Vacuum End Effector With Hollow Protrusions for Sticky Prepreg Tape
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pick and place equipment struggles with handling composite prepreg tape due to its stickiness, which causes it to adhere undesirably to both the vacuum cup and the layup location, leading to inefficiencies and damage during the pick and place process.
Innovation Solution
An end effector with a plurality of hollow protrusions connected to a vacuum chamber and a pressure port is used to hold and remove the composite material, minimizing contact area and applying pneumatic pressure to control the tape's placement without deformation or tearing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional vacuum cup is used to hold composite prepreg tape, then the tape can be picked up, but the tape adheres undesirably to the vacuum cup causing damage and inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses temperature as a controllable parameter to modulate the adhesion properties of the composite prepreg tape, maintaining a temperature parameter that prevents undesirable adhesion to the vacuum cup while enabling proper adhesion at the placement location
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows for precise and efficient handling of composite prepreg tape, reducing manufacturing time and increasing efficiency by minimizing the tape's adherence to the end effector and ensuring accurate placement on the layup structure.
Implementation Method 1
holding a first portion of a first face of composite material against a plurality of hollow protrusions of an end effector using a vacuum supplied to the plurality of hollow protrusions of the end effector
Implementation Method 2
applying pneumatic pressure to the first face of the composite material to remove the composite material from the plurality of hollow protrusions; wherein applying the pneumatic pressure to the first face of the composite material comprises supplying the pneumatic pressure from a pressure port of the end effector
Data Source
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AI summary
An end effector (202) comprises a plurality of vacuum ports. The plurality of vacuum ports is formed from a plurality of hollow protrusions (206) extending from a face of the end effector (202). The plurality of vacuum ports is connected to a vacuum chamber receiving a vacuum from a vacuum source interface.