Rotatable Blade Cutting Mechanism for Composite Tow Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cutting mechanisms for fibre composite materials in composite material lay-up equipment struggle to accurately place and sever 45° or 135° tow courses without causing material waste or compromising mechanical properties, particularly when these courses are layered with 0° or 90° courses.
Innovation Solution
A cutting mechanism with variable-width blades that rotate between two angular positions to achieve first and second cuts, allowing for precise severing of fibre composite materials along different directions, minimizing material waste and ensuring accurate alignment and contact between adjacent courses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a fixed cutting mechanism is used for placing 0° and 90° tow courses, then accurate placement with no gaps or overlaps is achieved, but the mechanism cannot accurately place 45° or 135° tow courses without causing material waste or gaps
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting mechanism employs rotatable blades that can dynamically change their angular position between 0° and 90° relative to the tow course direction. This dynamic adjustment allows the same cutting mechanism to accurately cut tows at different orientations (0°, 45°, 90°, 135°) by rotating the blades to the appropriate angle before each cutting operation, thereby achieving both precision and versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the angular parameter of the blade orientation to adapt to different tow course requirements. By adjusting the blade angle parameter between 0° and 90°, the cutting mechanism can accommodate various tow orientations without requiring multiple fixed cutting mechanisms, thus resolving the contradiction between precision for specific orientations and adaptability to multiple orientations.
2Productivity
If 45° tow courses are placed using existing cutting mechanisms, then material can be deposited, but serrated rims are created that extend beyond the course boundaries requiring machining and causing material waste
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable blade mechanism dynamically adjusts to a 45° angular position when cutting 45° tow courses, enabling the blades to cut precisely along the intended course path. This dynamic angular adjustment eliminates the serrated rim problem by ensuring the cut follows the exact course trajectory, thereby preventing material waste while maintaining lay-up productivity.
3Area of stationary object
If 45° tows are arranged adjacent to 0° tows in a single layer, then material coverage is achieved, but gaps filled with resin or tow wrinkles occur compromising mechanical properties
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting mechanism uses rotatable blades that can be precisely positioned at 45° angles to cut tows with accuracy. This dynamic angular positioning ensures that 45° tow courses are cut precisely along their intended paths, allowing them to be placed adjacent to 0° courses without creating gaps or wrinkles, thereby maintaining both coverage and mechanical reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A cutting mechanism for a composite material lay-up head comprises a plurality of blades, each blade having a variable width, and a drive mechanism to drive the blades along an axial direction to cut a respective tow of composite material. The blades are rotatable about the axial direction between a first angular position, wherein the blades sever the respective tow along a first cutting direction transversal to a longitudinal direction of the respective tow, and a second angular position, wherein the blades sever the respective tow along a second cutting direction rotated by a rotation angle to the first cutting direction.