AUTOMATED BIAS-PLY PREPARATION DEVICE AND PROCESS

摘要

A material preparation device (100) is provided. The material preparation device includes a bias-ply assembly (105), a feedstock assembly (103) and an application head (130). The bias-ply assembly is configured to pass a bias-ply backing material (146) along a first path. The feedstock assembly is configured to pass a feedstock (116) along a second path that crosses the first path at a select angle. The feedstock includes resin pre-impregnated fiber reinforced material (pre-preg) having the fibers at a first orientation relative to an edge of the feedstock. The application head is configured to transfer the pre-preg (300, 660) from the feedstock to the bias-ply backing material at a location where the first path crosses the second path to form a bias-ply with the fibers of the pre-preg having a second different orientation relative to an edge of the formed bias-ply.