Alliant Techsystems Inc.

Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, Inc.

Orbital Atk, Inc.

Hercules Corporation

John A. Johnson

Vernon M. Benson

Dee R. Gill

Boyd L. Hatch

Brian Moloney

Keith G. Shupe

Noel I. Shepherd

William J. Weis

Vernon M Benson

Jason K Slack

Todd A Rosevear

Timothy S Olschewski

James L Harvey

Mark Roman

Peter G Turner

Christopher James Madsen

Keith G Shupe

Ralph Douglas Cope

Steven Andrew Cope

Anthony Dale Johnson

Michael James Case

Boyd L Hatch

Michael R McCloy

Kimberly Ann Ferrara

Jesse Paul Brown

James Gargel

Kyle Putnam Tarry

Mark E Deckers

Don C Jones

Dee R Gill

Steven J Floyd

Talbot P Thrasher

John B Healey

Noel I Shepherd

Douglas G Harris

Timothy R Stone

Dennis R Hegerhorst

Ethan J Hoffman

Jason H Stulp

Michael T Tueller

Wayne M Roeber

Chesley Lane

Travis S Olsen

Eric G Barnes

Jason Slack

David R Machac

Jeremy D Palmer

John A Johnson

Lloyd G Miller

William J Weis

James P Nielsen

Brian N Moloney

Kevin L Wade

Hosein Mansouri

David Ivankovich

Keri M Green

Brian J Loveless

Michael D Cimbalista, Jr

Nicklaus C Kimball

Bryan J Loveless

Michael D Cimbalista

Kimberley Ann Ferrara

Todd Rosevear

A lay-up forming element includes an inner region including a fluid port. The element further includes a flexible outer surface. The element also includes a support extending between the inner region and the flexible outer surface. The roller further includes a fluid cavity extending between the inner region and the flexible outer surface. The fluid cavity is in fluid communication with the fluid port. A lay-up forming device and a method of forming a composite structure are also disclosed.

Lay-up forming device and associated components and methods

A tube element including a first set of spaced apart tape strips helically wound in one direction, and a second set of spaced apart tape strips helically wound in an opposite direction as the first set of tape strips so that the tape strips in the first set periodically cross the tape strips in the second set, where the first and second sets of tape strips define a tube. A set of spaced apart straight tape strips are provided along the length of the tube. An end fitting is secured to an end of the first and second sets of tape strips at one end of the tube, and another end fitting is secured to an end of the first and second sets of tape strips at an opposite end of the tube, where the fittings are configured to be coupled to an end fitting of another tube element.

Tubular support element

A machine for manufacturing tube elements comprised of tape strips. The machine includes a shaft, a disk mounted to one end of the shaft, a motor coupled to an opposite end of the shaft, and a plate mounted to the shaft. The plate includes a plurality of spools mounted to the plate, where a separate one of the strips is wound on each spool. In one embodiment, the machine further includes a rail positioned adjacent to the disk, a slide slidably secured to the rail and including an end support configured to hold ends of the tape strips, and an indexer configured to pull the slide on the rail away from the disk. The tape strips are unwound from the spools when the indexer pulls the slide in a manner so that the tape strips ride in a spaced apart manner around the disk to form the tube element.

Structural tube element fabricator

Methods of forming a composite structure include conforming at least one ply of material to a forming surface of a tool having differing features. Apparatuses for forming a composite structure include a forming tool and a material feed assembly configured to hold a supply of material, where the material feed assembly may be configured to pivot the supply of material relative to the forming tool. Composite structures having an at least partially annular shape are formed by an at least partially automated process.

Composite structures, forming apparatuses and related systems and methods

A continuous filament additive manufacturing machine for building a part by laying down a continuous mono-filament or composite filament material layer by layer on a tool or substrate. The machine includes a system, such as a robot, operable to move in three degrees of freedom, and a placement module coupled to the system and being configured to deposit the continuous filament material. The placement module includes a guide for guiding the material to the part and an ultrasonic compaction device for compacting the material as it is being deposited from the placement module. The compaction device includes an ultrasonic horn having at least one guide hole through which the material passes before it is laid down and compacted. The ultrasonic horn is ultrasonically vibrated to melt or flow the material and cause the material to fuse and be compacted to the tool or substrate.

Ultrasonic material placement and compaction device with material passing through the ultrasonic horn element

A continuous filament additive manufacturing machine for building a part by laying down a continuous mono-filament or composite filament material layer by layer on a tool or substrate. The machine includes a system operable to move in at least three degrees of freedom, and a placement module coupled to the system and being configured to deposit the continuous filament material. The placement module includes a guide for guiding the material to the part and an ultrasonic compaction device for compacting the material as it is being deposited from the placement module. The compaction device includes an ultrasonic driver, an attachment member and a plurality of ultrasonic horns independently coupled to the attachment member and being movable independent of each other. The plurality of ultrasonic horns are ultrasonically vibrated to melt or flow the material and cause the material to fuse and be compacted to the tool or substrate.

Ultrasonic device for compaction allowing coordinated actuation and motion of multiple ultrasonic compaction horns

A continuous filament additive manufacturing machine for building a part by laying down a continuous mono-filament or composite filament material layer by layer on a tool or substrate. The machine includes a system, such as a robot, operable to move in at least three degrees of freedom, and a placement module coupled to the system and being configured to deposit the continuous filament material. The placement module includes a guide for guiding the material to the part, a heat source for pre-heating the material as it is being deposited from the placement module and a compaction device for compacting the material as it is being deposited from the placement module. The compaction device includes an ultrasonic horn that is ultrasonically vibrated to melt or flow the material and cause the material to fuse and be compacted to the tool or substrate.

Ultrasonic consolidation of continuous filament materials for additive manufacturing

A continuous filament additive manufacturing machine for building a part by laying down a continuous mono-filament or composite filament material layer by layer on a tool or substrate. The machine includes a system, such as a robot, operable to move in at least three degrees of freedom, and a placement module coupled to the system and being configured to deposit the continuous filament material. The placement module includes a guide for guiding the material to the part, an ultrasonic compaction device including an ultrasonic driver, an attachment frame and an ultrasonic disk horn coupled to the attachment frame. The ultrasonic driver is coupled to the disk horn and ultrasonically vibrates the horn in a reciprocating manner to melt or flow the material and cause the material to fuse and be compacted to the tool or substrate.

Ultrasonic compaction device using reciprocating disk horns

Apparatus and methods of stretch-forming material are provided. In one example embodiment, a variable material stretch-forming apparatus comprises a stretch-forming assembly configured to stretch-form at least one section of a sheet of material to a longer length than at least one other section of the sheet of material before the sheet of material is applied to a tool.

Apparatus for preforming at least a portion of a material

A composite storage tank may include a wall structure including at least three regions including an inner region, an outer region, and at least one permeation barrier. Another region may be optionally incorporated for venting potential permeation of fluids. The at least one permeation barrier and/or the venting layer may be strategically positioned between the inner region and the outer region to reduce or at least partially prevent fluid permeation of the inner region or the outer region. A vehicle may include such a composite storage tank. Methods of forming a composite fluid storage tank may include forming an inner composite region, applying a permeation barrier to an outer surface of the inner composite region, forming an outer composite region, and curing the inner composite region and the outer composite region with the permeation barrier to form the composite fluid storage tank.

Composite structures, composite storage tanks, vehicles including such composite storage tanks, and related systems and methods

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

Apparatus and methods of stretch-forming pre-preg material are provided. In one example embodiment, a variable material stretch-forming apparatus comprises a stretch-forming assembly configured to stretch-form at least one section of a sheet of pre-preg material to a longer length than at least one other section of the sheet of pre-preg material before the sheet of pre-preg material is applied to a tool.

A composite structure is provided. The structure includes at least one ply of preimpregnated material formed into a curved elongated member of continuous fibers onto a mandrel. The fibers have a select orientation. The curved elongated member has a length and a cross-sectional geometry that varies along the length.

Composite structures including an elongated member exhibiting a curved shape

Apparatuses for forming a composite structure are configured to provide a tension at least partially along at least one ply of material as the at least one ply of material is supplied from a material feed assembly to a tool.

Growing community of inventors

Morgan, UT, United States of America

Vernon M Benson