General Electric Company

Thomas Kluge

Stefaan Guido Van Nieuwenhove

Sultan Shair

Andreas Lutz

Martin Petersen

Christopher James Madsen

Mathias Ernst Messmer

Ram Kumar Upadhyay

James Duvall Bollacker

Hojjat Nasr

Krishnan Balaji Thattai Parthasarathy

Alex William Ariapad

Thomas Koerwien

Anja Lena Nieratschker

Alexander Hofmann

Rene Hertha

Matthew Hall Beaumont

Johannes Hornof

Nikolaus Mroncz

Bruno Betoni Parodi

Julian Thomas O'Flynn

A powder removal assembly includes a build module comprising module sidewalls and a moveable build plate slidably coupled to the module sidewalls, and an extraction housing removably engaged with the module sidewalls of the build module and defining a turbulence chamber between the build module and the extraction housing. The extraction housing includes one or more sidewalls comprising one or more sidewall fluid flow channels extending through the one or more sidewalls and a top wall coupled to the one or more sidewalls, wherein the one or more sidewall fluid flow channels extend from a position proximate a base of the one or more sidewalls to the top wall.

Powder removal systems and assemblies for additive manufacturing

A system for forming stacked material includes a housing defining an interior space. The housing includes a bottom wall and a side wall coupled to the bottom wall. At least one tool is configured to shape the stacked material. The at least one tool is disposed within the interior space. A membrane extends at least partially over the bottom wall and is spaced a distance from the bottom wall. The membrane is configured to move towards the bottom wall. At least one intensifier mechanism is disposed in the interior space and is configured to induce a force against a portion of the stacked material and against the at least one tool as the membrane is moved towards the bottom wall.

System and method for forming stacked materials

A method and an automatic layup system for making a stack of a plurality of composite plies are presented. The automatic layup system includes a stacking assembly located in a first plane and a layup tool located in a second plane parallel to the first plane. The stacking assembly and the layup tool are movable towards each other. The method includes the steps of (a) providing one or more composite sheets between the layup tool and the stacking assembly, (b) generating a first composite ply from the one or more composite sheets, (c) placing the first composite ply on the layup tool by the stacking assembly by bringing the stacking assembly and the layup tool close to each other, and (d) repeating the steps (b) and (c) for generating and placing a second composite ply on the first composite ply, which is placed on the layup tool.

Automatic systems and methods for stacking composite plies

An automated in-line feed-through system and method, integrates the ability to control one or more variables during part fabrication with the layup of one or more fiber tows to form a composite part. The system includes an automated layup system configured to receive a feed-through of one or more fiber tows as an input material. The automated in-line feed-through system further includes a controller configured to respond to measurement data obtained by one or more samplings of the input material and/or a plurality of laid up plies that form a laminate. The controller in response to the obtained measurement data provides adjustment of the feed-through of the one or more fiber tows to compensate for a variation in one or more of the weights from a reference weight.

System and method for controlling at least one variable during layup of a composite part using automated fiber placement

A layup system for use in forming a composite layup structure from a plurality of plies of composite material, wherein an outermost ply of composite material has a removable film adhered thereto. The system includes a robotic device and an end effector coupled to the robotic device. The end effector includes a layer of compressible material configured to compress the plurality of plies of composite material together when positioned over the composite layup structure. The end effector further includes a first suction device configured to grip the removable film adhered to the outermost ply of composite material. The robotic device is configured to translate the end effector relative to the composite layup structure such that the removable film is peeled from the outermost ply of composite material while the first suction device grips the removable film.

Systems and methods of forming a composite layup structure

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, methods for molding and curing of composite articles are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a molding apparatus including an elastic layer disposed on a rigid support and a mold disposed on the elastic layer and the support. In one embodiment, the mold includes an inner surface, the inner surface further including a molding surface, and wherein a first surface of the elastic layer and the inner surface of the mold define a molding chamber. In one embodiment, a prepreg is further disposed within the molding chamber, wherein the prepreg is disposed on the first surface of the elastic layer. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a fluid via a fluid inlet against a second surface of the elastic layer, thereby expanding the elastic layer against the inner surface of the mold, and pushing the prepreg against the molding surface of the mold to form a molded composite article. In one embodiment, the method further includes curing the molded composite article in the molding chamber to form a cured composite article. An apparatus for molding and curing of composite articles is also provided.

Methods and apparatus for molding and curing of composites

Growing community of inventors

Bavaria, Germany

Thomas Kluge