Manufacturing process and apparatus having an interchangeable machine tool head with integrated control

Abstract

A modular manufacturing system and methods of using are provided. The modular manufacturing system includes a plurality of manufacturing heads that perform different manufacturing processes. These heads may include multi-axial machining heads, fiber placement heads including fiber tow and fiber tape lay-up heads. The heads are fixably attachable to a single positioning system that can manipulate the various heads along a plurality of different degrees of freedom relative to a tool or material blank.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A modular manufacturing apparatus comprising:
 a positioning system;   a plurality of manufacturing heads, each manufacturing head having a different characteristic; and   a coupling arrangement, the positioning system providing one portion of the coupling arrangement and each of the manufacturing heads having a cooperating portion of the coupling arrangement configured to couple with the portion of the coupling arrangement of the positioning system.   
     
     
         2 . The modular manufacturing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of manufacturing heads includes at least one fiber tow head configured to lay fiber tows and at least one fiber tape head configured to lay fiber tape. 
     
     
         3 . The modular manufacturing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of manufacturing heads includes a head controller, the head controller operable to govern the operation of the manufacturing head. 
     
     
         4 . The modular manufacturing apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising a control module, the control module configured to operably communicate with each of the head controller when the corresponding manufacturing head is operably attached to the positioning system. 
     
     
         5 . The modular manufacturing apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the positioning system further includes a position controller, the position controller being independent from the head controllers, the position controller in operable communication with each head controller when the corresponding manufacturing head is operably attached to the positioning system such that the head controller of the attached manufacturing head can communicate position commands to the position controller to control movement of the positioning system. 
     
     
         6 . The manufacturing system of  claim 1 , wherein the positioning system includes a three axis gantry system providing movement along three generally perpendicular axes, the gantry system including a pair of base rails for movement along a first axis, a horizontal gantry for movement along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, the horizontal gantry linearly moveable relative to the pair of base rails along the first axis, a vertical ram for movement along a third axis, the vertical ram linearly moveable along the second axis, the horizontal gantry including a portion extending laterally outward beyond the pair of rails in a direction extending parallel to the second axis, the vertical ram movable along the portion of the horizontal gantry along the second axis outward beyond the pair of rails; and
 at least one rack configured to hold at least one of the manufacturing heads, the at least one rack being positioned laterally outward beyond the pair of rails and aligned with the portion of the horizontal gantry extending laterally outward beyond the pair of rails such that the positioning system can selectively connect and disconnect from manufacturing heads stored on the at least one rack.   
     
     
         7 . The modular manufacturing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of manufacturing heads includes at least one milling head configured to machine a blank of material 
     
     
         8 . A manufacturing system comprising;
 a gantry apparatus having functional elements enabling multiple movement along at least three linear axes;   a plurality of manufacturing heads, each manufacturing head having a different characteristic, the plurality of manufacturing heads includes at least one fiber tow head configured to lay fiber tows, each manufacturing head having an internal controller, the internal controller of each head having a dedicated computer numeric controlled software program designed for the particular manufacturing head;   an internal position controller for the gantry apparatus bearing a computer numeric control software oriented processor for determining the range, frequency and depth of movement of the gantry apparatus, as directed by the internal controller of any one of the plurality of manufacturing heads attached to the gantry apparatus; and   wherein the internal controller of each manufacturing head is capable of operating independently from the other internal controllers of the other manufacturing heads and is self-contained within its corresponding manufacturing head.   
     
     
         9 . The manufacturing system of  claim 8 , further comprising a control module programmed for controlling a process associated with the different characteristic of each of the plurality of manufacturing heads. 
     
     
         10 . The manufacturing system of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of manufacturing heads includes at least one at least one fiber tape head configured to lay fiber tape and at least one milling head configured to machine a blank of material; the control module programmed to control a process of each of the different manufacturing heads. 
     
     
         11 . The manufacturing system of  claim 7 , wherein each manufacturing head has a first portion of a coupling arrangement for connecting the manufacturing head to a second portion of the coupling arrangement, the second portion of the coupling arrangement is provided by the gantry apparatus, the first portion of the coupling arrangement provided by each of the manufacturing heads being substantially mechanically identical. 
     
     
         12 . A manufacturing apparatus comprising:
 a positioning system incorporating a gantry apparatus having functional elements enabling movement along at least three linear, and;   a moving ram device positioned on one of the three axes of the gantry movement system including a first portion of a manufacturing head coupling arrangement;   a plurality of manufacturing heads, each manufacturing head having a different characteristic, the plurality of manufacturing heads including a fiber tape placement compaction head and a fiber tow placement compaction device, each manufacturing head including a second portion of the manufacturing head coupling arrangement configured to cooperate with the first portion to releasably connect the manufacturing head to the moving ram device, each head including a corresponding internal controller having a dedicated computer numeric controlled software program designed for the corresponding head, each internal controller located on a manufacturing head side of the manufacturing head coupling arrangement and not on a moving ram device side of the manufacturing head coupling arrangement; and   an internal position controller for the positioning system bearing a computer numeric control software oriented processor for determining the range, frequency and depth of movement of the moving ram device as directed by the internal controller of a corresponding manufacturing head attached to the moving ram device.   
     
     
         13 . The manufacturing apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the internal position controller for the positioning system is independent from the internal controller of each of the manufacturing heads and is positioned on the moving ram device side of the manufacturing head coupling. 
     
     
         14 . The manufacturing apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising a control module programmed for controlling associated with the different characteristics of each of the plurality of manufacturing heads, the control module communicating with the internal controller of a manufacturing head of the plurality of manufacturing heads operably coupled to the moving ram device, the control module communicating with the internal position controller. 
     
     
         15 . The manufacturing apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the second portions of the manufacturing head coupling arrangement of the plurality of manufacturing heads are substantially mechanically identical. 
     
     
         16 . A manufacturing system, comprising:
 a positioning system;   a plurality of manufacturing heads, each manufacturing head having a different characteristic;   wherein each one of the plurality of manufacturing heads includes a head controller, the head controller operable to govern the operation of the corresponding manufacturing head;   wherein the positioning system includes a three axis gantry system providing movement along three generally perpendicular axes, the gantry system including a pair of base rails for movement along a first axis, a horizontal gantry for movement along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, the horizontal gantry linearly moveable relative to the pair of base rails along the first axis, a vertical ram for movement along a third axis, the vertical ram linearly moveable along the second axis, the horizontal gantry including a portion extending laterally outward beyond the pair of rails in a direction extending parallel to the second axis, the vertical ram movable along the portion of the horizontal gantry along the second axis outward beyond the pair of rails; and   at least one rack configured to hold at least one of the manufacturing heads, the at least one rack being positioned laterally outward beyond the pair of rails and aligned with the portion of the horizontal gantry extending laterally outward beyond the pair of rails such that the positioning system can selectively connect and disconnect from manufacturing heads stored on the at least one rack.   
     
     
         17 . The manufacturing apparatus of  claim 16 , further comprising a positioning system controller operably communicating with the positioning system to control the movement of the positioning system; and
 wherein the head controller is operable to send position commands to the positioning system controller to assist in control of the operation of the positioning system based on the operation of the corresponding manufacturing head.   
     
     
         18 . The manufacturing apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein each manufacturing head has a first portion of a coupling arrangement for connecting the manufacturing head to a second portion of the coupling arrangement, the second portion of the coupling arrangement is provided by the positioning system, the first portion of the coupling arrangement provided by each of the manufacturing heads being substantially mechanically identical.