Forming a composite structure by filament placement on a tool surface of a tablet

• US 20050236735A1
• Filed: 04/21/2005
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ingersoll Machine Tools Incorporated (Camozzi Industries SpA)
• Original Assignee: Ingersoll Machine Tools Incorporated (Camozzi Industries SpA)
• Inventors: Oldani, Tino, Jarvi, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,003,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/257
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/382 Automated fiber placement [AFP]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/384 Fiber placement heads, e.g. component parts, details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/386 Automated tape laying [ATL]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/388 Tape placement heads, e.g. component parts, details or accessories

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for forming a composite structure with an automatic placement head, through the use of a non-rotating tooling tablet having first and second substantially oppositely facing surfaces thereof, joined around the peripheries thereof by a side surface of the tablet, with at least one of the first or second surfaces forming a tool surface of the tablet. Layers of pre-impregnated fiber or tape are applied to the tool surface of the tablet by the automated fiber placement head.

Claims

1. A method for forming a composite structure, using an automated placement head for placing pre-impregnated fiber or pre-impregnated tape onto a tool surface, the method comprising:

providing a tooling tablet having a first and second substantially oppositely facing surface thereof, joined around the peripheries thereof by a side surface of the tablet, with at least one of the first and second surfaces forming a tool surface of the tablet;

mounting the tooling tablet adjacent the placement head, with the tool surface oriented substantially vertical and facing the placement head; and

placing a first set of pre-impregnated fibers and/or pre-impregnated tape onto a tool surface with the placement head to form the composite structure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tool surface defines an outside mold line of the composite structure.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing the tablet into an auto clave for curing the composite structure.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second side of the tooling tablet defines a second tool surface, and the method further comprises placing a second set of pre-impregnated fibers and/or pre-impregnated tape onto a second tool surface with the placement head to form a second composite structure separate from the first composite structure.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first and second composite parts are components of a common structure.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising placing the tablet into an auto clave for curing the first and second composite structures simultaneously as a set.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises indexing the tablet, after placement of the pre-impregnated fibers and/or pre-impregnated tape onto the first surface to form the first composite part, to thereby sequentially present the second tool surface to the placement head for forming the second composite part, so that the pre-impregnated fibers and/or pre-impregnated tapes can be placed onto both the first and second tool surfaces of the tablet by the same placement head.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the placement machine of claim 1 is a first placement head, and the method further comprises providing a second placement head disposed on an opposite side of the tablet from the first placement head for forming the second composite structure on the second tool surface.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising operating both the first and second placement heads to form the first and second composite structures substantially simultaneously with one another.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the placement machine of claim 1 is a first placement head, and the method further comprises providing at least one additional placement head for forming the composite structure on the first tool surface in cooperation with the first placement head.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising, disposing one or more of the adjacent placement heads on the opposite side of the tablet from the first placement head, so that the first and additional placement heads, in cooperation with one another, form the first and second composite structures substantially simultaneously with one another.

12. An apparatus for forming a composite structure, the apparatus comprising a tooling tablet having a first and second substantially oppositely facing surface thereof, joined around the peripheries thereof by a side surface of the tablet, with at least one of the first and second surfaces forming one or more tool surfaces of the tablet, the tool surface being adapted for receiving pre-impregnated fiber and/or pre-impregnated tape from an automated placement head.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the tool surface defines an outside mold line of the composite structure.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a tablet mounting structure for mounting the tooling tablet adjacent the placement head, with the tool surface oriented substantially vertical and facing the placement head.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the second side of the tooling tablet defines a second tool surface adapted for receiving a second set of pre-impregnated fibers and/or pre-impregnated tape to form a second composite structure separate from the first composite structure.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising one or more automated heads for applying pre-impregnated fiber and/or pre-impregnated tape to the one or more of the one or more tool surfaces defined by the first and/or second surfaces of the tablet.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a tablet mounting structure for mounting the tooling tablet adjacent the one or more placement heads, with the one or more tool surfaces oriented substantially vertical and facing the one or more placement heads.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the second side of the tooling tablet defines a second tool surface, adapted for receiving a second set of pre-impregnated fibers and/or pre-impregnated tape from a placement head to form a second composite structure separate from the first composite structure.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the apparatus further comprises an indexing mounting structure for the tablet, such that after placement of the pre-impregnated fibers and/or pre-impregnated tape onto the first surface to form the first composite part, the tablet may be indexed to expose the second tool surface to the placement head for forming the second composite part, so that the pre-impregnated fibers and/or pre-impregnated tapes can be placed onto both the first and second tool surfaces of the tablet by one or more placement heads disposed on the same side of the tablet.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the apparatus further comprises one or more automated heads disposed on opposite sides of the tablet for applying pre-impregnated fiber or pre-impregnated tape to the one or more of the one or more tool surfaces defined by the first and/or second surfaces of the tablet, with the one or more automated heads being operable in cooperation with one another to form the first and second composite structures substantially simultaneously with one another.

21. An apparatus for forming an upper and a lower aircraft wing skin, the apparatus comprising, a tooling tablet having first and second substantially oppositely facing surfaces thereof, joined around the peripheries thereof by a side surface of the tablet, with the first surface defining a first tool surface for forming the upper wing skin and the second surface defining a second tool surface for forming the lower wing skin separate from the upper wing skin, the first and second tool surfaces being adapted for separately receiving pre-impregnated fiber and/or pre-impregnated tape from one or more automated placement heads operatively disposed adjacent one or both of the first and second surfaces of the tablet.