Composite material lay-up equipment

1. Composite material lay-up equipment for applying a plurality of individual lengths of elongate fibre reinforcement material to an article, the equipment comprising:

a support head;

a cutting mechanism carried by the support head for severing a plurality of individual lengths of elongate fibre reinforcement material, the cutting mechanism comprising:

a cassette removably attached to the support head;

a plurality of cutting elements separate from the cassette and coupled to and moveable with respect to the support head; and

a plurality of corresponding counteracting elements statically mounted to the cassette;

wherein each cutting element is displaceable relative to the corresponding counteracting element to perform a cutting stroke in which the respective cutting and counteracting elements cooperate to sever a length of elongate fibre reinforcement material extending through a nip formed between them, and

wherein the cassette is removably attachable to the support head such that removing the cassette permits separation of the counteracting elements from the cutting elements.

2. Composite material lay-up equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the counteracting elements are removably mounted to the cassette.

3. Composite material lay-up equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting elements are composed of a harder material than the counteracting elements.

4. Composite material lay-up equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the cassette comprises a plurality of guide ducts, each counteracting element disposed adjacent to a respective guide duct which is arranged to guide the fibre reinforcement material away from the nip between the counteracting element and the corresponding cutting element.

5. Composite material lay-up equipment according to claim 4 , wherein each guide duct has a profile which tapers from a duct inlet opening to a duct outlet opening.

6. Composite material lay-up equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the cassette comprises an exit guide roller arranged to guide the individual lengths of fibre reinforcement material away from the cassette.

7. Composite material lay-up equipment according to claim 1 , wherein each counteracting element has a cutting edge and wherein each cutting element has a cutting edge.

8. Composite material lay-up equipment according to claim 7 , wherein the cutting edge of each cutting element is inclined relative to the cutting edge of the corresponding counteracting element such that in a cutting stroke the cutting element and the counteracting element cooperate in a scissor action.

9. Composite material lay-up equipment according to claim 7 , wherein the cutting edge of each counteracting element touches a path followed by the cutting edge of the corresponding cutting element in a cutting stroke.

10. Composite material lay-up equipment according to claim 7 , wherein the counteracting elements are substantially planar.

11. Composite material lay-up equipment according to claim 10 , wherein the cassette further comprises an adjustment mechanism capable of resiliently deflecting the cutting edge of each counteracting element towards the corresponding cutting element; and

wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a plurality of adjustment screws, one for each counteracting element, wherein each adjustment screw can be turned so as to act on its counteracting element thereby deflecting the cutting edge.

12. Composite material lay-up equipment according to claim 7 , wherein the plurality of counteracting elements are arranged side-by-side in at least one row.

13. Composite material lay-up equipment according to claim 12 , wherein there are two rows of counteracting elements.

14. Composite material lay-up equipment according to claim 13 , wherein the cutting edges of the first row of counteracting elements face the cutting edges of the second row of counteracting elements.

15. Composite material lay-up equipment according to claim 7 or 13 , wherein at least two counteracting elements are mounted to the cassette by a holder which is removably mounted to the cassette, and wherein each of the at least two counteracting elements is individually removably mounted to the holder.

16. Composite material lay-up equipment according to claim 15 when dependent on claim 13 , wherein there are two holders and wherein each row of counteracting elements corresponds to a respective holder.

17. Composite material lay-up equipment according to claim 7 , wherein each cutting element is coupled to a separate elongate arm which is pivotable about a pivot axis, wherein the elongate arms are arranged to move the cutting elements along an arcuate path during a cutting stroke.

18. Composite material lay-up equipment according to claim 17 , wherein the cutting edge of each cutting element is substantially parallel to the corresponding pivot axis, and wherein the cutting edge of each counteracting element is inclined with respect to the corresponding pivot axis.

19. Composite material lay-up equipment for applying a plurality of individual lengths of elongate fibre reinforcement material to an article, the equipment comprising:

a support head;

a cutting mechanism carried by the support head for severing a plurality of individual lengths of elongate fibre reinforcement material, the cutting mechanism comprising:

a plurality of cutting elements coupled to and moveable with respect to the support head; and

a cassette removably attached to the support head and having a plurality of corresponding counteracting elements statically mounted thereto, the cassette further comprising an adjustment mechanism capable of resiliently deflecting the cutting edge of each counteracting element towards the corresponding cutting element;

wherein each cutting element is displaceable relative to the corresponding counteracting element to perform a cutting stroke in which the respective cutting and counteracting elements cooperate to sever a length of elongate fibre reinforcement material extending through a nip formed between them.