Method and apparatus for producing composite structures

• US 8,986,482 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2009
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: McCowin, Peter D., Boberg, Mark C., Nelson, Paul E.
• Primary Examiner(s): AFTERGUT, JEFFRY H
• Application Number:
  US12/498,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20100006205A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,087 Days
• Field of Search: 156/166, 156/173, 156/175, 156/425, 156/573, 156/523, 156/441, 156/433
• US Class Current: 156/184
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/388 Tape placement heads, e.g. component parts, details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1785 Magazine stack directly contacting work

Abstract

A composite part is formed by a composite tape application machine that lays up a plurality of tapes on a substrate. The lateral position of the tapes may be adjusted as the tapes are being laid up.

Claims

1. A method of laying composite tape to form a composite part, the method comprising:

moving a gantry carrier in a direction of travel that is substantially linear;

applying a first set of tape courses aligned in the direction of travel from a first set of tape control modules on a tool, the first set of tape control modules moveably connected to the gantry carrier;

applying a second set of tape courses in the direction of travel from a second set of tape control modules on the tool, the second set of tape control modules moveably connected to the gantry carrier;

controlling a position of each tape control module independent of a position of the other tape control modules while applying the plurality of tape courses;

adjusting a lateral position of the first set of tape control modules with respect to the second set of tape control modules while tape is being laid by the first set and the second set of tape control modules on the tool, in response to a change in a varied contour of the composite part, so as to maintain the first set of tape courses and the second set of tape courses substantially adjacent to each other in an edge to edge alignment, adjusting the lateral position including moving at least one of the first or second tape control modules on the gantry carrier in a transverse direction with respect to the substantially linear direction of travel of the gantry carrier; and

adjusting a compression force applied by the first set of tape control modules and the second set of tape control modules in response to the change in the varied contour of the composite part.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the adjusting step further comprises adjusting the lateral position of the first set of tape control modules and the second set of tape control modules such that a distance between a course of tape from a module in the first set of tape control modules is altered with respect to a course of tape from a module in the second set of tape control modules, the lateral position being substantially transverse to the direction of travel of the plurality of tape control modules.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein adjusting the lateral position is performed automatically according to a set of programmed instructions.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising adjusting a stagger of the first set of tape control modules with respect to the second set of tape control modules while adjusting the lateral position, the stagger being substantially in a direction of travel of the first tape control module and the second tape control module.

5. A method of forming a composite part, the method comprising:

moving a gantry carrier in a direction of travel that is substantially linear;

laying up a first composite tape in the direction of travel, the first composite tape comprising a plurality of substantially evenly spaced tape segments, the first composite tape applied from a first tape control module moveably connected to the gantry carrier;

laying up a second composite tape in the direction of travel, the second composite tape comprising a plurality of substantially evenly spaced tape segments, the second composite tape applied from a second tape control module moveably connected to the gantry carrier, and the first composite tape is laid up spatially advanced in the direction of travel with respect to the second composite tape;

automatically adjusting a lateral position of the first composite tape with respect to the second composite tape while laying up the first composite tape and the second composite tape, the automatically adjusting a lateral position of the first composite tape being independent of the second composite tape, the adjusting in response to a change in a varied contour of the composite part and so as to maintain the first set of tape courses and the second set of tape courses substantially adjacent to each other in an edge to edge alignment, adjusting the lateral position including moving at least one of the first or second tape control module on the gantry carrier in a transverse direction with respect to the substantially linear direction of travel of the gantry carrier;

adjusting a compression force applied to the first composite tape and the second composite tape in response to the change in the varied contour of the composite part; and

aggregating the first composite tape and the second composite tape into a bandwidth of tape during lay-up.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein automatically adjusting the lateral position is performed using a programmed control system.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the adjusting step comprises adjusting the lateral position of the first composite tape and the second composite tape in response to laying the first composite tape and the second composite tape over a complex contour.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the plurality of tapes are aggregated into the bandwidth of the tapes.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of tapes are laid up advanced with respect to a plurality of trailing tapes respectively include advanced tapes in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to the direction of travel.

10. A method of applying bands of composite tape over a substrate to form a composite part with a complex contour, comprising:

moving a gantry carrier in a direction of travel over a surface of the substrate that is substantially linear;

moving a tape application head over a complex contour of a substrate in a direction of travel;

laying down a first course of composite tape on the complex contour in the direction of travel, the first course of composite tape applied from a first tape control module moveably connected to the gantry carrier;

laying down a second course of composite tape on the complex contour in the direction of travel, the second course of composite tape applied from a second tape control module moveably connected to the gantry carrier, and wherein the first composite tape is laid up spatially advanced in the direction of travel with respect to the second composite tape;

adjusting a lateral position of the first course of composite tape with respect to the second course of composite tape as the head is moving over the substrate, the adjusting the lateral position of the first course of composite tape being independent of the second course of composite tape, in response to a change in a varied contour of the composite part, so as to maintain the first course and the second course substantially adjacent to each other in an edge to edge alignment, adjusting the lateral position including moving at least one of the first or second tape control module on the gantry carrier in a transverse direction with respect to the substantially linear direction of travel of the gantry carrier, and adjusting the lateral positions of the courses is performed by laterally displacing staggered groups of tape control modules on the tape application head; and

adjusting a compression force applied to the first course of composite tape and the second course of composite tape in response to the change in the varied contour of the composite part.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein adjusting the lateral positions of the courses is performed automatically according to a set of programmed instructions.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting the lateral positions of the courses is performed by adjusting the lateral positions of tape control modules on the tape application head.

13. A tape layup machine for forming a composite part, comprising:

a gantry carrier configured to move in a direction of travel that is substantially linear over a surface of the composite part;

a first set of tape control modules and a second set of tape control modules for laying up tape in a direction of travel, the first set of tape control modules and the second set of tape control modules moveably connected to the gantry carrier;

means coupled with the modules for adjusting a lateral position of at least certain of the modules independently of the other modules, while the certain modules are laying up tape, and the means configured to adjust the lateral position by moving at least one of the first or second tape control modules on the gantry carrier in a transverse direction with respect to the substantially linear direction of travel of the gantry carrier;

a control system; and

,

a program used by the control system to adjust the lateral position of the at least certain modules as tape is being laid up by the modules over a varied surface contour, in response to a change in a varied contour of the composite part, so as to maintain a first course of tape and a second course of tape substantially adjacent to each other in an edge to edge alignment, and to adjust a compression force applied to the at least certain modules in response to the change in the varied contour of the composite part.

14. The machine of claim 13, wherein the tape control modules include first and second groups thereof staggered relative to each other in a direction of travel of the modules.

15. The machine of claim 14 wherein the tape control modules in the first and second staggered groups thereof are alternately arranged in a direction transverse to the direction of travel of the modules.

16. The machine of claim 13, wherein the adjusting means includes:

a motor, and

a drive coupling the motor with the at least certain modules, and

a programmed control system for controlling the operation of the motor.

17. A tape application machine for laying up composite tape on a substrate, comprising:

a head movable over the substrate in a direction of travel;

a gantry carrier mounted on the head configured to move in a direction of travel that is substantially linear over a surface of the substrate;

a plurality of tape control modules mounted on the carrier for laying up courses of tape on the substrate in the direction of travel, the plurality of tape control modules configured to move in a transverse direction with respect to the direction of travel by moving on the gantry carrier;

a motor mounted on the head; and

a drive coupled between the motor and the modules for adjusting a lateral position of at least one of the plurality of tape control modules on the head, such that a first tape control module is moved in the transverse direction with respect to a second tape control module while the first tape control module and the second tape control module lay down tape on the substrate, in response to a change in a varied contour of the substrate, the first tape control module moved independently of the second tape control module so as to maintain a first course of tape from the first tape control module and a second course of tape from the second tape control module substantially adjacent to each other in an edge to edge alignment, the drive further adjusting a compression force applied by the first set of tape control modules and the second set of tape control modules in response to the change in the varied contour of the substrate.

18. The machine of claim 17, wherein:

the plurality of tape control modules are arranged in first and second groups that are staggered relative to each other in the direction of travel of the head.

19. The machine of claim 18, wherein the tape control modules in the first and second groups thereof are alternately arranged in a direction substantially transverse to the direction of travel of the head.

20. The machine of claim 17, further comprising:

a control system for controlling the operation of the motor; and

a program used by the control system for adjusting the lateral position of the first tape control module and the second tape control module.

21. A method of applying bands of composite tape over a substrate, comprising:

moving a gantry carrier in a direction of travel over a surface of the substrate that is substantially linear;

moving a tape application head connected to the gantry carrier over the substrate in the direction of travel, the tape application head comprising a first set of tape application modules and a second set of tape application modules, each tape application module configured to apply a course of tape onto the substrate, each course of tape comprising a plurality of tape segments substantially equally spaced, the first set of tape application modules and the second set of tape application modules moveably connected to the gantry carrier;

simultaneously applying multiple courses of tape as a band to the substrate from the first set of tape application modules and the second set of tape application modules as the head moves over the substrate;

positioning the first set of tape application modules substantially aligned with a first axis and positioning the second set of tape application modules substantially aligned with a second axis, the first and the second axis substantially transverse to the direction of travel, and the first axis and the second axis separated by a distance; and

automatically adjusting the lateral position of the first set of tape application modules as the head moves over the substrate using pre-programmed instructions, the automatically adjusting being independent of the second set of tape application modules in response to a change in a varied contour of the substrate so as to maintain a first course of tape from the first tape control module and a second course of tape from the second tape control module substantially adjacent to each other in an edge to edge alignment, adjusting the lateral position including moving at least one of the first or second tape application modules on the gantry carrier in a transverse direction with respect to the substantially linear direction of travel of the gantry carrier; and

adjusting a compression force applied by the first set of tape application modules and the second set of tape application modules in response to the change in the varied contour of the substrate.

22. A machine for applying composite tape over a substrate, comprising:

a gantry carrier configured to move in a direction of travel that is substantially linear over a surface of the substrate;

a tape application head connected to the gantry carrier and adapted to travel over the substrate;

a first and a second group of tape application modules, each module operable for applying a course of composite tape to the substrate the composite tape comprising a plurality tape segments substantially evenly spaced, the first and the second groups of modules being staggered in the direction of travel of the gantry carrier such that the first group of tape application modules substantially aligns along a first axis and the second group of tape application modules substantially aligns along a second axis, the modules in the first group of tape application modules and the second group of tape application modules alternately arranged in side-by-side relationship such that the tape applied by the modules form a substantially continuous band, and wherein alternating courses of the tape are respectively applied by the tape control modules in the first and second groups thereof;

means for mounting the first and the second groups of tape application modules for movement relative to each other in a direction substantially traverse to the substantially linear direction of travel of the gantry carrier;

a first and a second adjustment system mounted on the head and respectively associated with the first and second groups of modules for adjusting the lateral positions of the modules, such that a transverse spacing between courses of tape may be adjusted, the transverse spacing of each module being independent of the other modules, each of the adjustment systems including a motor and a drive coupling the motor with the respectively associated group of modules for laterally displacing the modules, the first and the second adjustment systems configured to adjust the first and second groups of modules, in response to a change in a varied contour of the substrate, so as to maintain a first course of tape from the first group of modules and a second course of tape from the second group of modules substantially adjacent to each other in an edge to edge alignment;

a control system for controlling the operation of each of the adjustment systems; and

a program used by the control system for controlling the operation of each of the adjustment systems while a tape application module is applying a course of composite tape and adjusting a compression force applied by the first group of tape control modules and the second group of tape control modules in response to the change in the varied contour of the substrate.