Low Cost Composite Marking and Cutting System

This independent research and development effort converted a computer controlled plotting table into a composite prepreg marking and cutting system. Implementation cost was thirty percent of the cost of purchasing any comparable system. Marking legibility and cutting accuracy were far superior to any other system available. All marking and cutting computer programs were developed and implemented on Bell Helicopter's CAD/CAM graphics system and input to the cutter computer via an in-house developed DNC network. System payback was realized in less than one year through direct labor savings, elimination of cutting templates, and improved material utilization. More than thirty thousand composite plies of graphite, Kevlar, and fiberglass have been produced for various advanced composite components and airframes.