Laser Repair of Layer Composite Components
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for repairing components made from layer composite materials, such as those in aircraft, are inefficient for complex shapes and do not fully match the original components' properties and shapes, especially when dealing with damage like punctures or cracks.
Innovation Solution
A method involving material removal to form a scarfed or stepped cutout, followed by the application and curing of fiber-reinforced plastic strips to create a replacement structure that matches the original component's shape and fiber orientation, using techniques like laser ablation and automated tape laying or fiber placement, to achieve a strong and shape-matched repair.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional repair methods (riveted, adhesive, welded joints) are used to fasten reinforcement elements to damaged components, then the component can be repaired, but the repair does not fully match the original component's shape and properties, especially for complex-shaped components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical repair methods (riveted, adhesive, welded joints) with laser-based material removal and automated fiber placement. The laser system precisely removes damaged material and prepares the surface, while the automated fiber placement system applies reinforcement fibers with exact positioning, eliminating the need for mechanical fastening methods and achieving superior shape matching.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes controllable laser parameters (power, pulse duration, focal position) to precisely remove material and create optimal surface geometry for repair. The automated fiber placement system also employs adjustable parameters (fiber orientation, layer thickness, placement speed) to match the original component's shape and structural properties, enabling high-precision repair of complex geometries.
2Strength
If material is removed to form a scarfed cutout for repair, then the replacement structure can be strongly joined to the original component, but the repair process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual or mechanical material removal processes with laser ablation, which can rapidly and precisely remove material to create scarfed cutouts with controlled geometry. This substitution significantly reduces the time required for material removal while maintaining or improving the quality of the scarfed surface for optimal joint strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The laser system performs preliminary preparation of the repair area by precisely removing damaged material and creating the optimal scarfed geometry before fiber placement begins. This preliminary action ensures that the replacement structure will achieve maximum bond strength while the automated nature of the process minimizes the overall repair time.
3Manufacturing precision
If automated fiber placement is used to apply reinforcement fibers, then the repair can match the original component's properties and shape, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple functions into a single automated repair system: the laser system performs both material removal and surface preparation, while the automated fiber placement system handles fiber application, consolidation, and curing activation. This multi-functional integration reduces the need for separate equipment and operators, making the increased capability more manageable despite the advanced technology required.
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 method allows for efficient, automated repair of complex-shaped components with properties matching the original, ensuring high strength and accuracy in replacing damaged areas, even in large or hard-to-transport components.
Implementation Method 1
The removal is preferably carried out by means of a laser beam
Implementation Method 2
The curable plastic material contained in the fiber-reinforced plastic strips, which form the replacement-structure semifinished product 34, is cured
Data Source
AI summary
A method for repairing a component constructed in multiple layers from a layer composite material comprises a step of removing material of the layer composite material of the component in the region of damage to the component in order to form a scarfed cutout, such that a scarfed peripheral contour formed from a plurality of layers of the component is formed. Furthermore, fiber-reinforced plastic strips, which exhibit a curable plastic material in an uncured state, are applied in layers in the cutout in order to create a replacement-structure semifinished product that is complementary to and butts against the scarfed peripheral contour of the component. In a further step, the curable plastic material contained in the fiber-reinforced plastic strips is cured in order to create a replacement structure and for joining the replacement structure to the component.