knob controls the width of the mechanical limit rib. The strip guide assembly has a mechanical limit for the edge of the prepreg strip, which can ensure the correct direction of the prepreg strip delivery and can be adjusted manually.

[0034] The tape laying equipment of the present invention can complete the laying of parts and the cutting of laid materials in one positioning, and has simple operation, stronger automation, higher efficiency, and saves labor costs to a certain extent. At the same time, corresponding safety measures such as reliable limit and multiple protection can be adopted.

[0035] The longitudinal movement mechanism of the gantry of the present invention leaves a sufficiently spacious installation and maintenance space; the longitudinal movement servo motor is installed at the bottom of the column and above the ground, which is convenient for installation and maintenance; the electric control cabinet, pneumatic cabinet lubrication system and other devices are all located on the back of the gantry's crossbeam and are equipped with a safe and convenient maintenance platform; when the gantry moves to one end of the equipment, the entire laying area is a fully open space, which is convenient for on-site personnel to observe the automatic laying scene of large parts in a panoramic or partial manner; it is convenient for the operator to automatically or manually control the ground transportation of large tooling in and out of the site and quickly replace it.

[0036] In addition, the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", "front", "rear" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative steps, numerical expressions and values ​​of the components and steps described in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention.

[0037] Of course, the above description is only a specific embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of implementation of the present invention. All equivalent changes or modifications made according to the structure, characteristics and principles described in the patent application scope of the present invention should be included in the patent application scope of the present invention.

[0038] Finally, it should be noted that the above-described embodiments are only specific implementations of the present invention, which are used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit them. The protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Although the present invention is described in detail with reference to the above-described embodiments, ordinary technicians in the field should understand that any technician familiar with the technical field can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the above-described embodiments within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, or can easily think of changes, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein; and these modifications, changes or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and should be included in the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A gantry-type fully automatic tape laying equipment suitable for composite materials, characterized in that: It includes a processing platform and a gantry assembly spanning above the processing platform, as well as a fully automatic tape laying head mounted on the gantry assembly and a matching positioning system; The gantry assembly includes linear rails laid on both sides of the processing platform and gantry columns slidably matched with the linear rails, and a crossbeam connecting the gantry columns on both sides, the crossbeam is provided with a transverse rail and a sliding base slidably matched with the transverse rail along the length direction, and the sliding base is used to install the fully automatic tape laying head; The laying direction of the linear track is the X-axis, the length direction of the beam is the Y-axis, and the height direction of the gantry column is the Z-axis. The positioning system is used to obtain the position of the workpiece placed on the processing platform, and generate control instructions based on the preset processing path to control the gantry assembly and the fully automatic tape laying head to work; The fully automatic tape laying head is used to lay the tape material on the workpiece placed on the processing platform.

2. The gantry-type fully automatic tape laying equipment suitable for composite materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning system uses a plurality of laser projection sensors to acquire spatial information of the processing platform, and the plurality of laser projection sensors are arranged at intervals along a linear track on one side of the processing platform.

3. The gantry-type fully automatic tape laying equipment suitable for composite materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sliding base includes a Y-axis component arranged on the transverse track for transverse movement, and a Z-axis component for transverse movement along with the Y-axis component, wherein the Z-axis component is used for driving the fully automatic tape laying head to perform lifting movement.

4. The gantry-type fully automatic tape laying equipment suitable for composite materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: A dustproof accordion cover is laid on the linear track.

5. The gantry-type fully automatic tape laying equipment suitable for composite materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fully automatic tape laying head comprises a tape laying head frame, on which are mounted a tape material clamping and unwinding assembly, a tape material guiding assembly, a tape material cutting assembly, a tape material compacting assembly, a liner paper recovery assembly and an ultrasonic cutting assembly; The strip clamping and unwinding assembly is used to install the strip roll and provide strips for subsequent assemblies; The belt guide assembly is used to mechanically limit the conveying position of the belt; The strip cutting assembly is used to cut the strip into the shape required by the process; The strip material compacting assembly is used to provide a compacting force for the cut strip material to be attached to the workpiece; The backing paper recycling group is used to recycle the backing paper with the material after pasting; The ultrasonic cutting assembly is used to cut the multiple layers of uncured tape laid on the workpiece.

6. The gantry-type fully automatic tape laying equipment suitable for composite materials according to claim 5, characterized in that: The tape laying head frame is also equipped with a self-rotating component, which includes an A-axis switching component and a C-axis switching component. The A-axis switching component uses the Y-axis as the rotation axis to drive the tape laying head frame to rotate; the C-axis switching component uses the Z-axis as the rotation axis to drive the tape laying head frame to rotate.

7. The gantry-type fully automatic tape laying equipment suitable for composite materials according to claim 5, characterized in that: The belt guide assembly is equipped with an automatic belt deviation correction system, which includes an edge detection sensor and a control circuit. The edge detection sensor is used to obtain the current position of the belt and send a deviation signal between the preset position and the current position to the control circuit. The control circuit generates a control instruction based on the deviation signal to adjust the conveying posture of the belt.

8. A gantry type fully automatic tape laying method, characterized in that: The method is realized by the gantry-type fully automatic tape laying equipment suitable for composite materials according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising the following steps: Fix the workpiece to be processed on the processing platform, and use the laser projection sensor to obtain the spatial information of the current workpiece in the processing scene; Reset the gantry assembly, install the tape roll onto the fully automatic tape laying head, and start the gantry assembly so that the fully automatic tape laying head is located above the workpiece; The processing path corresponding to the target tape laying task is input into the positioning system, and the fully automatic tape laying head is started to lay the tape until the target tape laying task is completed.

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