Fiber Blank Shaping With Tracer Threads for Controlled Decadration

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Solution Overview

Problem

The manufacturing of composite material blades or propellers faces issues with shape deformability leading to loss of orthogonality in the warp-weft mesh, resulting in variable mechanical properties and increased weight due to required thicker preforms to compensate for decadration, and manual deformation methods result in inconsistent part quality.

Innovation Solution

A predefined shaping method for fiber blanks using tracer threads and visual references, guided by a laser projector, ensures consistent deformation and controlled decadration by aligning tracer threads with visual references, maintaining replicable and uniform mechanical properties.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Shape

If the fiber blank is deformed to obtain a fiber preform, then the shape of the blade or propeller is obtained, but the orthogonality of the warp-weft mesh is lost locally (decadration)

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveblade or propeller shapeVSAvoidorthogonality of warp-weft mesh

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by projecting visual references (laser lines) onto the fiber blank before deformation begins. These references indicate the target positions of tracer threads, allowing operators to perform the deformation while maintaining control over the final positions of the threads and minimizing decadration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback by using visual references that show the target position of tracer threads during deformation. The operator continuously adjusts the deformation based on the visual feedback from the laser-projected lines, ensuring that the tracer threads reach their intended positions and the orthogonality is preserved as much as possible.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Strength

If a thicker fiber preform is manufactured to compensate for decadration, then mechanical properties are maintained, but the weight of the part increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemechanical propertiesVSAvoidweight of blade or propeller

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

By projecting visual references before deformation and guiding the operator to place tracer threads at precise locations, the patent prevents excessive decadration from occurring in the first place. This eliminates the need to add extra material thickness to compensate for poor alignment, thereby maintaining mechanical properties without increasing weight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of manufacture

If manual deformation of the fiber blank is performed without an ordered shaping sequence, then the fiber preform can be shaped, but great variability in the location of decadration zones is generated from one part to another

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshaping processVSAvoidlocation of decadration zones

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent establishes an ordered shaping sequence by pre-projecting visual references that indicate the exact target positions of tracer threads. This preliminary setup guides the operator through a systematic deformation process, ensuring that decadration zones occur at the same locations in every part rather than varying randomly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The visual references provide continuous feedback during the deformation process, allowing the operator to follow a repeatable sequence of actions. This feedback mechanism ensures that the same deformation pattern is applied to every fiber blank, resulting in consistent decadration zone locations and uniform mechanical properties across all parts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

4Manufacturing precision

If visual references are used to control the disposition of threads during deformation, then some control is achieved, but the method is still done by hand without an ordered shaping sequence

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisposition of threadsVSAvoidmanual deformation process

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the purely manual deformation process with a guided process using optical technology. A laser projector automatically generates and projects visual references onto the fiber blank, providing precise positional information that replaces manual estimation and increases the extent of automation in the shaping process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS12589562B2Replicable shaping of a fiber blank

Publication Date: 2026.03.31 SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES SAS

AI summary

A method for shaping a fiber blank including a warp tracer thread and at least one weft tracer thread, includes the projection of a warp visual reference onto the fiber blank corresponding to a reference location of the warp tracer thread, the deformation of the blank from the bottom of the airfoil blank to the top of the airfoil blank such as to make the warp tracer thread correspond with its visual reference, the projection of a weft visual reference on the fiber blank corresponding to a reference location of the weft tracer thread, and the deformation of the blank from the warp tracer thread to the first edge and to the second edge of the blank such as to make the weft tracer thread correspond with its visual reference.