Coordinated Composite Tape Laying With Multiple Overhead Robots
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional robotic arms for laying composite tape are limited in range and efficiency, requiring multiple arms that can be cumbersome and difficult to coordinate, making them less efficient and more expensive for manufacturing composite structures, especially when accommodating varying workpiece sizes and shapes.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus involving multiple robots with movement systems and a coordinated tape laying head, where each robot moves along a movement surface to lay composite tape efficiently and precisely, with a controller to manage the process, allowing for simultaneous operation and increased productivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple conventional robotic arms are used to lay composite tape, then the productivity increases, but the device complexity and coordination difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the tape laying task among multiple independent robots, each responsible for specific regions or layers of the workpiece. This segmentation allows parallel operation while maintaining individual robot simplicity, resolving the contradiction between productivity and coordination complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple identical robotic systems are deployed that can perform the same tape laying function independently. This universality allows the system to scale productivity by adding identical units rather than complex coordinated systems, reducing overall device complexity while increasing output.
2Stability of the object's composition
If conventional robotic arms are mounted to floor or track, then the structure is stable, but the range of motion is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from two-dimensional floor/track mounting to three-dimensional overhead suspension. Robots hang from the ceiling and can move freely in multiple directions including vertical motion, dramatically expanding their range of motion while maintaining stability through controlled suspension mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic arms are designed with dynamic positioning capabilities that allow them to adjust their base position and orientation in real-time. This dynamic adaptability enables the robots to reach different areas of the workpiece while maintaining operational stability throughout the motion range.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional robotic arms are used, then the manufacturing environment is fixed, but the adaptability to different workpiece sizes and shapes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamically adjustable robotic arms with programmable motion paths and adaptive control systems. These robots can be reconfigured through software to accommodate different workpiece geometries, sizes, and orientations without physical reconfiguration of the manufacturing environment, maintaining ease of manufacture while maximizing adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic system allows for parameter changes in motion trajectories, speed, positioning accuracy, and tool orientation through programmable control. This enables the same physical setup to adapt to various workpiece specifications by modifying operational parameters rather than reconfiguring the manufacturing environment.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A method and apparatus for laying composite tape. The method may comprise driving a plurality of robots, each having a respective movement system across a movement surface, in which the movement surface faces a workpiece, and laying composite tape from the plurality of robots in a coordinated manner on the workpiece.