METHOD FOR PROVIDING BLANKS FROM A FIBRE WEB

Abstract

Providing blanks from a fibre web includes removing the blanks from removal regions and depositing the blanks in at least one deposit element. The blanks are then removed from the deposit elements in accordance with a sequence predefined by a layer-by-layer construction of a workpiece. The blanks that are individually removed from the removal regions are stacked on top of one another in the deposit elements in a sequence that corresponds to a layering sequence of the blanks in the workpiece. The blanks are then successively removed individually from the deposit elements in a sequence that is reversed with respect to the layering sequence of the blanks in the workpiece and are stacked on top of one another in a storage element before being successively removed from the storage element in the sequence predefined for constructing the workpiece layer-by-layer and inserted into a mould for producing the workpiece.

Claims

1. A method for providing blanks from a fibre web in a sequence predefined for a layer-by-layer construction of a workpiece from the blanks, comprising: removing each of the blanks from one 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 each of the blanks from the deposit elements in accordance with a sequence predefined by the layer-by-layer construction of the workpiece, wherein the blanks that are individually removed from the removal regions are stacked on top of one another in the deposit elements in each case in a sequence that corresponds to a layering sequence of the blanks for constructing the workpiece layer-by-layer, and wherein the blanks for a workpiece that are stacked in the deposit elements are successively removed individually from the deposit elements in a sequence which is reversed with respect to the layering sequence of the blanks for constructing the workpiece layer-by-layer; stacking the blanks on top of one another in a storage element; successively removing the blanks from the storage element in the layering sequence of the blanks for constructing the workpiece layer-by-layer; and inserting the blanks into a mould for producing the workpiece.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the blanks are removed from the removal regions of the fibre web using at least two grippers and are stacked on top of one another in at least two deposit elements per removal region.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the blanks are stacked on top of one another in a predefined position in the deposit elements and in the storage element.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the blanks are stacked on top of one another in a predefined position in the deposit elements and in the storage element.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the blanks are turned prior to stacking to improve stackability.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein at least some of the blanks are turned prior to stacking to improve stackability.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein at least some of the blanks are turned prior to stacking to improve stackability.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein at least some of the blanks are turned prior to stacking to improve stackability.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The method according to the system described is explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, wherein:

[0015] FIG. 1 shows a part of a sorting device for stacking blanks removed from individual removal regions in deposit elements in a schematic block diagram according to the system described herein and

[0016] FIG. 2 shows the sorting device in an area of the transfer of the blanks stacked in the deposit elements to a storage element for stacking all blanks required for production of a workpiece, also in a schematic block diagram, according to the system described herein.

DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

[0017] To produce a workpiece made up of stacked layers of a fibre 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 a layer sequence into a mould provided for the production of the workpiece. In order to be able to use the fibre web 1 optimally with a minimised waste, the individual blanks Z.sub.i are arranged according to the size and geometric outline shape of the blanks and are distributed over the fibre web 1 independently of a position of each of the blanks in the workpiece structure. The order i of the blanks Z.sub.i is determined by the sequence of the individual layers of the workpiece, where i stands for the numerical series 1 to n, if n means the total number of blanks Z.sub.i required for the workpiece structure.

[0018] 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 construction of the workpiece to be produced, in order to be able to remove the blanks Z.sub.i in an order which is reversed in relation to the layer 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 ascending or descending order of the layers in the structure of the workpiece to be produced.

[0019] As can be seen from FIG. 1, in order to remove the blanks Z.sub.3, Z.sub.17 and Z.sub.7, which form the subsequent layers No. 3, 17 and 7, from a removal region E.sub.1, a deposit element A.sub.1 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 their order, are released from the fibre web 1 in an ascending order corresponding to the layering sequence of the workpiece to be produced in the removal region E.sub.1 with the aid of a removal device 3 indicated by a dot-dash line, so that first of all the blank Z.sub.3 is deposited from the fibre web 1 in a predefined orientation in the deposit element A.sub.1, specifically 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. Once the blank Z.sub.3 has been aligned, the blank Z.sub.7 and the blank Z.sub.17 are each aligned and placed one above the other in a stack on the blank Z.sub.3. 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 storage unit 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 storage unit 4 is shown as a separate storage unit from the supply store 2 for reasons of clarity, in practice only one storage unit may be provided which takes over the tasks of both the supply store 2 and the storage unit 4.

[0020] 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 in order to align the removal region E.sub.2 with respect to the removal device 3. The removal process is repeated, where the blanks Z.sub.9, Z.sub.14 and Z.sub.20 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 storage unit 4. In order to ensure better stackability, the blank Z.sub.9 is placed in an aligned manner on the deposit element A.sub.2 rotated by 90° in relation to the orientation in the fibre web 1.

[0021] 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 one on top of the other in an ascending order on a deposit element A.sub.3 in an analogous manner to form a stack, where the blank Z.sub.5 is deposited on the deposit element A.sub.3 in an aligned manner and then the blanks Z.sub.8 and Z.sub.18 are stacked one on top of the other on the blank Z.sub.5 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 storage unit 4.

[0022] The blanks Z.sub.2 and Z.sub.12 of the removal region E.sub.4 are removed from the fibre web 1 in the same way and deposited in a stack in an aligned manner in a deposit element A.sub.4 before the deposit element A.sub.4 is transferred to the storage unit 4. The blank Z.sub.12 is turned before being deposited in order to improve stackability on the deposit element A.sub.4. According to FIG. 1, after the deposit element A.sub.4 and all other deposit elements A.sub.j have been stored in the storage unit 4, all blanks Z.sub.i required for the production of a workpiece are contained in the removal regions E.sub.j for individual removal in a descending order.

[0023] For the sake of a clear presentation, FIG. 1 shows the deposit elements A.sub.j loaded with the associated blanks Z.sub.i one after the other corresponding to the removal regions E.sub.j, although the deposit elements A.sub.j are transferred from the associated removal region E.sub.j to the storage unit 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 storage unit 4, the stored, loaded deposit elements A.sub.1-A.sub.4 are indicated with the blank stacks, where the deposit elements A.sub.j do not have to be stored in storage unit 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.

[0024] To produce a workpiece from blanks Z.sub.1-Z.sub.n, the blanks are placed in an appropriate mould in ascending order starting with Z.sub.1, so that blank Z.sub.1 forms the bottom layer and blank Z.sub.n the top layer of the workpiece to be produced.

[0025] Since the blanks Z.sub.i are stored in the stacks of the deposit elements A.sub.j in an ascending order, the blanks Z.sub.i stacked in the deposit elements A.sub.j can be removed one after the other from the deposit elements A.sub.j in a continuous order which is reversed with respect to the ascending order of the layers in the workpiece and stacked on a storage element S which now contains all n blanks required for the production of a workpiece.

[0026] FIG. 2 shows how the blanks Z.sub.i are stored in the storage element S from the storage unit 4. First, the deposit element A.sub.j containing the blank Z.sub.n is selected from the storage unit 4. Since the blank Z.sub.n forms the top layer of the stack of blanks of this deposit element, the blank Z.sub.n can simply be removed from the stack in an aligned position and placed on the storage element S as the bottom layer, optionally with a changed orientation, in order to then select the deposit element A.sub.j with the blank Z.sub.n−1 forming the top layer of the stack and to deposit the blank Z.sub.n−1 in the storage element S on the blank Z.sub.n in an aligned position before the blank Z.sub.n−2 is transferred to the storage element S in an analogous manner.

[0027] Accordingly, the stacking layer of the storage element, which contains the blank Z.sub.i, of the blank Z.sub.i−1 respectively following in the reverse sequence is applied until the stack ends with the uppermost layers Z.sub.2 and Z.sub.1. The blanks Z.sub.1-Z.sub.n required for the production of a workpiece can thus be taken from the blank stack of the storage element S in a continuous sequence and inserted one after the other into the mould required for the production of the workpiece. This means that starting with blank Z.sub.1 and ending with blank Z.sub.n, all blanks are made available in the required sequence for loading the workpiece mould in a simple manner.

[0028] 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 an ascending order for each deposit element A.sub.jk.

[0029] 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 are 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 sequence.