Robotic laying out of prepregs as an alternative to technology to ATL and AFP (review)

Timoshkov P.N., Goncharov V.A., Grigoreva L.N., Usacheva M.N., Khrulkov A.V.
UDC
678.8
DOI
10.18577/2307-6046-2021-0-3-87-98
Article PDF (Russian) (852.54 KB)
How to cite
Timoshkov P.N., Goncharov V.A., Grigoreva L.N., Usacheva M.N., Khrulkov A.V. Robotic laying out of prepregs as an alternative to technology to ATL and AFP (review) // Proceedings of VIAM. 2021. No. 3. DOI: 10.18577/2307-6046-2021-0-3-87-98. URL: https://test.viam.ru/en/journal/2021/3/8
Keywords
polymeric composite materials, automated tape laying (ATL), automated fiber placement (AFP), prepreg, manipulator.
Abstract

With the growing use of composite materials, the automated production of parts using prepreg is gaining increasing interest. There are two main types of prepreg laying automation: Automated Tape Laying (ATL) and Automated Fiber placement (AFP). Both of these technologies are not always cost effective for all types of parts, and manual labor tends to be used to make complex parts with low production volumes. As an alternative to these two dominant automation solutions, there are 4 options for automated laying with manipulators.

Reference list
  1. Kablov E.N. New generation materials and digital technologies for their processing. Vestnik Rossiyskoy akademii nauk, 2020, vol. 90, no. 4, pp. 331–334.
  2. Kablov E.N. Formation of domestic space materials science. Vestnik RFFI, 2017, no. 3, pp. 97-105.
  3. Kablov E.N. VIAM: new generation materials for PD-14. Krylya Rodiny, 2019, no. 7-8, pp. 54–58.
  4. Kablov E.N. Innovative developments of FSUE «VIAM» SSC of RF on realization of «Strategic directions of the development of materials and technologies of their processing for the period until 2030». Aviacionnye materialy i tehnologii, 2015, no. 1 (34), pp. 3–33. DOI: 10.18577/2071-9140-2015-0-1-3-33.
  5. Doneckij K.I., Karavaev R.Yu., Raskutin A.E., Panina N.N. Properties of carbon fiber and fiberglass on the basis of braiding preforms. Aviacionnye materialy i tehnologii, 2016, no. 4 (45), pp. 54–59. DOI: 10.18577/2071-9140-2016-0-4-54-59.
  6. Belinis P.G., Donetskiy K.I., Lukyanenko Yu.V., Rogozhnikov V.N., Mayer Yu., Bystrikova D.V. Volume reinforcing solid-woven preforms for manufacturing of polymer composite materials (review). Aviacionnye materialy i tehnologii, 2019, no. 4 (57), pp. 18–26. DOI: 10.18577/2071-9140-2019-0-4-18-26.
  7. Gusev Yu.A., Borshhev A.V., Khrulkov A.V. Features of prepregs intended for automated laying by ATL and AFP technologies. Trudy VIAM, 2015, no. 3, paper no. 06. Available at: http://www.viam-works.ru (accessed: November 20, 2020). DOI: 10.18577/2307-6046-2015-0-3-6-6.
  8. Timoshkov P.N. Equipment and materials for the technology of automated calculations prepregs. Aviacionnye materialy i tehnologii, 2016, no. 2, pp. 35–39. DOI: 10.18577/2071-9140-2016-0-2-35-39.
  9. Paton R. Forming technology for thermoset composites. Composites forming technologies. Ed. A.C. Long. Cambridge: Woodhead Publishing, 2007. 328 p.
  10. Lukaszewicz D.H.-J.A., Ward C., Potter K.D. The engineering aspects of automated prepreg layup: history, present and future. Composites Part B: Engineering, 2012, vol. 43 (3), pp. 997–1009.
  11. Björnsson A., Jonsson M., Eklund D., Lindbäck J.E., Björkman M. Getting to grips with automated prepreg handling. Production Engineering, 2017, vol. 11 (3), pp. 1–9.
  12. Mcllhagger A., Archer E., Mcllhagger R. Manufacturing processes for composite materials and components for aerospace applications. Polymer composites in the aerospace industry / ed. E.P. Irving, C. Soutis. Cambridge: Elsevier Science, 2014, 688 p.
  13. Sloan J. ATL and AFP: signs of evolution in machine process control. The International Journal of High Performance Computing Applications, 2008, vol. 16 (5), pp. 1–47.
  14. Newell G., Khodabandehloo K. Modelling flexible sheets for automatic handling and lay-up of composite components. The Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers: Part B, 1995, vol. 209 (6), pp. 423–432.
  15. Buckingham R.O., Newell G.C. Automating the manufacture of composite broadgoods. Composites. Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 1996, vol. 27 (3), pp. 191–200.
  16. Szcesny M., Heieck F., Middendorf P., Mezzacasa R., Irastorza X., Sehrschön H., Schneiderbauer M. The advanced ply placement process – an innovative direct 3D placement technology for plies and tapes. Advanced Manufacturing: Polymer & Composites Science, 2017, vol. 3, pp. 2–9.
  17. Composites World: Automating the CH-53K’s composite flexbeams. Available at: https://www.compositesworld.com/articles/automating-the-ch-53ks-composite-flexbeams (accessed: November 5, 2020).
  18. Curran J.P., Wright E.J., Armstrong P.J. An intelligent vacuum gripper for robotic handling. Advances in manufacturing technology II. Springer, 1987, pp. 205–209.
  19. Campbell F.C. Manufacturing processes for advanced composites. Oxford: Elsevier Advanced Technology, 2004, 532 p.
  20. Strong A.B. Fundamentals of composites manufacturing: materials, methods and applications. 2nd ed. Dearborn: Society of Manufacturing Engineers, 2008, 640 p.
  21. Newell G.C., Buckingham R.O., Khodabandehloo K. The automated manufacture of prepreg broadgoods components – a review of literature. Composites. Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 1996, vol. 27 (3), pp. 211–217.
  22. Potter K. But how can we make something useful out of black string? The development of carbon fibre composites manufacturing (1965–2015). The structural integrity of carbon fiber composites: 50 years of progress and achievement of the science, development, and applications. Springer, 2017, 969 p.
  23. Björnsson A., Lindbäck J.E., Johansen K. Automated removal of prepreg backing paper-a sticky problem. SAE 2013 AeroTech congress and exhibition, 2013, p. 1–9.
  24. Björnsson A., Lindbäck J.E., Eklund D., Jonsson M. Low-cost automation for prepreg handling-two cases from the aerospace industry. SAE International Journal of Materials and Manufacturing. 2016, vol. 9, is. 1, pp. 68–74.
  25. Björnsson A., Jonsson M., Lindbäck J.E., Akermo M., Johansen K. Robot-forming of prepreg stacks – development of equipment and methods. ECCM 2016 – Proceeding of the 17th European Conference on Composite Materials, European Conference on Composite Materials, 2016 pp. 78–85.