Fibre Stringer Manufacturing via Rotating Carousel and Pneumatic Forming
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacture of aerospace structures with reinforcement stringers is complex and costly due to the need for thickened areas for riveting, which affects the weight and strength characteristics of these structures.
Innovation Solution
A manufacturing installation featuring a rotating cylindrical carousel with male and female tools, a fibre strip applicator, and a cutting head allows for the automatic and continuous production of omega-shaped or T-shaped fibre stringers that can be glued onto aerospace structures without the need for thickened areas, using a bed with lateral movement and pneumatic actuators to shape and cut fibre laminates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional aluminium stringers with riveting are used, then structural reinforcement is achieved, but the structures require thickened areas that increase weight and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the material parameter from traditional aluminium to fibre composite materials, enabling a different joining method (gluing instead of riveting) that eliminates the need for thickened areas and reduces overall structure weight while maintaining reinforcement strength
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical riveting system with a chemical bonding system (gluing), substituting mechanical fasteners with adhesive bonding that does not require thickened areas for rivet installation, thereby reducing structural weight and complexity
2Reliability
If conventional riveting methods are used, then stringers can be fixed securely, but the manufacturing process becomes complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the complex mechanical riveting process with a simpler gluing process, eliminating the need for rivet holes, thickened areas, and complex riveting equipment, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining secure fixation through adhesive bonding
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and removes the thickened areas that are necessary for riveting, simplifying the base structure and eliminating the complexity associated with creating and working with thickened zones for rivet installation
3Ease of manufacture
If thickened areas are created for riveting, then stringer fixation is enabled, but the weight to strength ratio deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the thickened areas from the structure, removing the unnecessary weight while maintaining stringer fixation capability through alternative gluing methods that do not require increased material thickness
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the joining method parameter from mechanical riveting to chemical gluing, which allows fixation without thickened areas, thereby improving the weight to strength ratio by reducing structure weight while maintaining fixation capability
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
This solution simplifies and reduces the cost of producing fibre stringers for aerospace structures, improving their structural features by enabling direct gluing onto the structures without the need for rivets, thus enhancing the weight and strength ratio.
Implementation Method 1
a bar which that can be pushed outwardly by a pneumatic actuator is housed, such that by means of the thrust of said bar the fibre laminate applied on this tool
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an installation for manufacturing fiber stringers for aerospace structures formed by at least one swivel-mounted cylindrical carousel, peripherally incorporating a distribution of male configured tools and in relation to said carousel a bed capable of lateral movement, incorporating a distribution of female configured tools, a fiber strip applicator head for making fiber laminates on the male configured tools also being arranged in relation to the carousel, which allows making omega-shaped or T-shaped stringers by means of the interaction of each male configured tool of the carousel with a respective female configured tool of the bed.