Patent ID: 7730922

Claim:
An apparatus for fabricating adhesive tape with threads for visualization of air streams on aerodynamic surfaces, the apparatus comprising: a fixed frame, a frame plate mounted on the fixed frame, a mounting plate, a programmable robot unit, a thread access unit and a thread cutting unit; wherein the frame plate comprises a first and a second section, the first and second sections being adjacent to one another; wherein the programmable robot unit comprises a robot base frame, a robot carousel that is rotatably mounted on the robot base frame, a robot rocker, a robot arm and a robot hand; wherein the robot base frame, the thread access unit and the thread cutting unit are fixedly arranged on the first section of the frame plate; wherein the mounting plate is mounted on the second section of the frame plate so as to be detachable, but unmovable when attached to the frame plate; wherein the programmable robot unit, the thread access unit, the thread cutting unit and the mounting plate are arranged successively in a horizontal position so as to allow access of the robot arm to the thread access unit, the thread cutting unit and the mounting plate; and wherein the programmable robot unit is programmed to: a) grasp an end of unwound thread hanging from a thread tube of the thread access unit and pull the unwound thread to a predetermined thread length; b) place the end of the unwound thread over the thread cutting unit; c) activate the thread cutting unit to cut the unwound thread into a thread of defined length; d) place the thread of defined length over a strip of adhesive tape on the mounting plate, such that an end section of the thread of defined length is aligned substantially orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the strip, such that a remaining section of the thread of defined length protrudes over a first longitudinal border of the strip, and such that the end section of the thread of defined length does not reach a second longitudinal border of the strip opposite to the first longitudinal border; and e) press the end section of the thread of defined length into the strip of adhesive tape.