FABRIC HANDLING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR COMPOSITE MANUFACTURE

An apparatus and accompanying method for handling fabrics used in the construction of composite components and in particular those used in aircraft includes a movable, gantry-type frame assembly having a movable robotic arm attached thereto. A drum assembly, attached to the robotic arm has one or mo...

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Bibliographische Detailangaben
Hauptverfasser:	BROWN TONI K, PICKELL ROBERT, BURGESS ROGER A
Format:	Patent
Sprache:	eng
Schlagworte:	AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING CONVEYING GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS,CABLES LAYERED PRODUCTS LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT ORNON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM PACKING PERFORMING OPERATIONS SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS STORING TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS TRANSPORTING WORKING OF PLASTICS WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL
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Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:	An apparatus and accompanying method for handling fabrics used in the construction of composite components and in particular those used in aircraft includes a movable, gantry-type frame assembly having a movable robotic arm attached thereto. A drum assembly, attached to the robotic arm has one or more vacuum ports disposed along the surface of the drum. When vacuum from within the drum is applied to the ports and the drum is moved to contact flexible fabric material-such as the reinforcement fabric used for composite manufacture-an end of the fabric may be picked up through the effect of the applied vacuum and the fabric rolled-up around the drum. The movable gantry and/or the robotic arm may then move the drum to a desired location where the fabric is unrolled and prepared for composite manufacture. Variations to the vacuum ports permit the rolling and transport of a variety of materials and shapes.