US 12,319,015 B2
Zonal lamination for composite parts in a moving line
Daniel R. Smith, Woodinville, WA (US); Darrell D. Jones, Mill Creek, WA (US); Michael Kenneth-Que Louie, Renton, WA (US); Richard Allen Miller, II, Seattle, WA (US); and Jordan Seth Erickson, Federal Way, WA (US)
Assigned to The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed by The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed on Nov. 10, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/454,257.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/115,033, filed on Nov. 18, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0152947 A1, May 19, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 70/38 (2006.01); B29C 70/54 (2006.01); B29K 105/08 (2006.01); B29K 307/04 (2006.01); B29L 31/30 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 70/384 (2013.01) [B29C 70/545 (2013.01); B29K 2105/0881 (2013.01); B29K 2307/04 (2013.01); B29L 2031/3076 (2013.01)] 34 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for fabricating a composite part, the method comprising:
subdividing laying up of a laminate into zones;
applying tows of fiber reinforced material for the laminate over a layup mandrel via multiple lamination heads such that each lamination head applies tows in a different zone;
splicing the zones together to form the laminate during the laying up of the tows by cutting through applied tows and offsetting cut positions for neighboring plies of the cut applied tows; and
moving the layup mandrel in a process direction during fabrication of the composite part.