Composites lay-up system with exchangeable lay-up heads

摘要

A composites lamination system (10) uses a six-axis positioner (11) and multiple removable heads (14, 51-54) for applying composite material to a tool (16). The six-axis positioner (11) has a gantry (12) and a wrist (30). The gantry (12) has two spaced uprights (21) that support a crossbeam (18) that is movable in the X-axis. A workzone (15) containing a tool (16) is positioned between the two spaced uprights (21). A movable column (23) is supported on the crossbeam (18), and is movable relative to the crossbeam (18) in the Y-axis and the Z-axis. A wrist (30) mounted on the column (23) rotates around an I-axis parallel to the X-axis, around a J-axis parallel to the Y-axis, and around a K-axis parallel to the Z-axis. A replaceable head (14, 51-54) is mounted on the wrist (30) so that the gantry (12) and the wrist (30) provide six axis of motion for the replaceable head (14, 51-54), and removal of the head (14, 51-54) from the wrist (30) allows the six axis of motion to remain with the positioner (11).