Laying head, fibre placement device and method

Abstract

A laying head for a fibre placement device, in particular for fibre placement according to the AFP method, includes a placing roller which is permeable to laser light, at least in part, a laser light feed unit which is arranged in an inner space of the placing roller and a sensor which is designed and arranged to receive laser light reflected from a component on which the placing roller places a fibre band.

Claims

1. A laying head for a fibre placement device, comprising: a placing roller which is permeable to laser light, at least in part; a laser light feed unit which is arranged in an inner space of the placing roller; and a sensor which is designed and arranged to receive laser light reflected from a component on which the placing roller places a fibre band.

2. The laying head according to claim 1, wherein a mirror is arranged in the inner space of the placing roller in order to deflect the laser light from the laser light feed unit to the component at a predetermined angle.

3. The laying head according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a CCD sensor.

4. The laying head according to claim 3, wherein the sensor is dimensioned in such a way that light reflected from the component is substantially picked up by the sensor.

5. The laying head according to claim 1, wherein a laser is arranged in the inner space of the placing roller as a laser light feed apparatus.

6. The laying head according to claim 1, wherein a laser is arranged outside the placing roller and in that laser light emitted by the laser can be deflected onto an inner side of the placing roller by means of the laser light feed unit.

7. The laying head according to claim 6, wherein the laser light feed unit comprises a minor or glass fibres.

8. The laying head according to claim 1, wherein optics are arranged in the inner space of the placing roller, which optics are suitable for deflecting laser light reflected from the component onto the sensor.

9. The laying head according to claim 1, wherein the placing roller contains a flexible material.

10. The laying head according to claim 1, wherein an angle sensor and/or a position sensor is arranged on the placing roller, which sensor is suitable for detecting an angle and/or a position of the fibre band.

11. A fibre placement device for automated fibre placement according to the AFP method, comprising a laying head, the laying head comprising: a placing roller which is permeable to laser light, at least in part; a laser light feed unit which is arranged in an inner space of the placing roller; and a sensor which is designed and arranged to receive laser light reflected from a component on which the placing roller places a fibre band.

12. A method for examining a component which is manufactured using a fibre placement device for automated fibre placement according to the AFP method, comprising a laying head, the laying head comprising: a placing roller which is permeable to laser light, at least in part; a laser light feed unit which is arranged in an inner space of the placing roller; and a sensor which is designed and arranged to receive laser light reflected from a component on which the placing roller places a fibre band, the method comprising: radiating laser light from the inner space of the placing roller, which is permeable to the laser light, at least in part, to the fibre band which is placed onto a component or tool by the placing roller; and picking up reflected light by a sensor.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the reflected light is evaluated with regard to a height profile of the component.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the laser light is radiated onto the placed fibre band in such a way that regions which are adjacent to the placed fibre band are also irradiated.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein radiating and/or picking up the laser light is triggered by a position sensor and/or an angle sensor, which can detect a position and/or an angle of the placed fibre band.

16. The laying head according to claim 1, wherein the laying head is used for fibre placement according to the AFP method.

17. The laying head according to claim 9, wherein the placing roller is manufactured from the flexible material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) Other embodiments and advantages of the invention will be explained in more detail hereinafter on the basis of a preferred embodiment and with reference to a schematic drawing.

(2) FIG. 1—The single FIGURE schematically shows a cross section through a placing roller of the laying head according to the invention, which roller places just one fibre band.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(3) The FIGURE shows those parts of a laying head according to the invention which are relevant to the invention. A transparent placing roller 1 places a fibre band 2 made of carbon fibres onto a component 3. In this case, the placing roller 1 rotates in the direction of the arrow 4 and presses the fibre band 2 onto the component 3 at a certain pressure during the placing operation. Depending on which material is used for the polymer matrix in which the fibres are located, i.e. for example a thermoplastic or a thermosetting plastics material, correspondingly adjusted heating units (not shown) can bring about curing or consolidation of the matrix material after the placing operation.

(4) A laser 6 is arranged in an inner space 5 of the placing roller 1 and emits laser light 7 to a minor 8, which light is reflected by said mirror and impinges on an inner side 11 of the placing roller and then on the component 3. The laser light 7 impinges on the component 3 in a region in which the fibre band 2 contacted the component 3 immediately before and to which region said fibre band remains adhered due to the adhesiveness of the fibre band 2 and the contact pressure of the placing roller 1.

(5) In this embodiment, the region in which the fibre band has been placed is directly adjacent to another fibre band which has been placed parallel to the current fibre band 2. The intended geometry of the fibre placement is such that the two fibre bands can come to lie next to one another without an intermediate space. The fibre band placed first cannot be seen in the side view in the FIGURE.

(6) The laser light 7 is reflected from the region of the component 3 on which it impinges, at a corresponding angle according to optical laws and impinges on a sensor 9. In this embodiment, the sensor 9 is a CCD sensor, which is common in cameras. Said sensor can receive the reflected light 10 in a spatially resolved manner and with regard to a height profile and pass it to a suitable evaluation unit (not shown) for an evaluation.

(7) In this example, there is a gap between the currently placed fibre band 2 and the previously placed fibre band, which gap is greater than a predetermined threshold value. This is detected by the evaluation unit in accordance with the spatially resolved height profile. This detected defect can now be correspondingly acted on.

(8) The laser 6, the minor 8 and the sensor 10 are arranged in the inner space 5 of the placing roller 1 in such a way that they are placed independently of the rotation of the placing roller 1. This is achieved in that the parts mentioned are connected to the laying head in a stationary manner. The visual monitoring of possible defects on the component 3 is thereby always directed to that region in which a fibre band 2 has most recently been placed. The same applies correspondingly to those parts which are optionally additionally or alternatively arranged in the inner space 5 of the placing roller 1 instead of the laser 6, the mirror 8 and the sensor 10.

(9) Such additional or alternative parts are, according to variants of the embodiment, on the one hand, glass fibres, by means of which the laser light is guided into the inner space 5 of the placing roller 1. In this variant, the laser is arranged at any point on the laying head. On the other hand, optics can be used which manipulate the laser light 7, 8 at different points. Such manipulations can be expansions or focusing of the laser beam, and deflections and redirections. This can occur as desired and as required in order to optimally use the space in the inner space 5 of the placing roller 1, and in order to optimise the resolution, depth of focus or accuracy of the visual monitoring. Such optics are known and are not explained in more detail here.

(10) The material of the placing roller 1 is permeable, at least in part, to wavelengths of the laser light 7 which is emitted by the laser 6. Further properties of the material can be a certain elasticity and temperature resistance. Depending on the temperature generated by the optionally present heating units, the material should keep its mechanical and visual properties during heating as far as possible. Suitable materials can be plastics, such as polyol, polyethylene, polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate or glasses or crystals, e.g. silicon dioxide.

(11) Without further elaboration, it is believed that one skilled in the art can, using the preceding description, utilize the present invention to its fullest extent. The preceding preferred specific embodiments are, therefore, to be construed as merely illustrative, and not limitative of the remainder of the disclosure in any way whatsoever.

(12) The preceding examples can be repeated with similar success by substituting the generically or specifically described reactants and/or operating conditions of this invention for those used in the preceding examples.

(13) From the foregoing description, one skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention and, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions.

(14) The entire disclosures of all applications, patents and publications, cited herein and of corresponding German Application No. 102014015831.4, filed Oct. 28, 2014 are incorporated by reference herein.