Automated composite material manufacturing system and method

Abstract

To provide a manufacturing system and a method for an automatic composite material for manufacturing a component more efficiently to reduce waste.SOLUTION: There is disclosed a system and method for manufacturing a laminated composite component. The system includes: a cutting station (490) configured to separate a component layer (412) from a composite ply (408) according to a predetermined pattern; a construction station (492) configured to stack the component layer according to a predetermined orientation; and a finishing station (494) configured to compress the laminated component layer to supply the laminated composite component to an installation station.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application generally relates to the manufacture of composite components. More specifically, this application relates to automated composite manufacturing systems and methods.

Background Art

[0002] In certain manufacturing environments, such as the manufacturing environment of vehicles, the vehicle is assembled at a certain location, and the parts or components used in the assembly of such vehicles may be manufactured at other locations, such as other facilities. These parts and components are manufactured by technicians with effort, and the completed parts are stored in a storage area and can be taken out when needed for vehicle assembly. Maintaining an appropriate supply chain in such a manufacturing environment is important to avoid a shortage of parts and a decrease in productivity when parts are required for vehicle assembly. To avoid adversely affecting productivity, a storage area of sufficient size is required to hold the inventory of all parts so that they can be used at any time when needed. However, if vehicle production stops, unexpectedly ends, or is delayed, or if the parts are consumables and have been taken out of the freezer for a long time, or if the expiration date of the parts has passed, the inventory of unused parts stored may become surplus parts that cannot be used and ultimately have to be discarded, resulting in waste of costs and resources. Therefore, technologies for manufacturing parts more efficiently and reducing waste are desired.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] According to one example, a system for manufacturing a laminated composite component is disclosed. The system may include a cutting station configured to separate component layers from plies of a composite material according to a predetermined pattern, a building station configured to laminate the component layers according to a predetermined orientation, and a finishing station configured to compress the laminated component layers and supply the laminated composite component to an installation station.

[0004] According to another example, a method for manufacturing a laminated composite component is disclosed. The method may include separating component layers from plies of a composite material according to a predetermined pattern at a cutting station, laminating the component layers according to a predetermined orientation at a building station, and compressing the laminated component layers and supplying the laminated composite component to an installation station at a finishing station.

[0005] The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and is incorporated herein by reference. By considering one or more embodiments described in detail below, those skilled in the art will be able to more fully understand embodiments of the present invention and realize its additional advantages. First, a brief description of these drawings will be provided with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006]

Figure 1-2

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MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0007] Embodiments of the present disclosure and their advantages will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description. Unless otherwise specified, like reference numerals have been used throughout the accompanying drawings and description to refer to like elements, and descriptions thereof will not be repeated. In the drawings, the relative sizes of elements, layers, and regions may be exaggerated for clarity.

[0008] Hereinafter, various embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in various different forms and should not be construed as being limited only to the embodiments herein. Rather, these embodiments are presented as examples so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and so that the aspects and features of the present invention can be fully conveyed to those skilled in the art. Therefore, there may be cases where processes, elements, and techniques that are not necessary for those skilled in the art to fully understand the aspects and features of the present invention are not described.

[0009] For example, the fuselage of an aircraft such as a commercial airliner includes various components having a generally cylindrical and elongated shape. FIGS. 1 and 2 show an internal view of an exemplary aircraft fuselage 100 with some of the components exposed. These components include an arcuate frame 106 that forms the cylindrical shape of the fuselage 100, and stringers 102 that extend in the longitudinal direction (e.g., forward and rearward) with respect to the fuselage 100 and are perpendicular to the frame 106. Generally, a plurality of stringers 102 and the frame 106 form the structure of the fuselage 100, and are covered by a skin 104 to complete the fuselage 100.

[0010] The stringers 102 are members that reinforce the fuselage body and may have different thicknesses depending on the position of the fuselage 100. For example, the thickness of the stringers 102 disposed near the bottom of the fuselage is greater than the thickness of the stringers 102 disposed near the top of the fuselage. Therefore, when the skin 104 is directly provided on the stringers 102, there may be a gap between the skin 104 and the relatively thin stringers 102. To compensate for this gap, a frame filler 108 formed by laminating a plurality of plies of a composite material on each other is used to fill the height between the thickest stringers 102 and the skin 104.

[0011] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary fuselage being assembled on a curing tool 110 (e.g., a mandrel). Thus, in this figure, the stringers 102 and the frame fillers 108 are installed on the curing tool 110 such that the frame fillers 108 are disposed between the two stringers 102. Once the stringers 102 and the frame fillers 108 are installed, a skin is co-cured thereover and bolted to the frame. In this way, aircraft, particularly large aircraft, have many stringers 102 and frames 106, and thousands of frame fillers 108 (e.g., approximately 2 inches by 6 inches) are co-cured to the fuselage 100 to fill the gaps. Note that each frame filler 108 is customized to a specific size, shape, and thickness to fit a particular location on the fuselage. Thus, the shape, size, and / or thickness of the individual frame fillers 108 can vary. As a result, conventional techniques for manufacturing frame fillers 108 for such aircraft are labor intensive, and workers must accurately bend and stack prepreg materials to form the frame fillers 108. Further, the frame fillers 108 are manufactured in batches rather than on demand by a manual manufacturing process. That is, during a given manufacturing process, a batch (or group) of frame fillers 108 of a certain specification is made by an operator, and this completed batch of frame fillers 108 is stored until needed. In the next manufacturing process, frame fillers of different specifications are again manufactured in batch mode and then stored. In this way, many batches of frame fillers 108 are manufactured and stored as parts (e.g., WIP) until ready to be installed on the aircraft. Thus, the installer of the frame fillers 108 needs to know which frame fillers 108 are needed for that day's work on the airframe and retrieve the appropriate frame fillers 108 from the storage location. Depending on the environment, the manufacture of such frame fillers 108 may be performed at a facility different from the aircraft assembly plant.For example, the frame filler 108 may be manufactured at different facilities or in different countries by different companies or different subcontractors, and as a result, additional costs may be incurred for ordering and delivering such parts.

[0012] In various embodiments presented in the present disclosure, systems and methods are envisioned that use machines and robotic devices to automate the manufacture of laminated composite materials such as frame fillers and, when such laminated composite materials need to be installed, manufacture the laminated composite materials on demand at an appropriate speed and in an appropriate order. For example, if a frame filler of a first size is needed, then a frame filler of a second size is needed, and then again a frame filler of the first size is needed, the system and method manufacture the frame fillers in this particular order. Further, since the frame fillers can be manufactured on a mandrel in the same facility as the aircraft being assembled, each frame filler can be supplied immediately to the installer at the assembly site as it is manufactured. Thus, when the manufacture of the frame fillers is complete, the technician can obtain the completed frame fillers and attach them to the aircraft in real time, and in this manner, only the frame fillers needed at that time can be manufactured without manufacturing extra frame fillers, eliminating the need to provide space for storing parts within the facility. Further, if a frame filler is damaged, specifically, if it is damaged when the installer attaches it or if it falls and is damaged, a replacement frame filler can be manufactured immediately, preventing or at least reducing production delays due to part damage.

[0013] FIG. 4 shows an exemplary system layout of a laminated composite component manufacturing system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In the present disclosure, by way of example, the manufacture of laminated composite components is referred to as the manufacture of frame fillers, but it should be understood that the system and method are applicable to other laminated composite components and are not limited to frame fillers only.

[0014] According to the illustration example, the system 400 includes a cutting station 490, a construction station 492, and a finishing station 494. Therefore, various machines and devices constituting the system 400 can process raw composite materials such as prepreg materials, and through this processing, a frame filler can be completed within a few minutes and be ready for installation on an aircraft in real time.

[0015] The cutting station 490 includes at least a conveyor 404 and a dispenser 402, and the dispenser is configured to hold, for example, a spool of composite material and supply a single ply of the composite material 408 to the conveyor 404. The conveyor 404 may also include a vacuum device configured to apply negative pressure to the conveyor 404 and a cutting device 410 configured to cut the composite material 408 on the conveyor 404. According to one example, the cutting device 410 may be an ultrasonic cutter (USK). Also, in other examples, the cutting device 410 may be a laser cutter or other high-speed cutter known in the art. When the composite material is supplied to the conveyor 404, the conveyor moves the composite material 408 in the direction indicated by the arrow 406 from the first end of the cutting station 490 to the second end of the cutting station 490. When the composite material 408 moves to the cutting device, the composite material is cut and divided into component layers 412, and ultimately becomes a single ply of the composite material laminated with additional plies of the component layers. The component layer 412 has a predetermined shape or pattern based on the specifications of the component to be manufactured and moves toward the second end of the conveyor 404. When the pattern is cut out, an automatic pick-and-place device picks up the component layer and separates the component layer 418 from a single ply of the composite material 408. The remaining excess composite material 414 continues to move toward the second end of the conveyor and is collected as scrap material in a scrap container 416.

[0016] FIG. 5 shows a side view of an exemplary cutting station 490 including a conveyor 404 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown, the raw composite material may be in the form of a spool mounted on a dispenser 402 and is configured to be spread on the conveyor 404. A vacuum device applies a negative pressure 502 to the conveyor to prevent the composite material from falling off the conveyor.

[0017] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of an exemplary conveyor using a vacuum device to prevent a composite material 606 from falling off the conveyor according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the conveyor belt 602 of the conveyor 404 has holes 604, and the vacuum device draws air through the holes by means of a negative pressure 502 to maintain the composite material 606 on the conveyor belt 602. Thus, when a ply of the composite material 408 is placed on the conveyor 404, the composite material 408 will not be blown away by the air circulating in the environment (e.g., by the movement of an operator or the air flow generated by a machine). FIG. 5 shows an exemplary configuration of a vacuum device that generates a negative pressure 502 towards the surface of the conveyor in the vicinity of the conveyor belt 602 and generates a positive pressure 504 in the lower portion of the conveyor 404. In this example, the scrap container 416 is disposed below the conveyor 404, and the vacuum device applies a positive pressure 504 near the scrap container 416 to remove scrap from the conveyor belt 602 and let it fall into the scrap container 416.

[0018] In this way, a first layer for forming a laminated composite frame filler is cut out from a single ply of the raw composite material 408. A predetermined pattern may be set so that the cut-out portion corresponds to the specific size and shape required for the first layer of the frame filler. The cutting device 410 is configured to perform the cutting into the desired shape or pattern. Thus, each of the patterns to be cut may vary depending on the size and shape required for the next layer.

[0019] Referring again to FIG. 4, the construction station 492 includes a second conveyor 428 configured to receive the component layer 412 from the cutting station 490. For example, a robotic device 420 having a robotic arm and / or a robotic gripper is configured to pick up the component layer 418 from the first conveyor at the cutting station 490 and then move it to the construction station 492 and place it on the second conveyor 428. According to one example, the robotic device 420 may be further configured to operate with an orientation setting station 422, which includes an orientation identifying device 424 for identifying the orientation of the component layer when the component layer is picked up by the robotic device 420. The orientation identifying device 424 may be an orientation scanner such as a camera (e.g., a visible range camera, an infrared camera, or a thermal camera), and utilizes image processing to identify the orientation. The orientation setting station 422 further includes an orientation setting device 426 such as a rotary table. This rotary table rotates the component layer 418 when the component layer 418 is placed thereon, rotating the orientation of the component layer. This rotation is performed based on the identification when the orientation identifying device 424 identifies the direction of the component layer to be oriented in order to properly place the component layer on the second conveyor. According to another example, the orientation setting device may be embedded as part of the robotic device 420. Therefore, the robotic device 420 may further include an orientation identifying device, and may automatically rotate or orient the component layer while the robotic arm or gripper holds the component layer. For this reason, during the process of picking up the component layer 418 from the cutting station 490 and transporting it to the construction station 492, the robotic device 420 may rotate the orientation of the component layer using, for example, a robotic arm or a rotary gripper, and place the component layer on the second conveyor 428.

[0020] According to other examples of the present disclosure, the construction station 492 includes a spool of an adhesive layer provided on the adhesive dispenser 430 in the second conveyor 428. Thereby, the adhesive layer 432 can be laminated on the second conveyor 428. By doing so, the component layer 418 can be placed on the adhesive tape piece, and the component layer 418 can be prevented from falling off or being blown off the conveyor by an air flow (for example, air circulated by the operator's movement or an air flow generated by a machine). In some examples, one side of the adhesive layer 432 may be a polymer and the other side may be paper. Therefore, the component layer 418 is moved from the cutting station 490 and placed on the adhesive layer 432 of the second conveyor 428. Note that this process may be repeated based on the number of plies used for the specific laminated composite component to be manufactured. For example, when manufacturing a 10-ply frame filler, the above process is repeated 10 times, and in each repetition, a new component layer is accurately laminated on the previous component layer such that each component layer is laminated and aligned concentrically with respect to each of the other component layers below it. In some examples, the frame filler includes an edge with an inclination or taper, such as a 15-degree inclination or taper. Such an inclination angle or taper angle can be achieved with a frame filler by changing the size of each of the cut component layers such that these edges form an angle when the plies are laminated. For example, if the shape of the frame filler is pyramid-shaped, the lowermost component layer is the largest, and the next layer above it is slightly smaller than the lowermost component layer. By doing so, a frame filler with an inclined edge can be formed without accurately cutting the frame filler at the final stage to form an inclination angle.

[0021] According to one example, the robot device 420 may include a controller for processing the operation of the robot device 420. In some embodiments, the controller may be interconnected with the robot device 420, the cutting station 490, the construction station 492, and the finishing station 494, such that various devices within the various stages of the system 400 can communicate with each other and synchronize processing. For example, the controller is configured to process the sequence when it is necessary to cut the component layer when assembling a particular type of aircraft, and to perform this, the controller communicates with the devices interconnected in the system 400.

[0022] Figures 7-9 show examples of robotic devices that can be implemented to pick up and place composite materials from one station to another according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The exemplary automated robotic device shown in FIG. 7 includes a gripper 702 supported by a plurality of arms 704 that extend and / or contract. Thus, when the arms 704 extend and / or contract, the gripper 702 can move freely from one position to another to pick up and place an object such as the component layer 418. FIG. 8 shows another type of robotic device that includes a gripper 802 and a robotic arm 804. In this example, the robotic arm 804 can move in various directions to move the gripper 802 from one position to another to pick up and place an object such as the component layer 418. FIG. 9 shows another type of robotic device that includes a gripper 1002 and a robotic arm 1004. In this example, the robotic arm 1004 can move in various directions like a human arm to move the gripper 1002 from one position to another to pick up and place an object. Thus, as described herein, it is possible to implement various types of robotic devices 420 to perform the process of picking up the component layer 418 from the cutting station 490 and placing it at the construction station 492. The robotic devices shown in FIGS. 7-9 represent only some examples of pick-and-place devices that can be implemented and are not limited to these examples.

[0023] When a desired number of plies are stacked at the construction station 492, the stacked component layer is conveyed in the direction of arrow 434 to a finishing station 494 that includes a compressor 438, a component marking device 440, and an inspection device 442. According to one example, the compressor 438 is configured to apply a compressive pressure to the stacked component layer to form a laminated composite component. In some examples, the compressor 438 may apply a pressure of about 20 - 30 psi, and in other examples, instead, a lower or higher pressure may be applied. In a prepreg composite material, by applying pressure, a laminated composite component is formed by compressing and forcing a plurality of plies into intimate contact. In other examples, heat may be applied to the stacked component layer to make the plies more readily adhere to each other. For example, the second conveyor 428 may have a heating blanket, or the compressor may have a heating device. FIG. 10 shows examples of compressors that can be implemented to compress a laminate of composite material layers according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. An exemplary compressor may include a compression head 902 configured to apply a force to a stack of component layers 436 on the second conveyor 428.

[0024] Once the component layer is compressed, the second conveyor 428 moves the laminated composite component to the component marking stage, where the component marking device 440 imprints a visual indicator on the laminated composite. For example, the imprint may be an arrow or other visual indicator that shows the installer the correct direction for installing the laminated composite component, or it may be a part number corresponding to a specific shape and size of a frame filler.

[0025] When component marks are attached to the component layer, the laminated composite component is moved to the inspection section, where a quality assurance check is performed by the inspection device 442 to confirm that the laminated composite component meets manufacturing standards and tolerances such as size, shape, squareness, and tilt angle. In some examples, the inspection device 442 may be a high-resolution camera that performs image processing. If the completed component (e.g., a frame filler) passes the inspection, the frame filler can be immediately attached to the aircraft. According to some examples, the frame filler may be placed on another conveyor or feeding means for supplying it to the installer for real-time use.

[0026] FIG. 11 shows a timing diagram of a composite filler manufacturing system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Step 1102 is the starting point of manufacturing a laminated composite component and corresponds to a spool of composite material 408 continuously supplied to a first conveyor. This is a continuous process and the spool may be continuously unwound. A particular prepreg composite material may have a backing paper that is automatically removed when the composite material is supplied to the conveyor. Next, in step 1104, a cutting device such as a USK is used to cut the composite material into a predetermined pattern. According to the exemplary cutting device described in the present disclosure, this step may take about 5 seconds to cut each ply. Once the component layer is cut out, in step 1106, a pick-and-place device picks up the component layer. In one example, this step may take about 1.5 seconds. Next, in step 1108, the pick-and-place device rotates the component layer into the correct orientation before the component layer is moved to the build station. This step may take about 1.5 seconds. The correctly oriented component layer is placed on a second conveyor of the build station in step 1110. This step may take about 1.5 seconds. The process of picking up, rotating, and placing the plies of the component layer is repeated at the build station until a desired number or a predetermined number of plies are laminated on top of each other. Once the plies are laminated, in step 1112, a compression device applies pressure to this laminate to compress the component layer. In some examples, the laminated composite component may be formed of 10 plies, in which case compression by the compression device may take about 10 seconds. In other examples, the laminated composite component may be formed of 12 plies, in which case compression of 12 plies may take more time. The compressed laminated component is then fed to an inspection device, and in step 1114, the inspection device verifies the quality of the component to confirm that the completed compressed laminate component meets the design specifications and design tolerances. This step may take about 5 seconds for each frame filler.Next, the inspected component is fed into the part marking process at step 1116. This process takes about 5 seconds, and then it takes an additional about 2 seconds at step 1118 to move the frame filler to the point-of-use on the mandrel. Thus, by using the automated processes described in this disclosure, a fully prepared frame filler can be manufactured from raw materials in about 1 minute. The actual time taken can vary depending on the number of primes used with a particular frame filler and the type of machinery used. For example, a particular robotic device may be able to move faster than other devices, a particular cutting device may be able to cut faster, and a particular compression device may be able to compress component layers faster.

[0027] FIG. 12 shows a flow diagram of a laminate composite component manufacturing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. This system can be configured to separate component layers from the plies of a composite material in a cutting station according to various predetermined patterns (1202). The predetermined patterns are set and / or selected based on the design requirements of the intended components. Thus, the size, shape, and thickness of the frame filler are determined by the location where the frame filler is to be installed in the fuselage, and the cutting device can be programmed so that the USK is cut into an appropriate pattern. Thereafter, the component layers are moved from the cutting station to the construction station by an automatic pick-and-place device (1204). When the component layers are moved to the construction station, the component layers are laminated to other component layers according to a predetermined orientation (1206). For example, one frame filler is composed of 10 plies laminated, and another frame filler is composed of 12 or more plies laminated. When the required number of plies of the component layers are laminated, the laminated component layers are compressed at the finishing station, thereby producing a laminate composite component such as a frame filler. Thereafter, the completed frame filler is supplied to the installation station, where the frame filler is installed in the aircraft (1208).

[0028] FIG. 13 shows a flow diagram of a laminate composite component manufacturing system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. The pick-and-place device of the manufacturing system can implement a robotic device having a robotic gripper configured to grip and pick up the component layers cut by the cutting device in the cutting station (1302). The orientation of the component layer picked up by the robotic gripper is identified by an orientation identification device such as a camera, for example, and the component layer is rotated according to a predetermined orientation for the construction station (1304). The component layer is moved to the construction station by the robotic device (1306).

[0029] FIG. 14 shows a flow diagram of a laminated composite component manufacturing system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. At the cutting station, a dispenser supplies raw composite material to a first conveyor (1402). A vacuum device can be configured to apply a negative pressure to the surface of the conveyor (e.g., a conveyor belt) to maintain the composite material on the conveyor. As the composite material is conveyed towards the cutting device, component layers are cut out of the composite material by the cutting device. The composite material layers are cut into a predetermined pattern corresponding to the ply of the frame filler (1406). Thus, it is possible to supply the raw composite material and accurately cut it into a desired predetermined pattern.

[0030] FIG. 15 shows a flow diagram of a laminated composite component manufacturing system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. The component layer is rotated by a robotic gripper while being moved from a cutting station to a building station. Thus, the component layer is rotated during its movement from the cutting station to the building station (1502). For example, the component layer may be rotated by a robotic gripper at some point after being picked up by the gripper and before being placed on the second conveyor. In other examples, the component layer is placed on an orientation setting device as shown in FIG. 4 in order to first rotate the component layer to the correct orientation. Then, the component layer with the correctly adjusted orientation is picked up again by the robotic gripper and moved to the building station. As each ply of the component layer is moved to the building station, the robotic gripper stacks the component layers one by one on the second conveyor of the building station, and each of the component layers is laminated and aligned concentrically with each of the other component layers (1504). In some examples, the second conveyor may have an adhesive for holding or maintaining the lowermost layer of the component layers placed by the robotic device (1506). The laminated component layers are then compressed by applying a compressive pressure to the component layers by a compressor to form a laminated composite component (1508). Next, the laminated composite component is marked by a component marking device with a visual indicator corresponding to the laminated composite component (1510). A quality assurance check of the finished laminated composite component is performed by an inspection device such as a camera (1512). Thus, the frame filler can be manufactured on demand in the order in which it is used at the point of use (e.g., an aircraft assembly line). Thus, an aircraft can be manufactured in a manner similar to an automobile assembly line where the components and materials required for assembly are provided to the point of use in real time in a continuous flow, thereby improving efficiency, reducing waste, reducing costs, and reducing the size of the space required for aircraft manufacturing.

[0031] In this specification, terms such as "first", "second", "third", etc. are used to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and / or sections. However, these elements, components, regions, layers, and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or section from another element, component, region, layer, or section. Therefore, the first element, component, region, layer, or section described below can also be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer, or section without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0032] Spatial relative terms such as "below", "under", "lower", "directly below", "above", "upper", etc. are used to facilitate the description of the relationship between one element or feature and other element(s) or feature(s) as shown in the figures. It should be noted that the spatial relative terms are intended to include various orientations of the device during use or operation in addition to the illustrated orientation. For example, when the illustrated device is turned over, an element described as "under", "below", or "directly below" another element or feature will be oriented "above" the other element or feature. Therefore, the exemplary terms "under" and "directly below" can encompass both the up and down orientations. Also, the device can be in other orientations (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptions used in this specification should be interpreted accordingly.

[0033] It should be noted that when an element or layer is "above", "connected", or "coupled" to another element or layer, it may be directly "above", "connected", or "coupled" to the other element or layer, or there may be one or more intervening elements or layers. Also, when an element or layer is described as being "between" two elements or layers, it may be the only element or layer between these two elements or layers, or there may be one or more intervening elements or layers.

[0034] The electronic devices, electrical devices, and / or other related devices or components according to the embodiments of the present invention described in this specification can be implemented using any suitable hardware, firmware (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits), or software, or a combination of software, firmware, and / or hardware. For example, various components of these devices can be formed on one integrated circuit (IC) chip or individual IC chips. Also, various components of these devices can be mounted on a flexible printed circuit film, tape carrier package (TCP), or printed circuit board (PCB), or formed on one substrate. Further, various components of these devices can be processes or threads operating on one or more processors in one or more computing devices, and may execute computer program instructions to perform various functions described in this specification and cooperate with other system components. The computer program instructions are stored in a memory that can be implemented within the computing device using a general memory device such as random access memory (RAM). The computer program instructions can also be stored on other non-transitory computer-readable media such as CD-ROMs, flash drives, etc. Also, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the functions of various computing devices can be combined or integrated to form a single computing device, or the functions of a particular computing device can be distributed among one or more other computing devices.

[0035] The embodiments described in this specification are merely exemplary. Those skilled in the art will be able to conceive of various alternative embodiments from the specifically disclosed embodiments. Those alternative embodiments are also intended to be within the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the embodiments of this disclosure are limited by the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A system for manufacturing a laminated composite component, comprising: a cutting station configured to separate component layers from plies of a composite material according to a predetermined pattern; a construction station configured to laminate the component layers according to a predetermined orientation; a finishing station configured to compress the laminated component layers and supply the laminated composite component to an installation station, wherein the installation station is configured to install the laminated composite component in real time on demand on an object to which the laminated composite component is to be attached.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an automatic pick-and-place device configured to move the component layers from the cutting station to the construction station.

3. The pick-and-place device is an automatic robot device, and the automatic robot device comprises: a robot gripper configured to pick up and rotate the component layers separated by the cutting station and move them to the construction station; an orientation setting device configured to identify the orientation of each of the component layers picked up by the robot gripper and rotate the component layers according to a predetermined orientation for the construction station.

4. The construction station includes a second conveyor configured to receive the component layers from the cutting station by the robot gripper, and the component layers are rotated by the robot gripper to the predetermined orientation during movement from the cutting station to the construction station.

5. The second conveyor includes an adhesive configured to maintain the lowermost layer of the received component layers on the second conveyor.

6. Each of the component layers is laminated and aligned concentrically with each of the other component layers.

7. The finishing station includes: a compressor configured to apply a compression pressure to the laminated component layers to form the laminated composite component. A component marking device configured to imprint a visual indicator corresponding to the laminated composite component on the laminated composite component, An inspection device configured to perform quality assurance of the laminated composite component, the system according to claim 6.

8. The cutting station, A first conveyor, A dispenser configured to supply the composite material to the first conveyor, A vacuum device configured to apply negative pressure to the first conveyor to maintain the composite material on the first conveyor, A cutting device configured to cut out the component layer from the composite material, the system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the predetermined pattern corresponds to a frame filler.

9. The composite material is a single ply of a prepreg composite material, and the cutting device is an ultrasonic cutting device, the system according to claim 8.

10. The predetermined pattern includes patterns of various sizes, whereby when the component layers are laminated in a predetermined order at the finishing station, the laminated composite component forms a tapered frame filler, the system according to claim 8 or 9.

11. A method for manufacturing a laminated composite component, comprising: Separating a component layer from a ply of a composite material according to a predetermined pattern at a cutting station; Laminating the component layers according to a predetermined orientation at a construction station; Compressing the laminated component layers at a finishing station and supplying the laminated composite component to an installation station, and installing the laminated composite component in real time on demand with respect to an object to be attached to the laminated composite component at the installation station.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising moving the component layer from the cutting station to the construction station by an automatic pick-and-place device.

13. The pick-and-place device is an automatic robot device, and the method comprises: Picking up and rotating the component layer separated by the cutting station by a robot gripper and moving it to the construction station. Identifying the orientation of each of the component layers picked up by the robot gripper with an orientation setting device and rotating the component layers according to a predetermined orientation for the building station, the method according to claim 12, further comprising.

14. Rotating the component layer includes rotating the component layer by the robot gripper during movement from the cutting station to the building station, and stacking at the building station further includes receiving the component layer on a second conveyor at the building station via the robot gripper from the cutting station, the method according to claim 13.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising using an adhesive to hold the lowermost layer of the received component layers on the second conveyor.

16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising concentrically laminating and aligning each of the component layers with each of the other component layers.

17. Compressing at the finishing station is Applying a compressive pressure to the laminated component layers by a compressor to form the laminated composite component, Imprinting a visual indicator or characters corresponding to the laminated composite component on the laminated composite component by a component marking device, The method according to claim 16, further comprising performing quality assurance of the laminated composite component by an inspection device.

18. Supplying the composite material to a first conveyor at the cutting station by a dispenser, Applying a negative pressure to the first conveyor by a vacuum device to hold the composite material on the first conveyor, The method according to any one of claims 11 to 17, further comprising cutting out the component layer from the composite material by a cutting device, wherein the predetermined pattern corresponds to a frame filler.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the composite material is a single ply of a prepreg composite material and the cutting device is an ultrasonic cutting device.

20. The predetermined pattern includes patterns of various sizes, whereby when the component layers are laminated in a predetermined order at the finishing station, the laminated composite component forms a tapered frame filler, according to the method of claim 18.

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