The Boeing Company

Theboeing Company

Adam La Gorce

Richard V Phillips

Alexandra K Dillon

Kevin F Malik

Julie Frances Murphy

A roller for automated fiber placement includes a flexible rim member arranged about a central axis. The flexible rim member has an inner side and an outer side, and the central axis is closer to the inner side than to the outer side. The roller also includes a hub member arranged substantially concentric with the flexible rim member about the central axis. The hub member defines an opening to receive a shaft of an automated fiber placement machine. The roller further includes a plurality of curved interconnect members extending between the hub member and the flexible rim member. Each of the plurality of curved interconnect members is elastically deformable to accommodate deformation of the flexible rim member. The roller also includes one or more roller skin layers coupled to the outer side of the flexible rim member.

Automated fiber placement roller

An automated fiber placement roller includes a metallic rim member arranged about a central axis and having an inner side and an outer side. The central axis is closer to the inner side than to the outer side, and the inner side defines a plurality of grooves enabling elastic deformation of the metallic rim member responsive to a force applied to the outer side. The automated fiber placement roller also includes a metallic hub member arranged substantially concentric with the metallic rim member about the central axis. The metallic hub member defines an opening to receive a shaft of an automated fiber placement machine. The automated fiber placement roller further includes a plurality of curved metallic interconnect members extending between the metallic hub member and the metallic rim member. Each of the plurality of curved metallic interconnect members is elastically deformable responsive to the force applied to the outer side.

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Maple Valley, WA, United States of America

Adam La Gorce