Fiber placement machine and scrap material recovery

Abstract

A scrap recovery assembly for use with a fiber placement machine, comprising: a scrap bin configured to contain scrap pieces of composite tape; a first roller assembly connected to the scrap bin and having a roller configured to engage with one side of a scrap piece of composite tape; and a second roller assembly connected to the scrap bin and having another roller configured to engage with the opposite side of the scrap piece of composite tape, wherein the roller and the other roller are configured to move to engage with both sides of the scrap piece, thereby pulling the scrap piece out of the fiber placement machine and containing it in the scrap bin.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to a fiber placement machine, and more particularly to an end material recovery system used with a fiber placement machine.

Background Art

[0002] Fiber placement machines are used to manufacture composite material workpieces. The composite material is in the form of a fibrous material impregnated with resin and is placed at an accurate position and length on a mold or mandrel to form a composite material workpiece. The fiber placement machine accurately places the composite material tape along the final shape of the composite material workpiece to be formed by moving the fiber placement head above the mold. As the fiber placement head moves, multiple composite material tape pieces (also called courses or tows) are placed on the mold.

[0003] Since the composite material tape pieces can have various lengths, the fiber placement head can selectively cut the composite material to create tape pieces having a predetermined length. As part of the cutting process, end material pieces are generated. After the tape pieces are placed on the mold by the fiber placement head, the end material pieces may be held by the fiber placement head. Before placing further tape pieces, it is necessary to remove the end material pieces from the fiber placement head. By efficiently removing the end material pieces, the formation speed of the composite material workpiece can be improved.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] In one embodiment, a scrap recovery assembly used in conjunction with a fiber placement machine, comprising: a scrap bin configured to contain scrap pieces of composite tape; a first roller assembly connected to the scrap bin and having a roller configured to engage with one side of a scrap piece of composite tape; and a second roller assembly connected to the scrap bin and having another roller configured to engage with the opposite side of the scrap piece of composite tape, wherein the roller and the other roller are configured to move to engage with both sides of the scrap piece, thereby pulling the scrap piece out of the fiber placement machine and containing it in the scrap bin.

[0005] In another embodiment, a scrap recovery assembly used with a fiber placement machine, comprising: a scrap bin having one end open and configured to receive scrap pieces of composite tape; a first roller assembly having a roller configured to engage with one side of the scrap pieces of composite tape and rotatably mounted on the scrap bin; and a second roller assembly having another roller configured to engage with the opposite side of the scrap pieces of composite tape and rotatably mounted on the scrap bin, wherein the first and second roller assemblies rotate about a pivot axis to engage with both sides of the scrap pieces and rotate the roller of the first roller assembly to pull the scrap pieces into the scrap bin. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a fiber placement machine.

[0007] [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a fiber placement head.

[0008] [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a part of a fiber placement head.

[0009] [Figure 4] Another perspective view showing an embodiment of a portion of the fiber placement head.

[0010] [Figure 5] Another perspective view showing an embodiment of a portion of the fiber placement head.

[0011] [Figure 6] Another perspective view showing an embodiment of a portion of the fiber placement head.

[0012] [Figure 7A] Another perspective view showing an embodiment of a portion of the fiber placement head.

[0013] [Figure 7B] Another perspective view showing an embodiment of a portion of the fiber placement head.

[0014] [Figure 8] A cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a portion of the fiber placement head.

[0015] [Figure 9] A cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a portion of the fiber placement head.

[0016] [Figure 10] Another perspective view showing an embodiment of a portion of the fiber placement head.

[0017] [Figure 11] Another perspective view showing an embodiment of a portion of the fiber placement head.

[0018] [Figure 12] Another perspective view showing an embodiment of a portion of the fiber placement head.

[0019] [Figure 13] A perspective view showing an embodiment of a portion of the fiber placement head and the end material recovery assembly.

[0020] [Figure 14] It is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an end material recovery assembly.

[0021] [Figure 15] It is another perspective view showing an embodiment of an end material recovery assembly.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] The fiber placement machine may include an end material removal assembly in the work space where the composite material tape pieces are placed in the mold. The end material removal assembly is arranged in the work space so that the fiber placement head can move and come into contact with the end material removal assembly, and can pull out excess or unnecessary end material pieces from the fiber placement head. The end material removal assembly is arranged at a distance from the fiber placement head. When removing the end material, the fiber placement head is moved to the position of the end material removal assembly in the work space by a robot arm. The end material removal assembly includes a pair of rollers that can move or rotate to face each other, and engage with both sides of the end material piece exposed from the fiber placement head respectively. At least one of the rollers is rotationally driven to automatically pull out the end material piece from the fiber placement head and accommodate it in the collection bin. The contents of the collection bin may be emptied later; for example, it may be emptied when the fiber placement machine is in an idle state. Conventionally, human operators have removed the end material pieces, but with the end material removal assembly of the present invention, the removal work by the operator can be made unnecessary.

[0023] Figure 1 shows one embodiment of a fiber placement machine 10. The fiber placement machine 10 includes a robotic arm 12, which is detachably connected to a fiber placement head 14. The robotic arm is supported by a base 16 and is linearly movable on the base 16 in the (X) axis direction. Multiple movable segments 18 may extend outward from the base 16 by, for example, rotation, rotation, or extension. The robotic arm 12 may be movable in multiple axes relative to the base 16. For example, one end of a first segment 18a is rotatably connected to the base 16, so that the robotic arm 12 is rotatable about the base 16. A second segment 18b is rotatably connected to the first segment 18a, and a third segment 18c is rotatably connected to the second segment 18b. A fourth segment 18d is connected to the third segment 18c and is configured to extend and retract so as to move closer to or away from the third segment. These segments 18 are movable relative to each other by a fluid ram, electric motor, or a combination thereof, or other drive element, moving the tip of the robot arm 12 relative to a mold 20 or mandrel used to form a workpiece. A microprocessor (not shown) is communicatively connected to a storage medium that stores executable instructions and can control the operation of the fluid ram, electric motor, or other drive element, thereby controlling the movement and position of the movable segments 18 of the robot arm 12. The microprocessor is any type of device capable of processing electronic instructions, such as a microcontroller, host processor, controller, or application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The microprocessor may be dedicated solely to controlling the robot arm 12, or it may also be a processor that controls other functions of the fiber placement machine. The microprocessor executes various types of instructions stored in digital form, such as software or firmware, stored in a storage medium. Communication between the robot arm's drive mechanism, such as a fluid ram or electric motor, and the microprocessor is conducted via a communication bus. The robot arm 12 is capable of moving the fiber placement head 14 in three axes, and can move the fiber placement head 14 to a maintenance position or to a position for placing the composite material tape onto the mold 20.Although one embodiment of the robot arm 12 that can be used with the fiber placement head has been shown, other embodiments of the robot arm or the mechanical device for placing the composite material tape can also be used.

[0024] A chuck 22 is provided at the distal end of the robot arm 12 from the base 16, which detachably engages with the fiber placement head 14. The chuck 22 and a portion of the fiber placement head 14 may have corresponding shapes so that the chuck 22 can detachably grip the fiber placement head 14. In one embodiment, the fiber placement head 14 has a cylindrical shank that extends perpendicularly to the surface of the head 14. The robot arm 12 positions the chuck 22 such that it engages with the shank and the fiber placement head 14 is elastically connected to the arm 12. Most of the components of the fiber placement machine 10 are located and operate within the workspace 23, while the human operator who operates the fiber placement machine 10 is located outside the workspace 23.

[0025] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the fiber placement head 14 may comprise a creel 24, a plurality of spools 26 that serve as sources of composite tape supplying the composite tape to the fiber placement head 14, and a cut-clamp-restart (CCR) assembly 32. The CCR assembly 32 has a crimping roller 34 (or crimping slide) for receiving the composite tape supplied from the spools 26 and attaching it to the mold 20 to form a composite part. The creel frame 24 comprises a plurality of outer surfaces 36 and a spindle 38 mounted perpendicular to the outer surfaces 36. The spindle 38 is movable by a dancer element controlled pneumatically, mechanically, or fluidly, and tension is applied so that the composite tape is kept taut when it is placed on the mold 20. After being fed out from the spools 26, the composite tape is moved to the crimping roller 34 and finally placed on the mold 20. The composite tapes used to form workpieces are typically composed of resin-impregnated fiber materials. In a later process, heating activates the resin, providing strength to the workpiece. One example of a composite material is carbon fiber, which is referred to as a "prepreg" composite.

[0026] The fiber placement head 14 comprises a CCR frame 40 supporting the components of the fiber placement head 14, a CCR assembly 32, and a crimping roller 34 that ultimately crimps the composite tape pieces onto the mold 20. Before reaching the crimping roller 34, some of the composite tape may pass through the upper feed section 42, and other parts of the composite tape may pass through the lower feed section 44. The upper feed section 42 processes even-numbered tapes, and the lower feed section 44 processes odd-numbered tapes, and these tapes merge at the crimping roller 34. For example, in a fiber placement head 14 with eight tape paths or lanes, the upper feed section 42 processes tapes 2, 4, 6, and 8, and the lower feed section 44 processes tapes 1, 3, 5, and 7. The upper feed section 42 and the lower feed section 44 are spaced apart by an angle (α). The upper supply roller 46 and the upper supply roller 48 transport the composite material tape from the spool 26 to the upper supply section 42 and the lower supply section 44. The upper supply section 42 and the lower supply section 44 are provided with a plurality of lane assemblies 54. The upper supply section 42 and the lower supply section 44 each include a manifold 64 that receives a plurality of mounting bases 52, and the plurality of mounting bases 52 detachably receive the plurality of lane assemblies 54.

[0027] As shown in Figures 5 to 8, the mounting base 52 may include a valve attachment 68 that positions the mounting base 52 relative to the manifold 64 and detachably connects a plurality of lane assemblies 54 to the fiber placement head 14. The valve attachment 68 (e.g., a ball lock) positions the fluid passage 66 from the mounting base 52 to the manifold 64 and helps to form a fluid seal between the rear air block 53 and the mounting base 52. The mounting base 52 has a plurality of mounting portions 58 (see Figure 7B), to which the lane assemblies 54 are ultimately connected. The mounting base 52 is a separate component connected to the manifold 64 and allows for the simultaneous attachment and detachment of a plurality of solenoid valves 62 and lane assemblies 54. In one embodiment, the mounting portion 58 may be a dovetail groove that receives a dovetail joint formed in the lane assembly 54 or the rear air block 53. The lane assembly 54 is slidable relative to the mounting base 52 via the dovetail joint when attaching or detaching the lane assembly 54 to or from the fiber placement head 14. The multiple lane assemblies 54 are ultimately secured to the mounting base 52 by cross pins 60, which prevent the lane assemblies 54 from moving relative to the mounting base 52. The cross pins 60 penetrate perpendicular to the direction in which the assemblies 54 slide relative to the dovetail joint and engage with a portion of the mounting base 52.

[0028] The solenoid valve 62 is positioned opposite the lane assembly 54 and connected to the mounting base 52 via a rear air block 53. Each lane assembly 54 is positioned opposite the solenoid valve 62, which selectively supplies compressed air to actuate the lane assembly 54. The mounting base 52 is connectable to a manifold 64, and a fluid passage 66 carries compressed air from a supply source (not shown) through the rear air block 53 and the solenoid valve 62 to the lane assembly 54 connected to the base 52. The assembly, consisting of the rear air block 53, the solenoid valve 62, and the lane assembly 54, is detachably fixed to the mounting base 52 using a cross pin 60. The solenoid valve 62 selectively supplies compressed air to the lane assembly 54, allowing air to enter and exit between the manifold 64 and the rear air block 53. In one embodiment, the solenoid valve 62 includes a solenoid to which a voltage controlled by a switch opened and closed by a microprocessor is applied in order to control the operation of the lane assembly 54.

[0029] As shown in Figures 9 to 12, each lane module 54 may comprise a subassembly 70 that performs the function of a fiber placement head 14 and one or more lane paths 72 through which the composite tape passes. A pneumatic cylinder 74 corresponding to each subassembly 70 can control the function of the fiber placement head 14. Components of the subassembly 70 are connected to the pneumatic cylinder 74, and the inflow of compressed air from the manifold 64 to the pneumatic cylinder 74 affects the composite tape passing through the lane paths. In one embodiment, compressed air from an electromechanical valve 62 is delivered by a fluid passage 66 to a pneumatic piston assembly 80 comprising a piston. The pneumatic piston assembly 80 is slidable relative to the cylinder 74, thereby allowing it to perform some action on the composite tape depending on the subassembly 70 attached to the lane assembly 54.

[0030] The cutting lane assembly 54a may include a cutting subassembly 70a. The cutting subassembly 70a is detachably attached to the cutting lane assembly 54a and includes a cutting blade 82, an anvil plate 84, a spring-loaded blade shoe 86, and a base 88. The cutting subassembly 70a may include a portion of the lane path 72 through which the composite tape passes. For example, by moving the pneumatic piston assembly 80 relative to the pneumatic cylinder 74, the cutting blade 82 is biased against the anvil plate 84 by the spring-loaded blade shoe 86, so that the composite tape can be gripped and cut as it passes through the lane path 72 of the cutting subassembly 70a. With the cutting blade 82 and the anvil plate 84 positioned relative to each other in a first position, the composite tape is allowed to pass through the lane path 72, and the tape is cut when the cutting blade 82 moves relative to the anvil plate 84. In the first position, the opening in the cutting blade 82, the opening in the anvil plate 84, and the opening in the base 88 can define the lane path 72, at least partially. For example, a fastener 92, which is an elongated member, pin, dowel, or screw, can pass through the opening 90 in the cutting lane assembly 54a and engage with the cutting subassembly 70a, thereby securing the cutting subassembly 70a to the cutting lane assembly 54a. The fastener 92 can be removed from the cutting lane assembly 54a and the cutting subassembly 70a, thereby allowing the cutting subassembly 70a to be removed from the cutting lane assembly 54a for maintenance or replacement. In this embodiment, the fiber placement head 14 has eight cutting lane assemblies 54a. That is, four cutting lane assemblies 54a are located on the upper feed section 42 and four cutting lane assemblies 54a are located on the lower feed section 44. However, embodiments with more or fewer cutting lane assemblies 54a are also possible.

[0031] Other lane assemblies 54 include a clamp lane assembly 54b and a restart lane assembly 54c. The clamp lane assembly 54b and the restart lane assembly 54c have a plurality of lane paths 72 and a pneumatic piston 80 for each lane path 72, the pneumatic piston 80 being selectively driven to slide to hold the composite tape in place. The clamp subassembly 70b and the restart subassembly 70a may each have a guide wheel 94 for holding the composite tape while it is positioned in the mold 20. A drive wheel 96 is positioned on the opposite side of the composite tape so as to face the corresponding guide wheel 94. The drive wheel 96 is driven by an electric motor 98 whose output shaft is connected to the drive wheel 96. The electric motor 98 can rotate the drive wheel 96 to move the composite tape, or it can be stationary to securely hold the composite tape. The composite tape may be held so as not to move relative to a sprag (one-way) bearing, a clutched shaft, or a fixed plate.

[0032] The guide wheel 94 contacts the surface of the composite fiber tape opposite to the surface that the drive wheel 96 contacts, thereby clamping the composite fiber tape between the wheels. The guide wheel 94 operates in coordination with the drive wheel 96 to move the composite material tape along the lane path 72 or to hold the composite material tape in a predetermined position. The drive wheel 96 is driven by an electric motor 98, while the guide wheel 94 rotates freely to allow the composite material fiber tape to move. Alternatively, with the electric motor 98 stationary, the pneumatic piston 80 can be activated to prevent the rotation of the guide wheel 94 and hold the tape in a predetermined position. The pneumatic piston 80 moves in response to the supply of compressed air, selectively holding the guide wheel 94 immobile, thereby holding the composite material fibers in a predetermined position. In this embodiment, the fiber placement head 14 comprises eight clamp lane assemblies 54b and eight restart lane assemblies 54c. Specifically, four clamp lane assemblies and four restart lane assemblies are arranged in the upper supply section 42, and four clamp lane assemblies 54b and four restart lane assemblies 54c are arranged in the lower supply section 44. In this embodiment, the fiber placement head 14 may have 24 lane assemblies 54, including a cutting lane assembly 54a. However, embodiments with more or fewer lane assemblies 54 are also possible.

[0033] The robot arm 12 can move the fiber placement head 14 relative to the mold 20 to form a composite part. The robot arm 12, drive wheel 96, cutting lane assembly 54a, clamp lane assembly 54b, and restart lane assembly 54c cooperate to place the composite tape on the mold 20. The restart lane assembly 54c can move the composite fibers through the lane 72 until they reach the crimping roller 34. The clamp lane assembly 54b may then be activated to hold the composite fibers and prevent them from moving within the lane 72. Subsequently, the crimping roller 34 is moved to contact the mold 20, placing one end of the composite tape on the mold 20. The clamp lane assembly 54b releases the composite fibers, the robot arm 12 moves the fiber placement head 14 onto the mold 20, and the crimping roller 34 places the composite tape on the mold 20. After a predetermined amount of composite tape is placed on the mold 20, the clamp lane assembly 54b is activated to hold the composite tape from the spool 26 in place, and the cutting lane assembly 54a is activated to cut the composite tape placed on the mold 20 to a predetermined length. By engaging the restart lane assembly 54c and releasing the clamp assembly 54b, it becomes possible to supply more composite tape to the crimping roller 34 and place new pieces of composite tape on the mold 20.

[0034] Figure 13 shows the fiber placement head 14 in a position within the workspace 23 to receive the scrap pieces 94 of the composite tape into the scrap collection assembly 100. The scrap collection assembly 100 comprises a first roller assembly 102 having a drive roller 104 and a second roller assembly 106 having an idler roller 108, each rotatably mounted to the scrap collection bin 110. The scrap collection assembly 100 can be positioned near the mold 20 in which the workpiece is formed within the workspace 23. The scrap collection bin 110 has rigid, vertically extending sides and a bottom surface attached to those sides, and the scrap collection bin 110 is open at the top. In one embodiment, the scrap collection bin 110 may have a removable container for collecting the scrap pieces. The first roller assembly 102 and the second roller assembly 106 are attached to opposing vertical side walls 112a and 112b via pivot shafts 114, which allows the first roller assembly 10 and the second roller assembly 16 to move toward or away from the end piece 94 of the composite tape.

[0035] An extendable piston 116 may be connected to the first roller assembly 102, the second roller assembly 106, and the scrap collection bin 110. The piston 116 is pneumatically driven to move the first roller assembly 102 and the second roller assembly 106 around their pivot axis, bringing the drive roller 104 and idler roller 108 into contact with both sides of the scrap piece 94. An electric motor 118 may be connected to one end of the rotation axis of the drive roller 106. After the piston 116 extends and the rollers 104 and 108 engage with the scrap piece 94, the electric motor 118 may rotate the drive roller 104 to pull the scrap piece 94 away from the fiber placement head 14. The scrap piece 94 then falls into the scrap collection bin 110. The piston 116 retracts, separating the rollers 104 and 108 from each other and moving them to a position for engaging or removing further scrap pieces. Subsequently, the robot arm 12 can resume forming the workpiece by moving the fiber placement head 14 away from the scrap material collection assembly 100 and towards the mold 20.

[0036] It should be understood that the above description is a description of one or more embodiments of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but is defined solely by the following claims. Furthermore, the descriptions contained above relate to specific embodiments and should not be construed as defining terms used in the claims or limiting the scope of the invention, except where terms or phrases are expressly defined. Those skilled in the art will readily recall various other embodiments and various changes and modifications to the disclosed embodiments. All of these other embodiments, changes and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the appended claims.

[0037] In this specification and in the claims, phrases such as “e.g.”, “for example,” “for instance,” “such as,” and “like,” as well as verbs such as “comprising,” “having,” and “including,” and their conjugations, shall not be limited to the enumerated components or items, but shall be interpreted as unrestricted expressions that do not exclude other components or additional items. Other terms shall also be interpreted in the broadest sense reasonably, unless otherwise specified in the context.

Claims

1. A scrap material recovery assembly used in conjunction with a fiber placement machine, A scrap bin configured to hold scraps of composite material tape, A first roller assembly connected to the end bin has a roller configured to engage with one side of an end piece of composite material tape, A second roller assembly connected to the end bin has another roller configured to engage with the opposite side of the end piece of the composite tape, A scrap material recovery assembly is configured such that the roller and the other roller move to engage with both sides of the scrap material piece, thereby pulling the scrap material piece out of the fiber placement machine and storing it in the scrap material bin.

2. The scrap material recovery assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a scrap material bin with one end open.

3. The scrap material recovery assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a pivot axis for the movement of the first roller assembly and another pivot axis for the movement of the second roller assembly.

4. The scrap material collection assembly according to claim 1, wherein the scrap material bin is located within the working space of the fiber arrangement machine.

5. The scrap material recovery assembly according to claim 1, wherein one of the rollers is driven by an electric motor.

6. The scrap material recovery assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a fiber arrangement head having a creel and a plurality of spools, wherein the plurality of spools supply composite material tape to the head.

7. A scrap material recovery assembly used in conjunction with a fiber placement machine, A scrap bin having one end open and configured to hold scrap pieces of composite material tape, and a first roller assembly having a roller configured to engage with one side of the scrap piece of composite material tape, and rotatably mounted on the scrap bin, A second roller assembly rotatably mounted on the end bin has another roller configured to engage with the opposite side of the end piece of the composite tape, The first roller assembly and the second roller assembly are configured to rotate around a pivot axis and engage with both sides of the scrap material, and to pull the scrap material into the scrap material bin by rotating the roller of the first roller assembly, thus forming a scrap material recovery assembly.

8. The scrap material collection assembly according to claim 7, wherein the scrap material bin is located within the working space of the fiber arrangement machine.

9. The scrap material recovery assembly according to claim 7, wherein the rollers of the first roller assembly are rotated by an electric motor.

10. The fiber arrangement head further comprises a creel and multiple spools, The scrap material recovery assembly according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of spools supply composite material tape to the fiber arrangement head.

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