Rolls-royce Corporation

Composite Technology & Applications Limited

James Tingle

Ralph Douglas Cope

Anthony Dale Johnson

Michael James Case

John Anthony Kukon

Ralph D Cope

There is disclosed a tool for manufacturing a composite component, the tool comprising: a skin composed of fibre reinforced plastic and defining a layup surface for the composite component, the skin having a plurality of passageways extending from the layup surface to an opposing surface of the skin; a backing secured to the skin, the backing and the skin defining a cavity therebetween; a support core disposed within the cavity and comprising a gas-permeable material in fluid communication with the passageways; and a conduit extending through the backing such that the conduit is in fluid communication with the gas-permeable material.

Tool for manufacturing a composite component

There is provided a lay-up head for applying elongate fibre reinforcement material to an application surface. The lay-up head comprises a support head having a transverse axis, a dispensing mechanism carried by the support head for dispensing elongate fibre reinforcement material, and a roller for pressing elongate fibre composite material against the application surface. The roller is tiltable with respect to the support head such that the roller axis can be angled with respect to the transverse axis of support head. The lay-up head also comprises a holding mechanism operable to hold the roller in a central position in which the roller axis is parallel to the transverse axis of the support head.

Lay-up head

There is disclosed a roller interchange devicecomprising: a supportfor mounting on a composite material lay-up head; a plurality of roller mountsfor mounting respective rollers. Each roller mountis selectively moveable to a respective engaged position relative the support. The engaged position of each roller mountcorresponds to a respective roller being held at a compaction location relative the head when the support is mounted on the head.

Roller interchange device

There is disclosed a composite material lay-up head () for applying elongate fibre reinforcement material () to a tool (), the head () comprising: at least one elongate tow guide channel () for guiding fibre reinforcement material () from a tow inlet () to a tow outlet () of the channel (); and feed apparatus () for feeding fibre reinforcement material through the at least one channel (); wherein the or each channel () is provided with at least one nozzle () arranged so that in use a jet of gas can be delivered into the channel () so as to inhibit contact between fibre reinforcement material () in the channel () and the channel ().

Composite material lay-up equipment

There is disclosed a cutting mechanism for severing elongate fibre reinforcement material in composite material lay-up equipment, the cutting mechanism comprising a cutting element and a counteracting element which cooperate to sever fibre reinforcement material extending through the nip between them, the cutting element being mounted on an elongate arm which is pivotable about a pivot axis A spaced from the nip, to displace the cutting element relatively to the counteracting element to perform a cutting stroke, the mechanism further comprising guide means arranged to guide the fibre reinforcement material through the nip in a feed direction transverse to the pivot axis A, and an actuation device for driving the elongate arm in a cutting stroke, the actuation device acting on the elongate arm at a position away from the cutting element. There is also provided composite material lay-up equipment comprising the cutting mechanism.

Cutting mechanism

There is disclosed a cutting mechanism for severing elongate fiber reinforcement material in composite material lay-up equipment, the cutting mechanism comprising a cutting element and a counteracting element which cooperate to sever fiber reinforcement material extending through the nip between them, the cutting element being mounted on an elongate arm which is pivotable about a pivot axis A spaced from the nip, to displace the cutting element relatively to the counteracting element to perform a cutting stroke, the mechanism further comprising guide means arranged to guide the fiber reinforcement material through the nip in a feed direction transverse to the pivot axis A, and an actuation device for driving the elongate arm in a cutting stroke, the actuation device acting on the elongate arm at a position away from the cutting element. There is also provided composite material lay-up equipment comprising the cutting mechanism.

There is disclosed composite material lay-up equipment for applying a plurality of individual lengths of elongate fiber reinforcement material to an article, the equipment comprising: a support head; a cutting mechanism carried by the support head for severing a plurality of individual lengths of elongate fiber reinforcement material. The cutting mechanism comprises a plurality of cutting elements coupled to and moveable with respect to the support head and a cassette removably attached to the support head and having a plurality of corresponding counteracting elements statically mounted thereto. Each cutting element is displaceable relative to the corresponding counteracting element to perform a cutting stroke in which the respective cutting and counteracting elements cooperate to sever a length of elongate fiber reinforcement material extending through the nip formed between them.

There is disclosed composite material lay-up equipmentfor applying a plurality of individual lengths of elongate fiber reinforcement materialto an article, the equipmentcomprising: a support head; a cutting mechanismcarried by the support headfor severing a plurality of individual lengths of elongate fiber reinforcement material. The cutting mechanismcomprises a plurality of cutting elementscoupled to and moveable with respect to the support headand a cassetteremovably attached to the support headand having a plurality of corresponding counteracting elementsstatically mounted thereto. Each cutting elementis displaceable relative to the corresponding counteracting elementto perform a cutting stroke in which the respective cutting and counteracting elementscooperate to sever a length of elongate fiber reinforcementmaterial extending through the nip formed between them.

There is disclosed a cutting mechanismfor severing elongate fiber reinforcement materialin composite material lay-up equipment, the cutting mechanismcomprising a cutting elementand a counteracting elementwhich cooperate to sever fiber reinforcement materialextending through the nip between them, the cutting elementbeing mounted on an elongate armwhich is pivotable about a pivot axis A spaced from the nip, to displace the cutting elementrelatively to the counteracting elementto perform a cutting stroke, the mechanismfurther comprising guide meansarranged to guide the fiber reinforcement materialthrough the nip in a feed direction transverse to the pivot axis A, and an actuation devicefor driving the elongate armin a cutting stroke, the actuation deviceacting on the elongate armat a position away from the cutting element. There is also provided composite material lay-up equipmentcomprising the cutting mechanism

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East Cowes, United Kingdom

James Tingle