Segment Manipulator Retrofit

A segment manipulator machine was in service nineteen years. Many of the control components were out of date and hard to obtain. Customer engaged Electroimpact to upgrade using the latest state-of-art controls. The program from the previous control system could not be reused. A “layup mandrel” is a form that is used to lay carbon fiber. The layup mandrel for a wide body aircraft fuselage section consists of six segments. The mandrel is made up of segments so that it can be assembled and disassembled from the inside. The segments are Crown, Upper Left, Upper Right, Lower Left, Lower Right, and Keel. For each build the mandrel is assembled with a segment manipulator machine, wound with carbon fiber tape, clad, and baked in an autoclave. Then the mandrel is disassembled with a segment manipulator machine leaving the cured carbon fiber shell behind. The segments are refurbished and brought to the assembly area on segment carts for the next build. Segments each weigh in the vicinity of 3000 lbs. These segment manipulator machines are approximately 20 ft tall and 30 ft long. They have 17 individual servo axes, 13 loadcells, and 4 machine vision cameras. Electroimpact’s customer had a segment manipulator machine that used control components (CPU, motors, drives, HMI) that were obsolete and difficult to replace. Electroimpact proposed to use a Siemens PLC and all Siemens drives and motors for compatibility. In addition to the controls components it was necessary to replace the loadcells and machine vision cameras as well.