INGERSOLL MACHINE TOOLS, INC. Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20150266284 | FLEXIBLE FIBER PLACEMENT SYSTEM FOR SMALL COMPOSITE PARTS MANUFACTURING AND METHODS - A fiber placement system for manufacturing components from composite materials is provided. The system includes a head system mounted to a pedestal and rotatable about a center longitudinal axis of the head system. The system also includes a robot in proximity to the head system, as well as a magazine for carrying a plurality of mold assemblies. The magazine is operable to index each mold assembly to a first location where it is retrievable by the robot, and a second location where it is outside of a working envelope of the robot. | 09-24-2015 |
20150120029 | MANUFACTURING PROCESS AND APPARATUS HAVING AN INTERCHANGEABLE MACHINE TOOL HEAD WITH INTEGRATED CONTROL - A modular manufacturing system and methods of using are provided. The modular manufacturing system includes a plurality of manufacturing heads that perform different manufacturing processes. These heads may include multi-axial machining heads, fiber placement heads including fiber tow and fiber tape lay-up heads. The heads are fixably attachable to a single positioning system that can manipulate the various heads along a plurality of different degrees of freedom relative to a tool or material blank. | 04-30-2015 |
20150027791 | Vertical Load Weighing Station for Large Machinery Guide Systems - A vertical load weighing system and method are provided. The system includes a rail and a plurality of trucks slidable on the rail. The plurality of trucks support a saddle that carries a portion of a machine. A load measuring means is situated underneath a portion of the rail and is operable to sense the loading of each truck from the saddle and its associated machinery. The load measuring means is in operable communication with a controller that collects the sensed loading from the load measuring means. The controller is operable to provide an output indicative of the loading of each truck to allow an operator to dimensionally adjust each truck to achieve a balanced loading across the plurality of trucks. | 01-29-2015 |
20120090788 | FIBER DELIVERY APPARATUS AND SYSTEM HAVING A CREEL AND FIBER PLACEMENT HEAD WITH POLAR AXIS OF ROTATION - A fiber placement system including positioner and a fiber delivery apparatus having a creel assembly and a fiber placement head is provided. The positioner moves the entire fiber delivery apparatus including the creel assembly and the fiber placement head via at least three linear degrees of freedom. The fiber delivery apparatus includes an articulating wrist for moving the fiber placement head relative to the creel assembly. The fiber placement apparatus is substantially free of linear degrees of freedom within the fiber tow paths between the spools and the fiber placement head. One or more rotational degrees of freedom may be provided along the tow path. In one embodiment, the interface between the fiber delivery apparatus and the positioner is laterally offset such that a portion of the creel axially overlaps with vertical ram of the positioner. | 04-19-2012 |
20120035754 | MANUFACTURING PROCESS AND APPARATUS HAVING AN INTERCHANGEABLE MACHINE TOOL HEAD WITH INTEGRATED CONTROL - A modular manufacturing system and methods of using are provided. The modular manufacturing system includes a plurality of manufacturing heads that perform different manufacturing processes. These heads may include multi-axial machining heads, fiber placement heads including fiber tow and fiber tape lay-up heads. The heads are fixably attachable to a single positioning system that can manipulate the various heads along a plurality of different degrees of freedom relative to a tool or material blank. | 02-09-2012 |
20110017381 | Visual Fiber Placement Inspection - An apparatus and method are provided for performing, on-the-fly, real time inspection of a composite structure formed by an automated fiber placement machine, through comparison of a visual image of at least a portion of the composite structure to a virtual image of the composite structure. Proper formation of the structure, and/or anomalies within the structure, are determined by comparing the visual image to the virtual image. The automated fiber placement machine, and/or tooling upon which the fiber is placed, are manipulated, and a visual indicator are provided to facilitate inspection and/or repair of any detected anomalies during fabrication of the composite structure. | 01-27-2011 |
20100200168 | FIBER DELIVERY APPARATUS AND SYSTEM HAVING A CREEL AND FIBER PLACEMENT HEAD SANS FIBER REDIRECT - A fiber delivery apparatus having a creel assembly and a fiber placement head is provided. A plurality of fiber spools are stored in the creel assembly. The tow paths from the spools to the fiber placement head are substantially fixed such that movements orienting the fiber placement head relative to a tool are simultaneously applied to the fiber spools as well. As such, the length and orientation of the tow paths between the spools and the fiber placement head are constant. | 08-12-2010 |
20100043982 | Add Roller for a Fiber Placement Machine - An apparatus and invention are provided for accelerating an added tow to match the lay-down speed of other tows exiting a compaction roller of a fiber placement head, by driving the added tow with an add roller operatively coupled to be driven at the same peripheral speed as a feed roller having a peripheral speed matching the peripheral speed of the compaction roller. | 02-25-2010 |
20090095410 | Fiber Placement Machine Platform System Having Interchangeable Head and Creel Assemblies - A modular fiber placement machine head assembly and refrigerated creel assembly affixed to a cradle for an interchangeable platform system adapted for composite fiber manufacturing through an automated, computer controlled, fiber placement machine is described. | 04-16-2009 |
20090071329 | Dust Filtration in an Automated Fiber Placement Process - A method and apparatus are provided for substantially containing dust generated along a fiber tow path extending from a creel to a compression roller in an automated fiber placement machine, by enclosing substantially all of the path of the fiber tows between the creel and the compression roller within a barrier that is substantially impermeable to dust. A dust collection apparatus may have a porous media and/or utilize an electrostatic charge for entrapping the dust. | 03-19-2009 |