JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #58 - June - July 2010 - 34

FEATURE

“Aeronautics”

Streamlining automated processes for composite airframe manufacturing
With the commercial aerospace industry spreading out across the globe, OEMs are facing growing pressure to be first to market with state-of-the-art aircraft. When you add the volatility of fuel prices and the need to reduce operating and total lifecycle costs, you can understand why aircraft manufacturers are rapidly adopting the use of advanced composite materials for primary structural components. These components include fuselage skins and substructure, wing skins, ribs, spars, stringers and shear clips, along with complete empennage assemblies and pressure bulkheads.
FiberSIM is a software suite that addresses the entire composite engineering process, from conception, laminate definition and ply creation through to simulation, performance optimization, flat pattern generation, documentation and manufacturing. SyncroFIT is a group of software products for authoring and managing the assembly interfaces and the hundreds of thousands of fasteners that are typical in an airframe. With the QPE, engineers are able to generate quality plans and inspection data based on design and manufacturing characteristics created by FiberSIM and SyncroFIT and saved in the CAD model.

STEVEN J. PECK DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT AND MARKET STRATEGY FOR AEROSTRUCTURES VISTAGY, INC.

ew automated manufacturing processes are being implemented to help reduce touch labour, improve product quality and consistency, and meet demanding throughput requirements. Technologies such as automated fibre placement, tape laying and robotic material deposition are being used on an increasing variety of components. While material layup is a significant part of the process, it is not where the aeronautics and associated challenges end. Inprocess and post-cure inspection using state-of-the-art automated NDI equipment is becoming a necessity to ensure engineering requirements are being met. Automated trim and drill operations using the latest NC-driven routing and water jet equipment, followed by automated fastener installation and even laser-guided assembly are all key parts of the process. While CAD and PLM systems are the primary components of the engineering environment, these systems lack the specialization required to effectively manage the complex airframe data, the key to enabling automated downstream processes. VISTAGY’s AeroSuite™ fills that void. The AeroSuite is a comprehensive software solution that enables aircraft manufacturers to effectively manage the entire evolving product development process. It is composed of FiberSIM® composites engineering software, SyncroFIT® for designing and manufacturing airframe assemblies, and the Quality Planning Environment™ (QPE) to streamline the First Article Inspection process.

Considering the manufacturing process
The use of composites introduces a high level of uncertainty and variability contrary to the well understood structural and

Illustrated above are simulation results from FiberSIM® based on various materials and manufacturing processes. On the top left, the simulation result for manufacturing producibility of a full-coverage 0-degree layer of woven carbon prepreg is shown. The image on the top right illustrates the producibility challenges that will be encountered when this 0-degree strip of unidirectional carbon prepreg is laid up by hand. The image on the bottom shows areas in which an automated fibre placement machine will be unable to deposit material in the narrow strip areas of the picture frame ply due to the minimum course capability of the machine.

jec composites magazine / No58 June - July 2010

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #58 - June - July 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #58 - June - July 2010