Automated Composite Repair System Using Laser Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for repairing large areas of composite structures, such as aircraft fuselages, are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and require multiple skilled personnel due to the need for extensive engineering analysis and varied engineering tools, making them unsuitable for rapid and repeatable repairs.
Innovation Solution
A system that integrates design, analysis, and manufacturing operations to rapidly create and install custom bolted repairs using a laser tracker for precise mapping and automated software for component design and fastener pattern generation, allowing for standardized and optimized repair solutions with reduced dependence on multiple experts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If bonding techniques are used for repairs, then the repair can be effected through simple bonding processes, but the plies are built up beyond normal skin thickness altering the cross sectional profile and the process is not suitable for larger areas
Solution Approach 1:
The repair process is divided into distinct phases: mapping the damage area, designing the repair components, fabricating the components, and installing them. This segmentation allows each phase to be optimized independently, with the mapping phase using laser trackers for precision and the fabrication phase using standardized templates for repeatability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses laser tracking to create a digital copy of the damage area and its surrounding features. This digital model is then used to design repair components that precisely fit the damaged area, eliminating the need for repeated manual measurement and ensuring consistent cross-sectional profiles.
2Manufacturing precision
If extensive engineering analysis is performed to determine the repair area, then the repair can be precisely designed, but the process becomes time consuming and labor intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary mapping of the damage area using laser trackers before the actual repair design begins. This preliminary action captures the geometry and location of the damage, stringers, and frames in advance, so that the subsequent design process can proceed more quickly using pre-acquired data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary digital model that serves as a mediator between the physical damage area and the repair design. This digital model, created through laser tracking and point cloud processing, allows engineers to analyze and design repairs without repeatedly measuring the physical structure.
3Reliability
If multiple specialized experts are involved in the repair process, then the repair can be thoroughly analyzed and designed, but the process becomes more complex and requires coordination between multiple personnel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of multiple specialized experts into a single integrated software system. The system combines mapping capabilities, design tools, analysis functions, and fabrication guidance in one unified platform, allowing one operator to perform tasks that previously required coordination between multiple specialists.
Solution Approach 2:
The repair system is designed as a universal platform that can handle various repair scenarios and structural configurations. The same software tools can be used for different types of damage, different locations on the fuselage, and different repair methodologies, eliminating the need for multiple specialized toolsets.
4Productivity
If standardized specifications are used for repair components, then the repair process can be rapid and repeatable, but the design may not be optimized for each specific repair location
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses locally adapted repair components that are customized for each specific damage location while maintaining standardized design principles. The laser-mapped geometry of each unique damage area is used to create repair components that precisely fit that location, achieving both standardization and customization.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables rapid, repeatable, and automated large area repairs of composite structures, reducing the need for multiple skilled personnel and improving efficiency by using standardized specifications and previously approved repair templates.
Implementation Method 1
a laser or similar energy beam to select points along the boundaries of the repair area, and determining the 3D location of the selected points
Data Source
AI summary
The design for a repair of an area of a composite structure is at least partially automated. Electronic data defining the boundaries of the area is used to calculate the boundaries of a cutout in the composite structure encompassing the area. Components used to repair the area are automatically designed based on the location of the cutout. Following removal of the cutout, the repair components are installed.