Linkage Solutions for the Manufacture of Complex, Thermoplastic Lightweight Structures

The manufacturing of novel, high-performance fibre composite components based on hybrid yarns necessitates the development of new process solutions. In the particular case of manufacturing open core sandwich panels, tools are required which facilitate automated manufacturing. Such automation can be achieved using specially adapted wedge kinematics, which in turn require handling systems that ensure a correct position of these tools. One mainpart of such handling system is a comb system, which is successfully approved by the manufacturing of planar sandwich panels. Single-bend sandwich panels requires the development of new solutions, which facilitate the oriantation of the consolidation tools with a minimum of drive effort. Thereby the focus is on the design of a comb system based an a scissor mechanism.