This content is not included in
your SAE MOBILUS subscription, or you are not logged in.
Integrating 20 Tow, 1.5 Inch AFP Heads on Large Part for High Deposition Rate Application
Technical Paper
2017-01-2149
ISSN: 0148-7191, e-ISSN: 2688-3627
This content contains downloadable datasets
Annotation ability available
Sector:
Language:
English
Abstract
As carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) become more integrated into the design of large single piece aircraft structures, aircraft manufacturers are demanding higher speed and efficiency in Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) deposition systems. To facilitate the manufacturing of large surface area and low contour parts (wing skins, in this case) at a high production rate, Electroimpact has developed a new AFP head consisting of 20 1.5 inch wide pre-impregnated carbon tows. The new head design has been named the ‘OH20’, short for ‘One and a Half Inch, 20 Tows’. This AFP head format creates a deposition swath over 30 inches wide when all 20 tows are active. A total of four of these AFP heads have been integrated with a quick change robotic tool changer on two high speed, high acceleration, and high accuracy moving beam gantries. All head CFRP spool loading, maintenance, and cleaning can be accomplished in a maintenance cell while the other AFP head is depositing CFRP in the part cell. This has greatly increased machine cell up time and hourly deposition rate. In addition to the implementation of a robotic tool changer for the AFP heads, a high power, large IR heater and in-process profilometer inspection assembly has been combined and integrated with separate automated robotic tool changer drop off routine. This allows for multiple heads to use the same heater/profilometer assembly which provides a reduction in expensive hardware quantity requirements and improves the safety for operators and equipment. The development and manufacture of this system has resulted in a greater than 900 pound per hour (PPH) layup rate during production part program execution.
Recommended Content
Technical Paper | Robotic Drilling System for 737 Aileron |
Technical Paper | A Framework on Robotic Percussive Riveting for Aircraft Assembly Automation |
Technical Paper | Robotic Drilling and Countersinking on Highly Curved Surfaces |
Authors
Topic
Citation
Gillespie, C., "Integrating 20 Tow, 1.5 Inch AFP Heads on Large Part for High Deposition Rate Application," SAE Technical Paper 2017-01-2149, 2017, https://doi.org/10.4271/2017-01-2149.Data Sets - Support Documents
Title | Description | Download |
---|---|---|
Unnamed Dataset 1 |
Also In
References
- Rudberg , T. , Nielson , J. , Henscheid , M. , and Cemenska , J. Improving AFP Cell Performance SAE Int. J. Aerosp. 7 2 317 321 2014 10.4271/2014-01-2272
- Calawa , R. and Nancarrow , J. Medium Wave Infrared Heater for High-Speed Fiber Placement SAE Technical Paper 2007-01-3842 2007 10.4271/2007-01-3842
- Cemenska , J. , Rudberg , T. , and Henscheid , M. Automated In-Process Inspection System for AFP Machines SAE Int. J. Aerosp. 8 2 303 309 2015 10.4271/2015-01-2608
- Jeffries , K. Enhanced Robotic Automated Fiber Placement with Accurate Robot Technology and Modular Fiber Placement Head SAE Int. J. Aerosp. 6 2 774 779 2013 10.4271/2013-01-2290