Composite Technology & Applications Limited

Rolls-Royce Corporation

Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Orbital Atk, Inc.

Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, Inc.

Michael James Case

Ralph Douglas Cope

Anthony Dale Johnson

James Tingle

John Anthony Kukon

Vernon M Benson

Jason K Slack

Christopher James Madsen

Steven Andrew Cope

Peter G Turner

Kimberly Ann Ferrara

James Gargel

Kyle Putnam Tarry

Don C Jones

Jesse Paul Brown

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

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

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

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.

Composite material lay-up equipment

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

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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Newark, DE, United States of America

Michael James Case