US Patent 9693166 Automated production of acoustic structures

A laser cuts overlapping ribbons of acoustic material into acoustic devices. An automatically controlled manipulator includes an end effector having groups of placement tools for simultaneously placing multiple acoustic devices in a cellular core. The placement tools include mandrels provided with vacuum pickups for picking up and holding the acoustic devices during transport to the core. A vision system aligns the placement tools with the cells of the core. The end effector includes a thermal radiation device for bonding the acoustic devices to the core.