Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Orbital Atk, Inc.

Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, Inc.

Don C Jones

Vernon M Benson

Jason K Slack

Ralph Douglas Cope

Christopher James Madsen

Steven Andrew Cope

Anthony Dale Johnson

Peter G Turner

Michael James Case

Kimberly Ann Ferrara

Jesse Paul Brown

James Gargel

Kyle Putnam Tarry

Kimberley Ann Ferrara

Material preparation devices and related methods include a material or substrate assembly and an application assembly for applying a fiber material.

Material preparation device and related methods

A material preparation device is provided. The material preparation device includes a bias-ply assembly, a feedstock assembly and an application head. The bias-ply assembly is configured to pass a bias-ply backing material along a first path. The feedstock assembly is configured to pass a feedstock along a second path that crosses the first path at a select angle. The feedstock includes resin pre-impregnated fiber-reinforced material (pre-preg) having the fibers at a first orientation relative to an edge of the feedstock. The application head is configured to transfer the pre-preg from the feedstock to the bias-ply backing material at a location where the first path crosses the second path to form a bias-ply with the fibers of the pre-preg having a second, different orientation relative to an edge of the formed bias-ply.

Material preparation device

A material preparation device is provided. The material preparation device includes a bias-ply assembly, a feedstock assembly and an application head. The bias-ply assembly is configured to pass a bias-ply backing material along a first path. The feedstock assembly is configured to pass a feedstock along a second path that crosses the first path at a select angle. The feedstock includes resin pre-impregnated fiber reinforced material (pre-preg) having the fibers at a first orientation relative to an edge of the feedstock. The application head is configured to transfer the pre-preg from the feedstock to the bias-ply backing material at a location where the first path crosses the second path to form a bias-ply with the fibers of the pre-preg having a second different orientation relative to an edge of the formed bias-ply.

Automated bias-ply preparation device and process

Growing community of inventors

West Haven, UT, United States of America

Don C Jones