Automated Fiber Placement Course Trajectory Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated fiber placement (AFP) systems face challenges in applying composite materials to highly contoured surfaces without causing wrinkling, tearing, or warping due to compression and tension on the tows, which can lead to flawing events.
Innovation Solution
An AFP system that determines potential flawing events by analyzing course trajectories and generates alternate paths, such as flared paths, to avoid steering limitations, and fills gaps created by these paths with additional courses, ensuring the composite material is applied smoothly across complex shapes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If automated fiber placement applies tows to highly contoured surfaces, then the ability to produce complex shapes is improved, but the risk of flawing events (wrinkling, tearing, warping) increases due to compression and tension on the tows
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of the course trajectory to identify potential flawing events before they occur. By calculating compression and tension forces along the planned path and detecting steering limitations in advance, the system can generate alternate trajectories that avoid problematic areas, preventing flawing events rather than reacting to them after they occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the applied trajectory against steering limitations and generates real-time feedback. When a potential flawing event is detected based on calculated compression/tension forces, the system automatically adjusts the course path and provides corrected trajectory information, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains reliability while navigating complex surfaces.
2Shape
If the compaction roller steers the tow along a tight curve, then the ability to follow the form contour is improved, but the tow experiences excessive compression or tension causing steering limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the trajectory parameters (path geometry, curvature, steering angles) to maintain the compaction roller within its operational capabilities. By calculating the steering limitations based on tow width, form curvature, and roller geometry, the system generates alternate paths that respect these parameter constraints while still achieving the desired contour coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
When a direct path along the surface contour is not feasible due to steering limitations, the system introduces motion in additional dimensions by generating three-dimensional alternate trajectories. These paths may involve lifting the roller slightly off the ideal surface path or adjusting the approach angle, allowing the system to navigate tight contours by utilizing spatial dimensions beyond the simple surface follow path.
3Reliability
If flared paths are generated to avoid steering limitations, then flawing events are prevented, but gaps are created between adjacent courses requiring additional material application
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and isolates the problematic sections of the trajectory where steering limitations would cause flawing events. By generating flared paths that diverge from the ideal contour only where necessary and returning to the intended path afterward, the system minimizes the extracted deviation to the absolute minimum required to avoid flawing, thereby reducing the quantity of additional material needed to fill gaps.
Data Source
AI summary
Various automated fiber placement systems and methods are disclosed. The system can determine steerable paths for the application of a composite material over highly contoured surfaces. The system can determine when a course trajectory would violate a steering limitation (e.g., a maximum bendability of the composite material) and can adjust the trajectory to avoid such violations. The adjustment can create gaps between adjacent courses, which can have a generally flared peripheral shape. The system can fill such gaps with subsequent courses of the composite material. Thus, the system can automatically apply composite material to highly contoured surfaces while also avoiding violation of the steering limitations.