Apparatus and system for depositing fiber material
An apparatus ( 100 ), assembly and process for depositing fiber material on a surface ( 131 ) is provided herein. The apparatus ( 100 ) comprises an material extruder ( 101 ) having a clutching mechanism configured to engage a fiber material with a extruder motor that is configured to feed said fiber material into a filament guide. The apparatus ( 100 ) further includes a modular layup nozzle ( 109 ) comprising a cold end portion ( 110 ), hot end portion ( 116 ) and output nozzle ( 108 ). The cold end portion ( 110 ) is configured to receive said fiber material and cool down the temperature thereof by using a coolant before said fiber material enters a hot end portion ( 116 ) of the apparatus ( 100 ). The hot end portion ( 116 ) further comprises a heat block ( 118 ) that is configured to convert the fiber material into a molten form and deposit said fiber material into a composite part ( 131 ) through a output nozzle ( 108 ). The fiber material is then cut by a cutting assembly ( 103 ) after a deposit operation is complete.
1 . An apparatus ( 100 ) for depositing a fiber material onto a surface ( 131 ), the apparatus ( 100 ) comprising:
a material extruder ( 101 ) comprising a switchable clutching mechanism, an extruder motor ( 105 ), and a filament guide ( 106 ), wherein the switchable clutching mechanism is configured to (i) engage the fiber material with the extruder motor ( 105 ) during and to initiate a deposit operation of the filament such that the extruder motor ( 105 ) is configured to feed the fiber material into the filament guide ( 106 ), and (ii) disengage the fiber material and the extruder motor ( 105 ) both during and upon completion of the deposit operation; and
a modular layup nozzle ( 109 ) comprising:
a cold end portion ( 110 ) configured to receive the fiber material from the filament guide ( 106 ) and cool down the temperature of the fiber material by using a coolant; wherein the cold end portion ( 110 ) comprises a helical core ( 112 ) comprising a channel ( 117 ) configured for helical flow of the coolant; and
a hot end portion ( 116 ) comprising a heat block ( 118 ) that is configured to convert the fiber material into a molten form and deposit the molten fiber material through an output nozzle ( 108 ) to form a composite part ( 134 ).
2 . The apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a cutting assembly ( 103 ) configured to cut the fiber material.
3 . The apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the cutting assembly ( 103 ) comprises a four-bar linkage mechanism having four links, wherein one of the links is driven by a cutter actuator ( 132 ).
4 . The apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the cutting assembly ( 103 ) comprises a blade or a pair of shear cutters that is activated remotely through a controller.
5 . The apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a cross section of the filament guide ( 106 ) has a curvilinear geometric shape.
6 . The apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a cross section of the filament guide ( 106 ) has a polygonal geometric shape.
7 . The apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a heat source ( 121 ) that is configured to generate heat in the heat block ( 118 ).
8 . The apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a temperature measuring unit, wherein the temperature measuring unit is a thermocouple, that is configured to measure the temperature in the heat block ( 118 ).
9 . The apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a connector rod ( 119 ) that connects the hot end portion ( 116 ) to the cold end portion ( 110 ) and is configured to prevent heat transfer from the hot end portion ( 116 ) to the cold end portion ( 110 ).
10 . The apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the helical core ( 112 ), the connector rod ( 119 ) and the hot end portion ( 116 ) are configured to form the modular layup nozzle ( 109 ).
11 . The apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the modular layup nozzle ( 109 ) is swappable with a different modular layup nozzle for performing a layup with different widths of fiber materials.
12 . The apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an ironing mechanism ( 124 ) comprising a spherical-profiled attachment ( 125 ) disposed at the end of the output nozzle ( 108 ), wherein the spherical-profiled attachment ( 125 ) is configured to press the fiber material during an extrusion process and a dispensing process of the fiber material.
13 . The apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the spherical-profiled attachment ( 125 ) comprises a set of spherical balls arranged in a radial fashion along the nozzle and are held together in a cage machined into the nozzle.
14 . The apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a thermal jacket that is configured to cover the heat block ( 118 ).
15 . The apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a follower roller configured to apply pressure to the deposited fiber material in order to compact the fiber material onto a previously deposited fiber material.
16 . The apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a leading heat element ( 130 ) mounted on a leading side of a layup direction of the fiber material and configured to soften a fiber material deposited previously on the surface ( 131 ).
17 . The apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the leading heat element ( 130 ) comprises a hot gas pipe or an infrared heater.
18 . The apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the clutching mechanism is configured to be remotely operated through a controller.
19 . The apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the material extruder ( 101 ) further comprises mated extruding pulleys.
20 . The apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the material extruder ( 101 ) is configured to operate in at least one of (i) a push mode wherein the fiber material is pushed through the nozzle, and (ii) a pull mode wherein the material extruder ( 101 ) is disengaged from the fiber material.
21 . The apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 20 , wherein the material extruder ( 101 ) is further configured to operate in both the push mode and the pull mode.
22 . The apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the push mode of the material extruder ( 101 ) is further configured to push the fiber material during a cutting operation of the fiber material to release a tension in the fiber material.
23 . The apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cold end portion ( 110 ) further comprises a coolant source ( 111 ) containing the coolant, that is configured to cool down the temperature of the fiber material before the fiber material enters the hot end portion ( 116 ).
24 . The apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cold end portion ( 110 ) further comprises a coolant outlet ( 115 ) that allows exit of the coolant from the channel ( 117 ) after flowing around the core ( 112 ).
25 . An assembly for depositing fiber material to a part ( 131 ), the assembly comprising:
an extruder mount to which the material extruder ( 101 ),
the modular layup nozzle ( 109 ),
and the cutting assembly ( 103 ) of the apparatus as claimed in claim 2 are each secured; and
a part ( 131 ) secured at a distance below the modular layup nozzle.