Filament Winding Orientation Change via Corner Reorientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Filament winding processes face challenges in creating composite products with alternating winding directions due to twisting and knotting of fiber material, making it difficult to automate and achieve desired strength without additional fiber material or complications.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for winding filaments on a substantially flat substrate with multiple edges and corners, allowing for continuous winding with changing orientations without removing the substrate, using a rotatable substrate mounting structure, moveable transport carriages, and a processing device to execute a winding program that reorients the filament around corners, enabling the creation of composite materials with alternating layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the mandrel is removed and remounted with a different orientation to change winding direction, then the winding direction can be changed, but the fiber material becomes twisted and knotted
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of rotating the mandrel to change winding direction, the patent inverts the approach by keeping the mandrel stationary and rotating the filament feed mechanism. This allows the filament to be fed at different angles to the same mandrel position, achieving variable winding directions without mandrel manipulation that would cause fiber twisting and knotting.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic control of the filament feed mechanism, allowing real-time adjustment of feeding angle and speed. This dynamic adjustment enables continuous variation of winding directions while maintaining consistent mandrel positioning, preventing fiber material distortion that would occur with static mandrel reorientation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the fiber material is cut and reattached to change winding direction, then different winding directions can be achieved, but the automation of the winding process becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The filament feed mechanism is designed with dynamic control capabilities, allowing continuous adjustment of feeding parameters without stopping the winding process. This eliminates the need to cut and reattach fibers, enabling full automation through programmable control of the feed mechanism's angle and position throughout the winding cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The filament feed mechanism is designed as a multi-functional device that can perform both filament feeding and angle adjustment functions. This universal mechanism handles both straight and angled winding operations without requiring separate operations or manual intervention, maintaining automation while achieving variable winding directions.
3Strength
If additional fiber material is used to achieve strength with same winding direction, then the strength objective can be met, but the composite product becomes heavier
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric winding patterns where adjacent layers are wound at different angles (e.g., 0 degrees and 90 degrees). This asymmetric arrangement optimizes strength distribution by aligning fibers with principal stress directions in different layers, achieving high strength-to-weight ratio without requiring excessive fiber material in a single direction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from single-direction winding to multi-directional winding by introducing angular variation across layers. This adds a dimensional aspect to the winding structure, creating a three-dimensional fiber architecture that distributes load more efficiently and achieves superior strength properties without increasing overall material quantity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, apparatus, and system for winding a filament around a substrate includes mounting the substrate to a rotatable structure and rotating the substrate to wind the first filament around the substrate in a first winding orientation that winds the first filament around a first pair of edges of the substrate to wrap a first filament layer around the substrate. The method further includes changing winding orientations of the first filament from the first winding orientation to a second winding orientation by turning the first filament about a corner of the substrate and winding the first filament around the rotating substrate in the second winding orientation that winds the first filament around a second pair of edges of the substrate, wherein the second pair of edges is different from the first pair of edges, to wrap a second filament layer around the substrate.