Abstract: A gripping head can be used for applying a patch to a surface to be draped. The gripping head for gripping a patch and applying the patch to a surface to be draped includes a suction chamber delimiting a suction sector and connected to a suction intake and a gripper connected to said suction chamber and comprising a piece of elastically deformable material configured to grip a patch under a gripping effect created in said suction chamber. The gripper includes selectively activatable gripping zones and the gripping head includes means for selectively activating the gripping zones.

Abstract: A method for controlling the application of a patch can include the following steps: positioning a patch on a surface to be covered by means of a gripper and with or without partial overlapping with adjacent patches; acquiring by means of an optical control means at least one image of the positioned patch; detecting defects in the positioning of the patch by identifying differences in the thickness of the patch on the surface to be covered based on the at least one image of the positioned patch; and mapping the defects in the positioning of the patch.

Abstract: This automaton for applying a patch to a draping surface (15) comprises a gripper (24) capable of grasping the patch and depositing it on the draping surface (15), and a heating system (25) for directly heating the draping surface (15).

Abstract: A machine for automatically draping and compacting including a draping head that grasps, deposits and compacts fiber plies on a draping support, the draping head including first and second rigid supports and a gripper including a piece of elastically deformable material having a face to grasp a ply and intended to bear against a draping support surface. The first and second supports are connected to, respectively, a robotic handling device and to the first support and to the gripper. The draping head includes bearing force or pressure measuring elements between the first and second supports or housed in the first support. A control unit is connected to the bearing force or pressure measuring elements to monitor a compaction bearing force or pressure applied by the draping head.