METHOD FOR PROVIDING BLANKS FROM A FIBRE WEB

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for providing blanks (Z) from a fibre web (1) in a sequence predefined for constructing a workpiece from said blanks (Z) layer-by-layer, wherein the blanks (Z), which each belong to a removal region (E) of the fibre web (1), are removed from the removal regions (E) and deposited, per removal region (E), in at least one deposit element (A) and then removed from the deposit elements (A) in the sequence predefined for constructing the workpiece layer-by-layer. In order to create advantageous sorting conditions, according to the invention the blanks (Z) that are removed individually from the removal regions (E) are stacked on top of one another in the deposit elements (A) in each case in a sequence that is the reverse of their layering sequence in the workpiece.

Claims

1. A method for providing blanks from a fibre web in a sequence that is predefined for a layer-by-layer construction of a workpiece from the blanks, comprising: removing the blanks from each removal region of a plurality of removal regions of the fibre web; depositing each of the blanks, per removal region, in at least one of a plurality of deposit elements; removing individually the blanks from the deposit elements in a sequence predefined for the layer-by-layer construction of the workpiece, wherein the blanks that are removed individually from the removal regions are stacked on top of each other in the deposit elements in a sequence that is a reverse of a layering sequence of the blanks in the workpiece.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the blanks for the workpiece are stacked in a plurality of deposit elements and are removed individually from the deposit elements in a sequence predefined for the layer-by-layer construction of the workpiece and are introduced into a mould for producing the workpiece.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the blanks are removed from the removal regions of the fibre web with the aid of at least two grippers and are stacked on top of each other in at least two deposit elements per removal region.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the blanks are stacked on top of each other in a predefined position in the deposit elements.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the blanks are removed from the removal regions of the fibre web with the aid of at least two grippers and are stacked on top of each other in at least two deposit elements per removal region.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the blanks are stacked on top of each other in a predefined position in the deposit elements.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the blanks are stacked on top of each other in a predefined position in the deposit elements.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the blanks are stacked on top of each other in a predefined position in the deposit elements.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The system described herein is explained in more detail with reference to the sole FIGURE, which shows a schematic block diagram of a sorting device for carrying out a sorting method.

DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

[0014] In order to produce a workpiece made up of layers of a fibrous material, blanks Z.sub.i corresponding to the individual layers are cut out of, for example, a pre-impregnated fibre web 1 and inserted in a sequence corresponding to the layering sequence into a mould provided for the production of the workpiece. In order to be able to use the fibre web 1 optimally with minimised waste, the individual blanks Z.sub.i are arranged according to sizes and geometric outline shapes of the blanks Z.sub.i distributed over the fibre web 1 independently of layer positions of the blanks Z.sub.i in the workpiece structure. An order i of the blanks Z.sub.i is determined by a sequence of the individual layers of the workpiece, where i stands for the number series 1 to n, where n is a total number of blanks used for the workpiece structure.

[0015] In order to ensure that the entire fibre web 1 does not have to be searched for the provision of the individual blanks Z.sub.i in a sequence corresponding to the layer structure of the workpiece to be produced and in order to be able to remove the blanks Z.sub.i in an order which is reversed in relation to the layering sequence in the workpiece to be produced, the blanks Z.sub.i are removed one after the other from individual removal regions E.sub.j and are deposited per removal region E.sub.j in at least one deposit element A.sub.j in stacked form, in each case in an ascending or descending order which corresponds to the descending or ascending order of the layers in the structure of the workpiece to be produced.

[0016] As can be seen from the drawing, in order to remove the blanks Z.sub.3, Z.sub.17and Z.sub.7, which form the subsequent layers No. 3, 17 and 7, from a removal region E.sub.1, a deposit element Al is first provided for stacking the blanks Z.sub.i from a supply store 2. The blanks Z.sub.3, Z.sub.17 and Z.sub.7, which are provided with a corresponding identifier for an order of the blanks Z.sub.3, Z.sub.17 and Z.sub.7, are released from the fibre web 1 in an order corresponding to a descending order of the blanks Z.sub.3, Z.sub.17 and Z.sub.7 from the removal region E.sub.1 with the aid of a removal device 3 indicated by a dot-dash line on the basis of the ascending order of the layering sequence of the workpiece to be produced, so that first of all the blank Z.sub.17 is removed from the fibre web 1 in an orientation predetermined by a position in the fibre web 1 and is deposited on the deposit element A.sub.1, namely in a specific orientation with respect to the deposit element A.sub.1, which does not have to correspond to the original orientation and is preferably selected in such a way that the space conditions on the deposit element can be used advantageously for stacking the blanks Z.sub.i. After the blank Z.sub.17 has been aligned, the blank Z.sub.7 and finally the blank Z.sub.3 are each placed on top of each other in a stack on top of the blank Z.sub.17, aligned with respect to the deposit element A.sub.1. When all the blanks Z.sub.i have been removed from the removal region E.sub.1, the loaded deposit element A.sub.1 is conveyed to a store 4 from which the individual deposit elements A.sub.j can be made available for the removal of their blanks Z.sub.i. Although the store 4 is shown as a separate storage unit from the supply store 2 for reasons of clarity, in practice only one storage unit will often be provided which takes over the tasks of both the supply store 2 and the store 4.

[0017] To remove the blanks Z.sub.i from a subsequent removal region E.sub.2, the fibre web 1 is conveyed further in the direction of an arrow 5 accordingly in order to align the removal region E.sub.2 with respect to the removal device 3. The removal process is repeated, wherein the blanks Z.sub.20, Z.sub.14 and Z.sub.9 are deposited one after the other on an empty deposit element A.sub.2 from the supply store 2 to form a stack before the deposit element A.sub.2 is placed in the store 4. In order to ensure better stackability, the blank Z.sub.9 may be placed on the deposit element A.sub.2 rotated by 90° in relation to the orientation in the fibre web 1.

[0018] After a conveying step in the direction of the arrow 5, the blanks Z.sub.i from the removal region E.sub.3 are placed on top of each other in a stack in a descending order on a deposit element A.sub.3 in an analogous manner, wherein the blank Z.sub.18 is again deposited on the deposit element A.sub.3 in an aligned manner and then the blanks Z.sub.8 and Z.sub.5 are stacked one on top of the other on the blank Z.sub.18 in order to have this stack available for removing the blanks Z.sub.i after the deposit element A.sub.3 has been placed in the store 4.

[0019] The blanks Z.sub.12 and Z.sub.2 of the removal region E.sub.4 are removed from the fibre web 1 in the same way and deposited aligned in a stack in a deposit element A.sub.4 before the deposit element A.sub.4 is transferred to the store 4. The blank Z.sub.12 may be turned before being deposited in order to improve stackability on the deposit element A.sub.4.

[0020] After the deposit element A.sub.4 and all other deposit elements A.sub.j, which accommodate the blanks Z.sub.i required for the production of a workpiece from the removal regions E.sub.j, have been stored in the store 4, the blanks Z.sub.i stacked in the storage elements Aj can be removed one after the other from the storage elements Aj in a continuous sequence corresponding to the ascending order of the layers in the workpiece and placed in the mould for the production of the workpiece.

[0021] For the sake of a clear representation, the deposit elements A.sub.j loaded with the associated blanks Z.sub.i are shown in the drawing one after the other corresponding to the removal regions although the deposit elements A.sub.j may be transferred from the associated removal region E.sub.j to the store 4 after being loaded with the blanks Z.sub.i before the blanks Z.sub.i of the subsequent removal region E.sub.j+1 are stacked on a new deposit element A.sub.j+1. In the store 4, the stored, loaded deposit elements A1-A4 are indicated with the blank stacks, wherein the deposit elements A.sub.j do not have to be stored in the store 4 in the order of the removal regions. It is only necessary to know in which storage locations the individual deposit elements A.sub.j are located.

[0022] In order to produce a workpiece from the blanks Z.sub.1-Z.sub.n, the blanks Z.sub.1-Z.sub.n are placed in an appropriate mould starting with Z.sub.1 in ascending order, so that the blank Z.sub.1 forms a bottom layer and the blank Z.sub.n forms a top layer of the workpiece to be produced. This means that the blank Z.sub.1, which forms the top layer in a deposit element A.sub.j, is first removed from this deposit element before the blank Z.sub.2 can be removed from another deposit element A if the blank Z.sub.2 is not in the same deposit element A.sub.j as the blank Z.sub.1. According to the exemplary embodiment shown, the blank Z.sub.2 is therefore taken from the deposit element A.sub.4. The individual blanks Z.sub.i can thus be removed in ascending order from the individual deposit elements A.sub.j without rearranging the blanks Z.sub.1-Z.sub.n in the individual deposit elements A.sub.j.

[0023] If the blanks Z.sub.i are deposited in the individual removal regions E.sub.j not only in one deposit element A.sub.j, but in two or more deposit elements A.sub.jk, the sorting process can be accelerated considerably because the deposit elements A.sub.jk available for each removal region E.sub.j can be loaded with the blanks Z.sub.i independently of each other via separate grippers, again in a descending order for each deposit element A.sub.jk.

[0024] It should also be noted that the removal regions E of the fibre web 1 do not have to contain only blanks Z.sub.i for one workpiece. If blanks for several workpieces are provided in a removal region, which can lead to a further minimisation of waste, separate deposit elements A may be provided for the blanks Z of separate workpieces in order to be able to provide a set of deposit elements A for each workpiece, the stacks of which contain all blanks required for the construction of the workpiece in a corresponding order.