Translaminar stitching apparatus for composite airframe part assembly

摘要

A translaminar stitching module is disclosed for stitching complex airframe details comprised of composite materials. The stitching module is self-digitizing, microprocessor controlled, and has six degrees of motion which allow the module to stitch along straight, bowed, twisted and highly contoured paths. During the stitching operation positioning is controlled by a microprocessor by controlling movement along five of the module's six axes through the use of encoder feedback. Upon receipt of the encoded data a microprocessor interpolates between selected coordinate point inputs and inserts the required stitch pitch for proper movement along the stitching path.