Abstract:
A filament winding system includes a storage unit that stores in advance a reference shape of a winding object, and winding conditions including a winding position and a winding angle at which a fiber is wound around the winding object having the reference shape, a guide that is movable relative to the winding object, and feeds the fiber onto the winding object, a rotating device that rotates the winding object, such that the fiber fed from the guide is wound around the winding object, a measuring unit that measures a shape of the winding object, and a controller. When there is a difference between the reference shape stored in the storage unit, and the measured shape of the winding object, the controller corrects the winding conditions so as to reduce or eliminate the difference, and controls the guide according to the corrected conditions.
Abstract:
A method of manufacture of a product from a composite material is described, the method including winding a material onto a mandrel, monitoring the material, as it is wound onto the mandrel, to ascertain at least one dimension of the material being wound, and monitoring the mandrel as the material is wound thereon to ascertain the weight of the material being wound, and controlling the winding of the material onto the mandrel to take into account variations in the material being wound using the at least one dimension and the weight values derived during the monitoring. An apparatus suitable for use in the method is also described.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for winding filament to create a structure. In one embodiment, the invention includes the application of filament to a rotating mandrel to create a desired shape. The invention includes the filament winding of both simple and complex shapes.
Abstract:
A fiber placement machine includes a movable wrist with a fiber placement head at one end of the wrist. A roller system for delivering fibers to the fiber placement head includes a J-axis roller located spaced from the ends of the wrist, a K-axis roller at the end of the wrist that supports the head, and an A-axis roller at the opposite end of the wrist. The axis of the K-axis rollers swivel depending on the rotation of the head, and the A-axis rollers swivel as a function of the swiveling of the K-axis rollers. As the A-axis rollers swivel, at least one end of the A-axis roller is displaced toward the J-axis roller to maintain a constant path length for the fiber tows between the A-axis roller and the J-axis roller.
Abstract:
A composite flywheel rim has multiple fiber layers in each of a plurality of radially contiguous zones. The layers in the intermediate zones each have a mixture of carbon fiber tows and glass fiber tows. The ratio of carbon fiber tows to glass fiber tows in each layer of any single zone is constant and the ratio incrementally increases zone-by-zone radially toward the outside of the rim, and the distribution of carbon fiber tows is macroscopically uniform in each zone. The flywheel rim is made by winding a band of fiber tows, impregnated with wet resin, onto a mandrel. The macroscopically uniform distribution can be achieved by controlling the correlation between lead rate of the fiber band as it is wound onto the mandrel per mandrel revolution and the winding length. Carbon fiber tow spacing and position in the band, and a width of a carbon fiber tow also affect the lay up pattern, however, the most effective and the easiest way to change the lay up pattern with constant parameters is by controlling the winding length.
Abstract:
A developable structural part, such as a component, includes at least one layer made from a resin-impregnated fabric (prepreg) and at least one layer made from wound threads, yarns, rovings or ribbons. At least one constant thread tension, but preferably a thread tension increasing from layer to layer, is applied during winding of the threads, yarns, rovings or ribbons. An outer ply is always formed of wound threads, yarns, rovings or ribbons. A process for producing the structural parts, a thermal insulation cylinder, a protective tube, a heating element, a stay pipe, a hot-press die and a thermal insulation element are also provided. The developable component or structural part can be obtained due to a combination of the application of fabric prepreg layers and windings made from threads, yarns, rovings or ribbons. The component or structural part has particularly high strength, outstanding mechanical properties and chemical resistance after curing of the resin matrix, or after curing and carbonizing, or after curing, carbonizing and graphitizing.
Abstract:
A hollow, tapered, fiber-reinforced plastic utility pole, and a method for making the pole. The pole is designed by a computer-modelling technique that simulates applying resin-coated, reinforcing strands over the outer surface of a mandrel. A plurality of test stations are incrementally spaced from the tip portion to the butt portion of the pole simulated on the mandrel. The thickess-to-diameter ratio must be equal to or greater than an established constant at each station or additional circuits of resin-coated, reinforcing strands deemed to have been applied, as required. One then calculates the stress resistance at each successive station to determine if the acceptable stress is greater than the stress resistance required. Whatever additional circuits of resin-coated, reinforcing strands are necessary are then deemed to have been applied. One then calculates the projected failure load in response to the deflection calculated to occur in response to the rated load at each station to determine if the actual loading to be applied to the pole in relation to the projected failure load at that station is acceptable. The acceptable stress is modified by a binary chopping routine until the relation of the projected failure load and the rated load differ by an acceptable amount. All tests are recalculated until no further changes are require. The pole may then be laid up on a mandrel, and the resin cured to complete the pole.
Abstract:
Method and apparatus for producing homogeneously needled three-dimensional structures formed of superposed layers of fibrous material and the needled structures produced thereby. As layers of fibrous material are added to a stack of needled layers, the needling needles are moved away from the stack so as to maintain a uniform depth of needling over the entire stack, and to achieve a uniformly needled result. To permit the same density of needling in the initial layers, a substrate layer of needle penetrable material is used to support the initial layers which can then be needled as through they were layed on top of other needled layers. For the final layers, the needling rate is reduced to compensate for the lessened clogging of the needle in having fewer layers to penetrate in the final needling. Needled structures according to the invention find particular application in the manufacture of rocket motor parts, heat protective pieces, and friction pieces such as high performance brake discs or pads as used on aircraft and land vehicles.
Abstract:
A method for producing a structural component part (1, 33) from a fiber-reinforced plastic according to a three-dimensional winding process. A threadlike fiber material (12) is supplied on at least one bobbin (18) and constructed as a towpreg semifinished product is wound around at least one filament carrier (11) in a winding pattern by a computer-controlled winding device. The towpreg semifinished product is a mixture (30) of a thermoset resin, a hardener, an accelerator and plastic fibers (29) embedded in the mixture (30). The fiber material (12) is guided on the filament carrier (11) by a guide element (24) having a circular outlet cross section and arranged at a fiber guide device (25), the fiber material (12) deflected by the guide element (24) when the winding pattern is formed. The fiber material (12) is brought in contact with the guide element (24) during a deflection.
Abstract:
A sash (62) of a window opening up to 180° and capable of tilting is mounted onto a fixedly installed frame profile (63) and houses a pair of superimposing sashes that fit tightly therein when in closure position, i.e. an upper stationary sash (65) and a lower movable-divertible sash (64), each of the sashes (64,65) provided with laterally extending shafts (49) for connection with sash (62), roller wheels (50) provided onto the shafts (49) of sash (64) that roll within a predefined path created by insert guide profile members (19) and diverter guide members (66,68) to alternately bring sash (64) in a position of superimposing sash (65) and a position of alignment with the same. Lifting mechanisms (46) provided with a regulatory screw (84) for adjusting the pretension of a spring component thereof and thereby the force required by the user for moving the sash (64) are installed within the vertically extending sides of the sash (62).