Composite Bulkhead Manufacturing With Symmetric Dual Molds
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing manufacturing methods for composite parts, particularly aircraft bulkheads, are inefficient, costly, and require significant space and labor due to separate assembly lines and bulky attachments, lacking a comprehensive device or method for producing complex parts in a single piece.
Innovation Solution
A device and method utilizing a frame that simultaneously rotates and translates two identical molds in a central symmetric arrangement, equipped with robotic devices to lay composite tapes and reinforcing components, allowing for the simultaneous production of two identical composite parts, such as aircraft bulkheads, with reduced space and labor requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate assembly lines are used for manufacturing composite parts, then manufacturing flexibility is maintained, but manufacturing cost and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two separate manufacturing lines into a single integrated device with a common frame, support structure, and control system. Two molds are mounted on the same frame, allowing simultaneous production of two composite parts while sharing infrastructure resources, thereby reducing overall device complexity and manufacturing cost while maintaining production flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
The frame and support structure serve multiple functions: they support both molds, provide rotation capability for both molds, and accommodate multiple robotic devices. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate dedicated structures for each production line, reducing space requirements and manufacturing cost
2Strength
If traditional bulkhead attachments are used to separate pressurized and non-pressurized areas, then structural integrity is maintained, but attachment bulk and labor requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bulkhead is designed as a one-piece composite structure with integrated attachment features directly formed as part of the bulkhead itself, rather than separate attachment components. This segmentation of the attachment function into the bulkhead structure eliminates bulky separate attachments and reduces assembly labor
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses fiber-reinforced composite materials to manufacture the one-piece bulkhead, providing high strength-to-weight ratio and structural integrity while enabling complex geometries including attachment features to be integrated into a single molded part, reducing both bulk and labor requirements
3Area of stationary object
If molds are mounted on the same frame in existing devices, then space efficiency improves, but production efficiency does not optimize due to independent programming requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a symmetric arrangement where the second mold and its robotic devices are positioned as a mirror image of the first side around a central point. This copying of the configuration allows for simplified programming and control, as the same program can be applied to both sides, thereby optimizing production efficiency while maintaining space efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs symmetric arrangement (a form of controlled asymmetry relative to the central point) of molds and robotic devices around a central axis, allowing both sides to operate simultaneously with coordinated motion. This symmetric configuration enables space efficiency while the coordinated control system eliminates the need for independent programming, improving productivity
4Ease of operation
If one-piece composite bulkheads are manufactured, then attachment requirements are reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases without efficient methods
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment features are integrated into the bulkhead structure and formed during the molding process itself, rather than being added as separate components afterward. This preliminary formation of attachment features reduces subsequent assembly complexity and eliminates the need for separate attachment operations
Solution Approach 2:
The use of composite materials and composite molding techniques enables the integration of complex geometric features including attachment interfaces directly into the one-piece bulkhead structure, managing manufacturing complexity through material properties and process integration
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device (40) and a method for the manufacturing of composite parts such as aircraft bulkheads (23), in which a component of the composite part is placed on a first mold (11) with a robotic device (21), a component of another composite part is placed on a second mold (12) with a robotic device (22), the second mold (12) having a surface identical to the surface the first mold (11), and the first mold and the second mold being mounted on a frame in a central symmetric arrangement around a symmetry central point (15), such that components are placed on the molds (11, 12) symmetrically so as to obtain two identical composite parts at the same time.