Hollow Composite Ply Staggering for Smooth Fiber Placement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Manufacturing hollow composite bodies, such as submarine hulls and aircraft fuselages, is challenging due to difficulties in achieving desired levels of smoothness and consistency in the alignment of course edges between ply layers, leading to issues like wrinkling and undesired overlaps.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that utilize a computer system to iteratively stagger course edges between ply layers by rotating selected layers and adjusting course widths, ensuring increased staggering and reducing overlaps to achieve a desired level of consistency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If course edges are aligned between ply layers, then manufacturing process is simplified, but surface smoothness deteriorates due to wrinkles and overlaps

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing process simplicityVSAvoidsurface smoothness

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies asymmetry by intentionally misaligning course edges between adjacent ply layers in a controlled staggered pattern. Instead of symmetric alignment that causes overlaps and wrinkles, each successive ply layer is offset by a predetermined distance, creating an asymmetric arrangement that eliminates surface defects while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through automated computer-controlled positioning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

2Manufacturing precision

If course edges are staggered between ply layers, then surface smoothness is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurface smoothnessVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and pre-determining the optimal stagger positions for each ply layer before manufacturing begins. The computer system generates a complete manufacturing plan that specifies the exact offset distance and position for each course edge in advance, allowing the automated fiber placement system to execute the staggered arrangement without real-time complex decision-making, thus achieving high precision without proportional increases in manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If automated fiber placement is used, then productivity is improved, but control over course edge alignment becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing efficiencyVSAvoidcourse edge alignment control

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies feedback by implementing a computer-controlled automated fiber placement system that uses pre-calculated stagger patterns to guide course edge positioning. The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the computer monitors and adjusts the position of each course edge according to the predetermined stagger design, ensuring that high productivity through automation does not compromise precision in course edge alignment control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS12472703B2Automated fiber placement of plies with staggering

Publication Date: 2025.11.18 THE BOEING CO

AI summary

A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product for designing a composite hollow body. A computer system selects ply layers for the hollow composite body. The ply layers comprise courses having course edges. The computer system positions the course edges between the ply layers throughout the hollow composite body to create a staggering of the course edges between the ply layers for a design of the hollow composite body.