초록 ▼

A method for laying a sheet of material having a sticky texture on to a surface comprises applying pressure by way of a flexible diaphragm to force the sheet of material on to the surface and adjusting the diaphragm so that its surface assumes a varying curved convex shape whereby the diaphragm is p

A method for laying a sheet of material having a sticky texture on to a surface comprises applying pressure by way of a flexible diaphragm to force the sheet of material on to the surface and adjusting the diaphragm so that its surface assumes a varying curved convex shape whereby the diaphragm is peeled gradually from the surface of the sheet of material inwardly from an edge region. The invention is described with particular reference to the laying of sheets of pre impregnated fibre-reinforced material in a mould tool in the automated manufacture of a helicopter rotor blade and several embodiments are disclosed.

대표청구항 ▼

A method for laying a sheet of pre-impregnated fibre-reinforced material onto a moulding surface, comprising the steps of: providing an inflatable transfer tool having a flexible diaphragm attached to a periphery of the transfer tool, picking up the sheet of pre-impregnated fibre-reinforced material

A method for laying a sheet of pre-impregnated fibre-reinforced material onto a moulding surface, comprising the steps of: providing an inflatable transfer tool having a flexible diaphragm attached to a periphery of the transfer tool, picking up the sheet of pre-impregnated fibre-reinforced material on an external face of the flexible diaphragm, locating the transfer tool so that said sheet is in contact with the moulding surface with diaphram deflated, inflating the flexible diaphragm whereby a substantially uniform pressure is applied to force the sheet into contact with the moulding surface, withdrawing the transfer tool from the moulding surface while maintaining the diaphragm inflated to cause the diaphragm to stretch under influence of the inflating pressure so as to take up a varying curved shape as the transfer tool is withdrawn from the moulding surface whereby the diaphragm is peeled gradually from the external face of the sheet of material inwardly from its outer edge region, and removing the transfer tool from the sheet of material.