Dynamic testing device and method for detecting the pressure shoe force of composite material tape laying machine

Abstract

This disclosure discloses a dynamic testing device and method for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite material tape laying machine. The dynamic testing device includes: a worktable having an upper plate and a lower plate; a strain gauge three-dimensional force sensor arranged between the upper and lower plates; a pair of slide rails fixed parallel to each other at two transverse ends of the upper plate and extending along the longitudinal direction of the upper plate; a bridge-type connecting support frame having a pair of bridging supports respectively fitted onto one of the pair of slide rails and a bridging support plate spanning the pair of bridging supports; and a pressure shoe force bearing mechanism detachably fixed to the bridging support plate and having a pressure shoe force acting on it for the pressure shoe of the composite material tape laying machine. This disclosure enables high-precision vertical measurement of the pressure shoe force during the composite material tape laying process and measurement of the laying force at different angles, as needed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the technical field of composite material laying processes and composite material tape laying machines used to implement the laying processes, and in particular to a dynamic testing device and dynamic testing method for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite material tape laying machine. Background Technology

[0002] Automated tape laying machines are key equipment in composite material manufacturing, primarily used to precisely lay prepreg onto the surface of components to achieve composite material molding. The working principle of automated composite material tape laying machines revolves around four core stages: "precise conveying, heating activation, pressure bonding, and real-time cutting." Through the coordination of mechanical, temperature control, pressure, and CNC systems, prepreg tape (a composite of fiber and resin) is laid onto the mold surface according to a preset path and number of layers, ultimately forming composite material components that meet design requirements.

[0003] "Pressure bonding," one of the four core processes in composite material manufacturing, has long presented challenges for engineers in terms of pressure strength testing. Because the pressure shoe of the tape layer moves continuously during the laying process, and because the laying of complex structural materials is not performed on a flat surface but at an angle, and because non-perpendicularity during compaction generates lateral forces, it is impossible to test the pressure shoe force in real time. Furthermore, existing process specifications require a deviation of no more than 2% in the pressure shoe force of the tape layer. To meet this specification, the current technological solution is to measure the air pressure of the pressure shoe and then calculate the pressure shoe force (i.e., the pressure shoe force of the composite material tape layer) by back-calculating based on the cylinder area provided by the equipment manufacturer.

[0004] However, the aforementioned existing technical solutions introduce significant errors in the measurement and conversion process for pressure shoe force, and cannot calculate lateral forces introduced at non-perpendicular angles, nor can they observe the pressure force value in real time.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need to provide new solutions for detecting the pressure shoe force of composite tape laying machines in order to overcome the aforementioned deficiencies in existing technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0006] One objective of this disclosure is to provide a dynamic testing device and method for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite material tape laying machine in order to overcome the aforementioned deficiencies in the prior art.

[0007] The first aspect of this disclosure provides a dynamic testing device for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite material tape layer, the dynamic testing device comprising: A workbench body having an upper plate and a lower plate arranged in parallel and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in the vertical direction; A strain-type three-dimensional force sensor, wherein the strain-type three-dimensional force sensor is arranged to be sandwiched between the upper plate and the lower plate; A pair of slide rails, which are fixed parallel to each other at the two lateral ends of the upper plate and extend along the longitudinal direction of the upper plate; A bridge-type connecting support frame having a pair of bridging supports respectively sleeved on one of the pair of slide rails and a bridging support plate bridging the pair of bridging supports, wherein the pair of bridging supports are configured to slide along the slide rails and lock their positions relative to the slide rails. The pressure shoe force bearing mechanism is fixed to the bridging support plate in a detachable manner and is provided with a pressure shoe force bearing surface for the pressure shoe of the composite material tape laying machine to act on it.

[0008] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the pressure shoe bearing mechanism includes a pair of angle adjustment members and an inclined action surface simulation plate that are detachably fixed to the bridging support plate. The angle adjustment members are configured to adjust and lock the inclination angle of the inclined action surface simulation plate relative to the upper plate within a predetermined angle range. The inclined action surface simulation plate provides a surface on which the pressure shoe of the composite material tape layer acts.

[0009] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the angle adjustment component is a semi-circular vertical plate with an origin hole at the center and multiple insertion holes along the periphery of the semi-circle, thereby allowing the tilt angle of the tilting action surface simulation plate to be locked by inserting a pin into one of the origin hole and the multiple insertion holes.

[0010] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, adjacent sockets among the plurality of sockets are set to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined circumferential angle in the range of 5°-15°, and the predetermined angle range that the angle adjustment member can adjust is not less than 0°-45° and not greater than 0°-75°.

[0011] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the pressure shoe force bearing mechanism further includes a V-groove base that is detachably fixed to the bridging support plate, the top surface of which is V-shaped when viewed laterally along the upper plate.

[0012] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the four strain-type three-dimensional force sensors are arranged symmetrically on both the transverse and longitudinal sides of the upper plate.

[0013] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the dynamic testing apparatus further includes: A data acquisition device is electrically connected to the strain-type three-dimensional force sensor to acquire dynamically changing three-dimensional force data obtained from measurement.

[0014] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the inner sleeve surface of the bridging support engaging with the slide rail and / or the outer surface of the slide rail are smooth surfaces or low-friction surfaces.

[0015] The second aspect of this disclosure provides a dynamic testing method for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite material tape layer. This method employs the dynamic testing device for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite material tape layer as described in the first aspect. The dynamic testing method includes: The strain gauge three-dimensional force sensor was calibrated. If it is necessary to measure the pressure shoe force at multiple angles for a composite material tape laying machine, the angle adjustment component and the inclined action surface simulation plate are assembled on the bridging support plate. The inclined angle of the inclined action surface simulation plate is locked by inserting a pin into the origin hole of the semi-circular vertical plate and one of the selected plurality of insertion holes to perform the measurement of the pressure shoe force at the inclined angle. The inclined action surface simulation plate is locked at multiple different angles by changing the selection of different insertion holes among the plurality of insertion holes; and / or If high-precision measurement of the vertical pressure shoe force of the composite material tape layer is required, the V-groove base is assembled on the bridging support plate, wherein the top surface of the V-groove base is used as the surface on which the pressure shoe of the composite material tape layer is applied to perform the measurement of the vertical pressure shoe force.

[0016] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the dynamic testing method further includes: A data acquisition device is arranged and electrically connected to each of the strain-type three-dimensional force sensors, and the three-dimensional force value curve of each strain-type three-dimensional force sensor is acquired in real time through the data acquisition device.

[0017] Based on common knowledge in the field, the above-mentioned preferred conditions can be combined arbitrarily to obtain various preferred embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] The positive and progressive effects of this disclosure are as follows: The dynamic testing device and method for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite material tape laying machine according to this disclosure can directly measure and observe the pressure shoe force in real time, thus avoiding the introduction of significant measurement / conversion errors. At the same time, it can also be used to conveniently perform dynamic testing and monitoring of the pressure shoe force of the tape laying machine during the laying process. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1A dynamic testing device for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite tape layer, according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, is schematically shown. The dynamic testing device is equipped with a pair of angle adjustment elements and an inclined action surface simulation plate.

[0020] Figure 2 schematically shown Figure 1 Another view of the main components in a dynamic testing device for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite tape layer is shown in the figure.

[0021] Figure 3 schematically shown Figure 1 Another view of the main components of a dynamic testing device for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite tape layer is shown, wherein the dynamic testing device is equipped with a V-groove base fixed to a bridging support plate to replace a pair of angle adjustment elements and an inclined action surface simulation plate.

[0022] Figure 4 The strain-type three-dimensional force sensor of a dynamic testing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown.

[0023] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures 100: Workbench body 11: Put on the tablet 12: Lower the tablet 13: Slide rail 14: Bridge-type connecting support frame 21: V-groove base 22: Inclined action surface simulation plate 23: Angle Adjustment Component 231: Socket 3: Strain gauge three-dimensional force sensor 4: Data Acquisition Instrument Detailed Implementation

[0024] The preferred embodiments of this disclosure will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description is exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Any other similar situations also fall within the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0025] In the following detailed description, directional terms such as "left," "right," "up," "down," "front," "back," etc., are used with reference to the directions described in the accompanying drawings. Components of embodiments of this disclosure may be positioned in a variety of different orientations, and the directional terms are for illustrative purposes and not for limitation.

[0026] refer to Figure 1-4As shown, a dynamic testing device for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite material tape layer according to a preferred embodiment of this disclosure includes: The workbench body 100 has an upper plate 11 and a lower plate 12 that are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in the vertical direction and are arranged in parallel. The strain-type three-dimensional force sensor 3 is arranged to be sandwiched between the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12; A pair of slide rails 13 are fixed parallel to each other at the two transverse ends of the upper plate 11 and extend along the longitudinal direction of the upper plate 11. The bridge-type connecting support frame 14 has a pair of bridge supports respectively sleeved on one of a pair of slide rails 13 and a bridge support plate bridging the pair of bridge supports, wherein the pair of bridge supports are configured to slide along the slide rails 13 and lock their positions relative to the slide rails 13. The pressure shoe force bearing mechanism is fixed to the bridging support plate in a detachable manner and is provided with a pressure shoe force bearing surface for the pressure shoe of the composite material tape laying machine to act on it.

[0027] The pressure shoe force bearing mechanism includes two different pressure shoe force bearing components or testing components that can be optionally mounted on the support plate according to testing needs. One of them is as follows: Figure 1-2 The multi-angle pressure shoe force measuring component is schematically shown in the diagram, the second of which is as follows: Figure 3 The vertical pressure shoe force measuring assembly shown.

[0028] Specifically, such as Figure 1-2 As shown, a multi-angle pressure shoe force measuring assembly according to a preferred embodiment includes a pair of angle adjusting members 23 and an inclined action surface simulation plate 22 detachably fixed to a bridging support plate. The angle adjusting members 23 are configured to adjust and lock the inclination angle of the inclined action surface simulation plate 22 relative to the upper plate 11 within a predetermined angle range. The inclined action surface simulation plate 22 provides the surface on which the pressure shoe of the composite material tape layer acts. Furthermore, the angle adjusting member 23 is a semi-circular vertical plate with an origin hole at its center and a plurality of insertion holes 231 along the periphery of the semicircle, thereby allowing the inclination angle of the inclined action surface simulation plate 22 to be locked by inserting a pin into the origin hole or one of the plurality of insertion holes 231.

[0029] More preferably, adjacent sockets 231 among the plurality of sockets 231 are set to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined circumferential angle within the range of 5°-15°, and the predetermined angle range adjustable by the angle adjustment member 23 is not less than 0°-45° and not greater than 0°-75°. For example, in one embodiment, the angle adjustment member 23 in the form of a semi-circular vertical plate may have a series of sockets spaced at 5° circumferential angles, thereby allowing the tilt angle of the inclined action surface simulation plate 22 to be locked by inserting a pin into the origin hole and one of the plurality of sockets 231, specifically locking it at tilt angles of 0°, 5°, 10° up to, for example, 50°. Thus, the dynamic testing device can perform pressure shoe force tests at multiple tilt angles as needed.

[0030] like Figure 3 As shown, according to a preferred embodiment, the vertical pressure shoe force measuring component is a V-groove base 21 that is detachably fixed to the bridging support plate. The top surface of the V-groove base 21 is V-shaped when viewed laterally along the upper plate 11.

[0031] According to the preferred embodiment of this disclosure, the multi-angle pressure shoe force measuring component and the vertical pressure shoe force measuring component in the above-described dynamic testing device are used in conjunction with the worktable body 100 and a pair of slide rails 13. One advantage in testing is that the measuring component, or pressure shoe force bearing component, can slide relatively freely along the longitudinal direction of the slide rails to a certain extent. Furthermore, when used in conjunction with the V-groove base 21 to measure the vertical pressure shoe force, the pressure shoe can press vertically against the groove opening and naturally adjust the longitudinal position of the groove opening of the V-groove base 21 relative to the pressure shoe. Through the left and right longitudinal movement of the groove opening, it is naturally adjusted to the pressure force measurement state in which the pressure shoe acts downward in the vertical direction on the V-groove opening.

[0032] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the inner sleeve surface where the bridging support engages with the slide rail 13 and / or the outer surface of the slide rail 13 are smooth or low-friction surfaces. This makes the advantages described above more pronounced, and in particular, minimizes lateral friction introduced along the longitudinal and transverse (i.e., Y and X directions) directions of the slide rail 13, improving the accuracy of vertical pressure shoe force measurement in the Z direction.

[0033] According to some preferred embodiments of this disclosure, such as Figure 1-2 As shown, in the dynamic testing device, four strain-type three-dimensional force sensors 3 are preferably arranged symmetrically on the horizontal and vertical sides of the upper plate 11. The strain-type three-dimensional force sensors in this disclosure employ a full-bridge sensor based on the resistance strain principle, such as the internationally leading BH and BF series foil resistance strain gauges forming the full bridge. (Reference) Figure 4As shown, when a force is applied to both ends of the elastic body, the resistive element also experiences strain, the bridge circuit becomes unbalanced, and an output voltage signal ΔU is generated. The magnitude of the output voltage signal is proportional to the magnitude of the external force. After calibration with a standard force measuring machine, the magnitude of the corresponding external force can be determined from the magnitude of this voltage signal. The above-mentioned strain-type three-dimensional force sensor can measure the force components along the XYZ directions in a rectangular coordinate system, and the measurement results of the four strain-type three-dimensional force sensors 3 can be fitted into the shoe pressure force in the XYZ directions.

[0034] According to some preferred embodiments of this disclosure, the dynamic testing apparatus further includes: The data acquisition instrument 4 is electrically connected to the strain-type three-dimensional force sensor 3 to acquire the dynamically changing three-dimensional force data obtained from the measurement.

[0035] More specifically, for example, the data acquisition instrument 4 may further include a high-precision acquisition and display instrument with built-in metrology calibration software. This high-precision acquisition and display instrument may have a built-in 16-channel acquisition board, dynamically acquiring data from 12 channels of output from four three-dimensional force sensors in real time. It mainly includes functional modules such as calibration, verification, data storage, and querying. The calibration module is used to mark the correspondence between the electrical signals output by the sensors and the physical values ​​of the actual force values. The verification module mainly includes functions such as displaying the current value, the maximum value, zeroing, and channel selection. In addition, the instrument can communicate with a computer to transmit relevant data from standard sensors. The metrology calibration software can be designed based on the LabVIEW framework to work in environments such as Windows. It can perform human-computer interaction with the standard machine, calculate control parameters, acquire, process, store, and display test data, and can also reserve ports to enable local area network sharing and processing of test data.

[0036] According to another preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, a dynamic testing method for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite material tape layer employs the dynamic testing apparatus according to the foregoing preferred embodiment. The dynamic testing method includes: Calibrate the strain-type three-dimensional force sensor 3; If it is necessary to measure the pressure shoe force of the composite material tape laying machine at multiple angles, an angle adjustment component 23 and an inclined action surface simulation plate 22 are assembled on the bridging support plate. The inclined angle of the inclined action surface simulation plate 22 is locked by inserting a pin into one of the selected multiple insertion holes 231 at the origin hole of the semi-circular vertical plate. This allows for the measurement of the pressure shoe force at the inclined angle. The inclined action surface simulation plate 22 is locked at multiple different angles by changing the insertion of the pin into different insertion holes 231 among the selected multiple insertion holes 231, thereby performing the measurement of the pressure shoe force at multiple angles; and / or If high-precision measurement of the vertical pressure shoe force of the composite material tape layer is required, a V-groove base 21 is assembled on the bridging support plate. The top surface of the V-groove base 21 serves as the surface on which the pressure shoe force of the composite material tape layer is applied, thereby performing the measurement of the vertical pressure shoe force. Preferably, a data acquisition device 4 is arranged to be electrically connected to each strain-type three-dimensional force sensor 3, and the three-dimensional force curve of each strain-type three-dimensional force sensor 3 is acquired in real time through the data acquisition device 4.

[0037] The preferred embodiment of the dynamic testing device and method for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite material tape layer, as detailed above, can achieve online measurement of the pressure shoe force during the composite material tape layer process. It also provides a high-precision measurement scheme in the vertical direction (conventional direction) and can adjust the measured layer force value according to different angles of the tape layer head. Furthermore, since the dynamic testing device and method of the preferred embodiment avoids introducing significant measurement / conversion errors, it possesses superior testing accuracy and reliability, and can also be used to conveniently perform dynamic testing and monitoring of the pressure shoe force during the tape layer process.

[0038] While specific embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, those skilled in the art should understand that these are merely illustrative examples, and the scope of protection of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of this disclosure, and all such changes and modifications shall fall within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A dynamic testing device for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite material tape laying machine, the dynamic testing device comprising: A workbench body having an upper plate and a lower plate arranged in parallel and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in the vertical direction; A strain-type three-dimensional force sensor, wherein the strain-type three-dimensional force sensor is arranged to be sandwiched between the upper plate and the lower plate; A pair of slide rails, which are fixed parallel to each other at the two lateral ends of the upper plate and extend along the longitudinal direction of the upper plate; A bridge-type connecting support frame having a pair of bridging supports respectively sleeved on one of the pair of slide rails and a bridging support plate bridging the pair of bridging supports, wherein the pair of bridging supports are configured to slide along the slide rails and lock their positions relative to the slide rails. The pressure shoe force bearing mechanism is fixed to the bridging support plate in a detachable manner and is provided with a pressure shoe force bearing surface for the pressure shoe of the composite material tape laying machine to act on it.

2. The dynamic testing device for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite material tape laying machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure shoe bearing mechanism includes a pair of angle adjustment members and an inclined action surface simulation plate that are detachably fixed to the bridging support plate. The angle adjustment members are configured to adjust and lock the inclination angle of the inclined action surface simulation plate relative to the upper plate within a predetermined angle range. The inclined action surface simulation plate provides the surface on which the pressure shoe of the composite material tape laying machine acts.

3. The dynamic testing device for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite material tape laying machine as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The angle adjustment component is a semi-circular vertical plate. The semi-circular vertical plate has an origin hole at the center and multiple insertion holes along the periphery of the semi-circle, thereby allowing the tilt angle of the tilting action surface simulation plate to be locked by inserting a pin into one of the origin hole and the multiple insertion holes.

4. The dynamic testing device for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite material tape laying machine as described in claim 3, characterized in that, Adjacent sockets among the plurality of sockets are set to be spaced apart by a predetermined circumferential angle within the range of 5°-15°, and the angle adjustment component can adjust the predetermined angle range to a minimum of 0° and a maximum of not less than 45° and not more than 75°.

5. The dynamic testing device for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite material tape laying machine as described in any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The pressure shoe force bearing mechanism also includes a V-groove base that is detachably fixed to the bridging support plate, the top surface of which is V-shaped when viewed laterally along the upper plate.

6. The dynamic testing device for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite material tape laying machine as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The dynamic testing device includes four strain-type three-dimensional force sensors, which are arranged symmetrically on both the horizontal and vertical sides of the upper plate.

7. The dynamic testing device for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite material tape laying machine as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The dynamic testing device also includes: A data acquisition device is electrically connected to the strain-type three-dimensional force sensor to acquire dynamically changing three-dimensional force data obtained from measurement.

8. The dynamic testing device for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite material tape laying machine as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The inner sleeve surface of the bridging support that engages with the slide rail and / or the outer surface of the slide rail are smooth surfaces or low-friction surfaces.

9. A dynamic testing method for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite material tape laying machine, the dynamic testing method employing the dynamic testing device for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite material tape laying machine as described in claim 4, wherein the pressure shoe force bearing mechanism further includes a V-groove base detachably fixed to the bridging support plate, the top surface of the V-groove base being V-shaped when viewed laterally along the upper plate, the dynamic testing method comprising: The strain gauge three-dimensional force sensor was calibrated. If it is necessary to measure the pressure shoe force at multiple angles for a composite material tape laying machine, the angle adjustment component and the inclined action surface simulation plate are assembled on the bridging support plate. The inclined angle of the inclined action surface simulation plate is locked by inserting a pin into the origin hole of the semi-circular vertical plate and one of the selected plurality of insertion holes to perform the measurement of the pressure shoe force at the inclined angle. The inclined action surface simulation plate is locked at multiple different angles by changing the selection of different insertion holes among the plurality of insertion holes; and / or If high-precision measurement of the vertical pressure shoe force of the composite material tape layer is required, the V-groove base is assembled on the bridging support plate, wherein the top surface of the V-groove base is used as the surface on which the pressure shoe of the composite material tape layer is applied to perform the measurement of the vertical pressure shoe force.

10. The dynamic testing method for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite material tape laying machine as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The dynamic testing method also includes: A data acquisition device is arranged and electrically connected to each of the strain-type three-dimensional force sensors, and the three-dimensional force value curve of each strain-type three-dimensional force sensor is acquired in real time through the data acquisition device.

11. The dynamic testing method for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite material tape laying machine as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The dynamic testing device includes four strain-type three-dimensional force sensors, which are arranged symmetrically on both the horizontal and vertical sides of the upper plate.

12. The dynamic testing method for detecting the pressure shoe force of a composite material tape laying machine as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The inner sleeve surface of the bridging support that engages with the slide rail and / or the outer surface of the slide rail are smooth surfaces or low-friction surfaces.

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