Composite Laminate Ramp Surface Quality
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current composite airframe lifting surfaces manufactured with high deposition pre-preg materials suffer from irregularities and the 'saw teeth effect' in the ramp area, leading to quality issues that affect interface compatibility and increase production costs and lead time.
Innovation Solution
A composite laminate design featuring a combination of plies arranged parallel, orthogonal, and diagonally to the ramp direction, with tapes extended across the laminate, eliminating the saw teeth effect and enabling high deposition pre-preg material use without compromising surface quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high deposition pre-preg material formats are used to reduce lay-up time, then productivity is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to saw teeth effect and surface irregularities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different ply configurations to different regions of the laminate. Specifically, the ramp area uses a special arrangement where tapes are extended across the entire laminate width, while other areas use conventional configurations. This local differentiation ensures high surface quality in the critical ramp region while maintaining high deposition benefits in other areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The laminate is divided into distinct ply groups (first, second, third, and fourth plies) with different tape arrangements. The third and fourth plies are specifically designed with extended tapes that cross the entire laminate width, segmenting the structure to prevent saw teeth formation in the ramp area while allowing efficient high deposition manufacturing in other regions.
2Manufacturing precision
If standard pre-preg material formats are used to maintain surface quality, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to increased lay-up time
Solution Approach 1:
The laminate structure is segmented into multiple ply groups with different configurations. The third and fourth plies use extended tapes that span the entire laminate width, which eliminates the need for conventional narrow-format materials while maintaining surface quality. This segmentation allows the use of wider high deposition materials without compromising the ramp surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a hybrid approach where specific plies (third and fourth) use extended tape configurations to ensure surface quality in critical areas, while other plies can utilize the efficiency of high deposition formats. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between surface quality and productivity.
3Productivity
If tape width is increased to improve high deposition efficiency, then productivity is improved, but manufacturing precision worsens due to increased saw teeth effect
Solution Approach 1:
The laminate is segmented into plies with different tape configurations. The third and fourth plies use tapes that extend across the entire laminate width, which eliminates the saw teeth effect by ensuring continuous coverage in the ramp area. This segmentation allows wider tapes to be used in non-critical areas while maintaining precision in the ramp region.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using narrow tapes that are laid up sequentially (conventional approach), the patent inverts the approach by using tapes that extend across the entire laminate width in the third and fourth plies. This inversion eliminates the accumulation of alignment errors that cause saw teeth, while still allowing high deposition efficiency through the use of wider material formats.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention belongs to the field of composite laminates used in aeronautical structures, and particularly, of those composite laminates that include a ramp (2a). In particular, the invention provides a composite laminate (2) with a ramp (2a) for an airframe lifting surface, and a method for manufacturing thereof. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an advanced composite laminate with a ramp with no saw teeth effect, and suitable to be manufactured using high deposition pre-preg materials.