Alliant Techsystems Inc.

Hercules Corporation

John A. Johnson

Vernon M. Benson

Dee R. Gill

Boyd L. Hatch

Brian Moloney

Keith G. Shupe

Noel I. Shepherd

William J. Weis

Boyd L Hatch

Keith G Shupe

Vernon M Benson

Dennis R Hegerhorst

Todd A Rosevear

James L Harvey

Michael R McCloy

Douglas G Harris

Mark E Deckers

James M Brown

Christopher James Madsen

Dee R Gill

Noel I Shepherd

John A Johnson

William J Weis

Brian N Moloney

Kyle E Chapman

An automated material delivery system including a material handling assembly, a compaction member, a handling actuator, and a cutting actuator is provided. The material handling assembly is configured and arranged to guide material. The material handling assembly includes a tacking member that is configured and arranged to selectively press the material over a forming surface of a tool. The compaction member is spaced a select distance from the tacking member. The compaction member is further configured to selectively press the material over at least a portion of the forming surface of the tool. The handling actuator is coupled to selectively move at least one of the material handling assembly and the compaction member to move the material handling assembly in relation to the compaction member. The cutting assembly is positioned between the tacking member and the compaction member. The cutting assembly is configured and arranged to selectively cut the material.

Automated material delivery system

A fiber redirect system for use with a multi-axis robotic wrist and fiber placement system and methods of using the same are provided. The fiber redirect system may include one or more redirect mechanisms configured to alter the path of one or more fiber tows fed from a creel assembly to a fiber placement head. The redirect mechanism may be located and configured so as to be centered about either the intersection of the pitch and yaw axes of the robotic wrist or the intersection of the yaw and roll axes of the robotic wrist. In one exemplary embodiment, a first redirect mechanism is centered about the intersection of the pitch and yaw axes, a second redirect mechanism is centered about the intersection of the yaw and roll axes and a third redirect mechanism may be centered about the roll axis.

Fiber redirect system, multi-axis robotic wrist and fiber placement apparatus incorporating same and related methods

Method and apparatus for the manufacture of fiber reinforced structures wherein tooling and a delivery head are employed for the placement of discrete, elongated fiber elements in mutually superimposed relationship to define reinforcement or stiffening members on fiber elements for the interiors or exteriors of composite shells and the consolidation of the fibers to form the cured composite structure. A consolidation medium is provided for the positioning and control of the fiber elements on the hard tooling and during the curing of the fiber elements.

Method for producing fiber reinforced structures

Method and apparatus for the manufacture of fiber reinforced structures wherein tooling and a delivery head are employed for the placement of discrete, elongated fiber elements in mutually superimposed relationship to define reinforcement or stiffening members on fiber elements for the interiors or exteriors of composite shells and the consolidation of the fibers to form the cured composite structure. A consolidation medium is provided for the positioning and control of the fiber elements on the hard tooling and during the curing of the fiber elements. Method and apparatus for the manufacture of fiber reinforced structures.

Method and apparatus for producing fiber reinforced structures

A self-contained apparatus for placement of discrete fiber element tows on a mandrel or other tooling. The apparatus carries a spooled fiber element supply, which is directed to a compaction roller over a short, non-convoluted path through a cut/add module having a knife assembly for severing a discrete tow from a continuous fiber element filament, and a drive assembly for feeding the tow and restarting feed of a new tow after severance of the prior one from the filament. The apparatus is particularly suitable for sequentially laying up superimposed, or stacked, tows to define rib-like stiffeners of composite material for reinforcing composite shell structures, and grids of such stiffeners. Methods of using the apparatus are also disclosed.

Self-contained apparatus for fiber element placement

A delivery head is adapted for use in a fiber placement system for laying a plurality of tows, forming a band, onto a mandrel to form an irregular shaped object. The delivery head has cut and add sections and includes a plurality of pathways for guiding a respective plurality of tows from an inlet to an outlet of the delivery head. The cut and add section is provided in the form of a module which includes apparatus for selectively actuating any of a plurality of cutting elements and for selectively actuating any of a plurality of advancing devices for advancing respective ones of the tows toward the outlet of the delivery head.

Fiber placement delivery system with modular cut/add actuators

A filament winding system includes a head that selects the number of tows to be within a winding band while winding and positioning the winding band directly on the mandrel according to contours of the mandrel. Half of the tows are conveyed in an upper portion of the head and the remaining half are conveyed in a lower portion of the head with both halves meeting at an applicating roller at the discharge end of the tows. The head includes cut and add assemblies wherein the individual tows are selectively cut and later can be added to the band.

Filament winding system

Growing community of inventors

West Valley City, UT, United States of America

Boyd L Hatch