Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Orbital Atk, Inc.

Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, Inc.

Barrday Inc.

Kimberly Ann Ferrara

Ralph Douglas Cope

Vernon M Benson

Jason K Slack

Christopher James Madsen

Steven Andrew Cope

Anthony Dale Johnson

Peter G Turner

Michael James Case

Don C Jones

Jesse Paul Brown

James Gargel

Kyle Putnam Tarry

Michael G Case

Chinkal Patel

Andrew Galbraith

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

A method for processing a composite includes consolidating a section of a continuous length of a first feedstock together with a section of a continuous length of a second feedstock to form a consolidated section. The first feedstock is made of a first composite layer that is releasably bonded to a first release layer, and the second feedstock is made of a second composite layer that is releasably bonded to a second release layer. The first release layer is then separated from the consolidated section and from a portion of the first composite layer a distance beyond an edge of the consolidated section. The first composite layer is then cut within the distance beyond the edge to release the consolidated section from the remaining continuous length of the first feedstock.

Method for processing a composite

Growing community of inventors

Middletown, DE, United States of America

Kimberly Ann Ferrara