Composite Ply Orientation Warpage Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Warpage in composite parts during manufacturing leads to dimensional deviations from design specifications, resulting in assembly gaps and increased manufacturing costs due to the need for shims, which are time-consuming and weight-additive.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that identify an acceptable level of warpage and select orientations in the stacking sequence for composite part plies to achieve both desired strength and minimal warpage, using a computer system and designer to optimize ply orientations and control fabrication equipment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If shims are used to fill gaps caused by warpage, then assembly gaps are reduced, but manufacturing time and costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly gap reductionVSAvoidmanufacturing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by identifying and compensating for warpage through optimized ply orientations during the design and manufacturing process, rather than correcting gaps afterward with shims. The system predicts warpage based on stacking sequence and adjusts ply orientations beforehand to prevent gap formation, eliminating the need for time-consuming shim fabrication and installation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts and eliminates the need for shims by directly addressing the root cause of assembly gaps through warpage control. Instead of adding shims as a corrective measure, the system removes the requirement for these additional components by optimizing the composite part design to minimize warpage, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Manufacturing precision

If shims are fabricated and installed to close gaps, then dimensional accuracy is improved, but manufacturing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedimensional accuracyVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary warpage compensation by optimizing ply orientations during design, predicting and correcting for dimensional deviations before manufacturing. This prevents the need for expensive post-processing activities such as shim fabrication and installation, thereby reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining dimensional accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the harmful effect of warpage into a beneficial design parameter by using warpage prediction models to optimize ply orientations. Instead of treating warpage as a defect to be corrected with additional components, the system leverages understanding of warpage behavior to design parts that naturally compensate for dimensional deviations, eliminating the need for costly corrections.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Ease of manufacture

If traditional stacking sequences are used, then manufacturing process is simple, but warpage control is poor

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidwarpage control

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing ply orientations and stacking sequences based on predicted warpage characteristics. The system adjusts design parameters such as fiber orientation angles and layer sequences to compensate for anticipated warpage, achieving dimensional control without complicating the manufacturing process. This allows standard manufacturing techniques to produce parts with improved dimensional accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Manufacturing precision

If ply orientations are optimized for minimal warpage, then assembly quality is improved, but design complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly qualityVSAvoiddesign complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback by using warpage prediction models that analyze stacking sequences and provide information about anticipated dimensional deviations. This feedback loop allows designers to adjust ply orientations and stacking sequences to optimize assembly quality. The automated nature of this feedback process, integrated into computer-aided design systems, manages design complexity while achieving improved assembly quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11321501B2Composite structure warpage control system

Publication Date: 2022.05.03 THE BOEING CO

AI summary

A method, apparatus, and system for managing a composite part. An acceptable level of a warpage is identified for the composite part. The warpage for the composite part is a change in the composite part as manufactured that deviates from design specifications for the composite part. Orientations in a stacking sequence for plies in the composite part are selected that result in the composite part having the acceptable level of the warpage and a desired strength to form selected orientations. The composite part is manufactured using the selected orientations.