Automated Composite Layup with Disposable Ply Carrier
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for laying up composite plies in composite structures, such as aircraft stringers, are labor-intensive and costly, requiring significant manual touch labor and expensive automated tape-laying machines, which hinder efficient and cost-effective production.
Innovation Solution
An automated system comprising a nosepiece, tension arms, and actuators to laterally sweep and conform a ply carrier onto a form tool, maintaining lateral tension and compaction pressure to efficiently lay up composite materials with minimal human intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If manual layup is used to lay up composite plies, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but labor intensity and production time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable ply carriers that are discarded after single use, eliminating the need for complex cleaning and preparation procedures between plies. This disposable approach enables automated handling while keeping the overall system relatively simple, as the carrier complexity is contained in a low-cost, single-use component rather than a permanent expensive system
Solution Approach 2:
The ply carrier serves as an intermediary between the automated tape-laying machine and the form tool. It simplifies the automation interface by providing a standardized carrier that can be easily manipulated by the automated machine while conforming to complex form tool geometries, thus reducing the complexity required in the automated laying system
2Productivity
If automated tape-laying machines are used to reduce touch labor, then productivity increases, but equipment cost and programming requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
By using disposable ply carriers, the system achieves high productivity through automated handling without requiring expensive, highly sophisticated ATL machines. The simplicity of the disposable carrier reduces the complexity requirements of the automated laying equipment while maintaining high production rates
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the layup process into discrete carrier-based units that can be independently handled and placed. This segmentation allows for simpler automated machinery compared to continuous tape-laying systems, as each carrier can be processed independently, reducing the overall complexity and cost of the automated system
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple composite plies are laid up manually to achieve required structure, then adaptability to complex shapes is maintained, but production time and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ply carriers are pre-formed with specific geometries that match the required composite structure shapes. This preliminary preparation allows automated machines to simply place pre-configured carriers rather than manually laying up each ply, significantly reducing production time while maintaining precision through the pre-engineered carrier geometries
Solution Approach 2:
The ply carriers serve as physical copies or templates of the final composite structure geometry. By using these pre-formed carriers that replicate the desired shape and material placement, the system achieves manufacturing precision equivalent to manual layup while enabling automated high-speed production
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus (200) for forming a material layer (458) onto a form tool (220) may include at least one nosepiece (552) configured to laterally sweep a ply carrier (450) onto a form tool contour (236). The apparatus (200) may include a pair of tension arms (414) configured to support opposing lateral sides (454) of a ply carrier (450) having a material layer (458) mounted to a lower surface (452) thereof. The apparatus (200) may include one or more actuators (406, 410) configured to position the tension arms (414) during forming of the ply carrier (450) to the form tool contour (236). The one or more actuators (406, 410) may be configured to sense and control lateral tension (462) in the ply carrier (450) during forming of the ply carrier (450) to the form tool contour (236).