SBIR Phase I: Highly Tailored Automated Laminate Production for Advanced Composite Infusions.

这个SBIR一期项目将开发一台自动化复合层压编织机和缝合机。该演示机将能够平行放置、切割和固定6层干燥复合材料。该工艺的平行特性大大提高了制造时间，而机器的卷到卷能力布局允许使用相对较小的机器占地制造长连续层压板。关键的技术障碍将是软件控制和多个并行层的机械管理。在这个研究项目中，Green Dynamics将展示提议的机器控制方案和机械系统布局，它允许多个线轴并联并同时在单个龙门上切割。绿色动力层压板装配和缝合机将展示通过自动化制造单件层压板可以实现的劳动力和成本节约。这些节省将使复合材料的成本持续降低，并刺激其在新市场的增长。降低成本和提高复合材料结构（如风力涡轮机叶片和汽车部件）的质量是降低碳排放的关键途径。提出的制造机器并行处理多个织物卷，并使用专有的控制算法和织物处理方法，同时切割和固定多达6层材料。由于每个层都是独立加工的，因此层压板堆叠高度定制，并且只在需要的地方放置材料。最终产品是可运输的，对于非常长的部件，可以卷起，以尽量减少运输尺寸。在制造位置，该层压板在一个步骤中放置在工具中，这大大减少了制造零件的时间和工具中的加工时间。没有其他复合自动化机器可以提供在多个方向定制的单件层压。由此产生的层压板有效地利用复合材料的正交异性特性来实现更低的重量，同时实现更低的触摸劳动率。我们的机器的多卷，线性方向允许卷到卷的长窄层压板加工在一个小的机器足迹，并导致一个卷，可运输的层压板。

This SBIR Phase I project will develop an automated composite lamination kitting and stitching machine. This demonstration machine will be capable of placing, cutting and securing 6 layers of dry composite material in parallel. The parallel nature of the process greatly improves manufacturing time, while the reel-to-reel capable layout of the machine allows for manufacturing of long continuous laminates using a comparatively small machine footprint. The key technical hurdles will be software control and mechanical management of multiple parallel plies. During this research project Green Dynamics will demonstrate the proposed machine control proposal and mechanical system layout, which allows multiple plies to spool in parallel and be cut on individual gantries simultaneously. The Green Dynamics lamination kitting and stitching machine will demonstrate the labor and cost savings that can be achieved through automated manufacturing of a single piece laminate. These savings will enable the continued reduction in cost for composite materials, and spur their growth into new markets. Decreasing the cost and improving the quality of composite structures such as wind turbine blades and automotive components is a key path to lower carbon emissions. The proposed manufacturing machine handles multiple fabric rolls in parallel and uses proprietary control algorithms and fabric handling methods to cut and secure up to 6 layers of material simultaneously. As individual layers are processed independently the resulting laminate stack is highly tailored and places material only where it is needed. The final product is transportable, and for very long length parts, can be rolled up to minimize transport size. At the manufacturing location this laminate is placed in the tool in a single step, which greatly reduces the time to manufacture the part and the process time in the tool. No other composite automation machine can provide a single piece lamination which is tailored in multiple directions. The resulting laminate effectively uses the orthotropic properties of composite materials to achieve lower weights while enabling much lower touch labor rates. The multi-roll, linear orientation of our machine allows for reel to reel processing of long narrow laminates in a small machine footprint, and results in a rolled, transportable laminate.