Method and apparatus for the design and construction of composite parts

• US 5,006,990 A
• Filed: 09/29/1989
• Issued: 04/09/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Ward, William E., Gumm, Jack R. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): RUGGIERO, JOSEPH F
• Application Number:
  US07/415,449
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 364/191-193, 364/474.24, 364/474.09, 364/474.02, 364/468, 364/512, 364/300, 364/188, 364/189, 156/250, 156/252, 156/253, 156/256, 156/260, 156/264, 156/265, 156/58, 156/59, 156/64, 156/297, 156/378, 156/379.8
• US Class Current: 700/97
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4097 characterised by using design data to control NC machines, e.g. CAD/CAM G05B19/4093 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49019 Machine 3-D slices, to build 3-D model, stratified object manufacturing SOM
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2113/26 Composites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

An improved system and method are designed to take engineering composite drawings released in a computer-aided design (CAD) data set, determine the attributes of each of a plurality of plies into its composite drawing, and pass the information on to using organizations. In preferred embodiments, the system logically determines the geometric definitions for each ply contained in a composite part and reports any errors to the user. Analysis of the physical properties of a part is also provided. Computation of the total part weight and centroid location is performed by the system. Additionally, the present invention creates detailed engineering models of each composite ply and passes information directly to manufacturing.

Claims

1. A system to aid in the design and manufacture of composite parts, the composite parts fabricated from a plurality of plies of material assembled and cured in a desired orientation and arrangement to form the part, the system comprising:

a central processing unit;

input means communicating with the central processing unit;

storage means communicating with the central processing unit;

means for inputting and storing information regarding the shape, orientation and location of the plies within the composite part;

means for isolating and defining individual plies within the part; and

means automatically communicating with the isolation and definition means for generating tool path data for a numerically controlled cutting machine or the like for cutting a plurality of individual plies of nonuniform shape from a sheet of ply material, the generating means taking into account the shape of each ply and its desired orientation with respect to the composite material.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

means for automatically communicating with a nesting system to enable ply data to be automatically used to calculate preferred nesting arrangements to efficiently lay out individual plies shapes for cutting in the desired orientation from a sheet of ply material.

3. A method of designing and manufacturing composite parts, the composite parts fabricated from a plurality of plies of material assembled and cured in a desired orientation and arrangement to form the part, the method comprising the steps of:

inputting into and storing in a computer system information regarding the shape, orientation and location of a plurality of nonuniformly shaped plies within the composite part;

isolating and defining individual plies within the part;

automatically communicating data from the isolation and definition means and generating tool path data for a numerically controlled cutting machine or the like taking into account the shape of each ply and its desired orientation with respect to the composite material; and

cutting the individual plies in their desired orientation from a sheet of ply material using the tool path data.

4. A method of designing and manufacturing composite parts, the composite parts fabricated from a plurality of plies of material assembled and cured in a desired orientation and arrangement to form the part, the method comprising the steps of:

inputting into and storing in a computer system information regarding the shape, orientation and location of a plurality of nonuniformly shaped plies within the composite part;

isolating and defining individual plies within the part;

automatically communicating ply definition data to a nesting system to enable ply data to be automatically used to calculate preferred nesting arrangements including data defining shape and desired orientation of each ply; and

laying out individual ply shapes for cutting in the desired orientation from a sheet of ply material using the ply definition data.