Composites Formatting: Optimizing Materials, · PDF fileComposites Formatting: Optimizing...
Transcript of Composites Formatting: Optimizing Materials, · PDF fileComposites Formatting: Optimizing...
© 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.www.webindustries.com
© 2016 Web Industries Proprietary & Confidential
Composites Formatting: Optimizing Materials, Machines, and Methods for Better Fabrication Solutions Patrick Markert & Sebastian FehlCFK-Valley Convention 2016, 15-16 June, 2016
© 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
Meeting Goals:
1. Introduce Web Industries
2. AFP Technology Advancements & New Industry Challenges
3. CFRP Slit Tape Trends & Developments
4. Thermoplastic Formatting
5. Conclusions
6. Questions
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Introductions:Web Industries Executive Briefing
● 46+ years experience processing, manufacturing, and innovation with flexible materials
● Diversified market niches● Aerospace Composites● Medical In-Vitro Diagnostics● Heath & Hygiene● Wire & Cable Components● Industrial Fabrics & Components
● 450 employees, privately- held, and financially strong
● 7 facilities and 60+ processing lines providing contract manufacturing capability
● Industry certifications: ISO 9001, 13485, 14001, AS/EN9100C, FDA Registration
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An Evolution:Technical Innovations Lead to Future Opportunities
1970’s - 1990:
● Proving the potential of CFRP in Aerospace
● Developing Primary Manufacturing Methods
1990 – 2015:
● Fully validated uses of CFRP in Aerospace
● Multiple manufacturing technologies proven-in
● Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) and Slit Tape adoption in major programs
2015 & Beyond:
● Great potential for optimization , speed, efficiency
● A wide-array of composites formats will be needed to enable next-generation manufacturing methods
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Custom Attributes
Precision-Oriented
• Spools
• Pad-Rolls
• Ply-Cutting
• Kitting
• Chop/Flake
• Hand Layup
• Automated Tape Layup (ATL)
• Automated Fiber Placement (AFP)
• Compression Molding
• Wing Skins
• Spars
• Stringers
• Engines
• Fuselage
• Secondary
• Thermoset
• Thermo-Plastic
• UD Pre-Preg
• Fabric
• Glass
• Matrix/Hybrid
APPLICATIONS
Market Demand:Meeting the Growing Need for Precision Composites Formatting
MATERIALS
MANUFACTURING
FORMATTING
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Supply Chain:Enabling Aerospace Manufacturing with CFRP Formatting
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Fiber Precursor
Resin
Fiber
CompositesMaterials
Fabric / Weaving
Aero-Structure FabricationPrecision
CompositesFormatting & Kitting
Tooling &Equipment
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Services:Web Industries in Advanced Composites for Aerospace
Web Industries is the premier provider of the most comprehensive and advanced set of formatting services for composite-based manufacturing in the aerospace industry.
The most trusted composites formatter for the world’s most stringent aerospace programs.
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RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CENTER
AEROSPACE QUALITY & FOD CONTROL
MATERIAL MANAGEMENT & LOT TRACEABILITY
FREEZER STORAGE
COMMERCIAL SCALE CAPACITY
COMPOSITE PLY KITTING
CAD-CONTROLLED LASER & KNIFE CUTTING
THERMOPLASTIC CHOPPING
CUSTOM SLIT TAPE SPOOL PACKAGE DESIGN
PRECISION SLITTING & WINDING
CUSTOM REPORTING & MATERIAL LABELING
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The Challenges Ahead:Industry Demand for Materials & Automation
● What is the right material and manufacturing method for my part?
● Prepreg-based Processes: ATL vs. AFP used in large part construction
● ATL productivity with AFP performance and yield benefits
● Demand for greater productivity from both technologies
● Are there opportunities for enabling cross-over/combination of AFP and ATL technologies?
● Can pre-combining of materials enabling process efficiencies and shortened manufacturing cycle times?
● How do we harness the rapid growth in Thermoplastics automationleveraging years of thermoset-based AFP and ATL programs
● Ultimately…how do new possibilities in Slit Tape configurations impact the range and reach of AFP technology?
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Materials:Performance, Yield, & Cost
● Aircraft Builders want the Material Supply Chain to improve productivity, reduce yield loss (“buy to fly” ratios), and drive down material costs.
● New Composite airplane programs will increase demand for improved production efficiency and lower material costs.
● Opportunities: Material Supply Chain● Optimized prepreg parent roll widths and lengths
for input and productivity ● Improved Spool Package Density and AFP Spool
handling to raise productivity and reduce waste● Opportunities to combine materials and
save lay-up steps in the process● Minimizing environmental impact and cost
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Automation:New AFP Technology & Productivity Challenges
AFP Technology is advancing…
● Nimble designs and flexibility in AFP heads on robotic machine base
● New lines combine AFP and ATL capabilities for large-scale parts
● Combinations of multiple discrete AFP robots working simultaneously on large parts
● AFP heads carrying multiple widths of slit tape for more efficient laydownand fill-in applications
● Machine innovations are driving the need for better collaboration and more robust formatting solutions
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EFFORT SUCCESS
End-to-End Collaboration:
+ Prime Aerospace Co
+ Material Provider
+ Web Industries
+ AFP Equipment
+ Fabricator
Better Over-All AFP Economics
Increased Lay-Down Rates / Pounds-Per-Hour
Improved AFP Set-Up / Doffing / Change-Over
Improved AFP Asset Utilization & Precision
Increase Overall Material Yield
Optimize Material Handling and Storage
Kitting, Prep-for-Use, Optimized Packaging
Reusable Packaging
Proximity & Logistics
Remnant Reclamation Strategies
Collaboration is Key:Optimizing Material Formats for AFP Success
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=
Leaving any one of these parties out of early design and developmentcan lead to processes and specifications that will be less than ideal.
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PR
IMA
RY
Quality & Defects
Length
Width
Resins
Tack Levels
Thickness / FAW
Tolerances
Defect Removal (logged & unlogged)
Slitting Speed
Inspection
Splicing
Asset & Labor Utilization
Slit Tape Width
Final Spool Configuration
Overall Tape Length
Spool Width
I/D & O/D
Spool Weight
SEC
ON
DA
RY
● Fiber Types
● Moisture Content
● Wet-Out
● Thaw-Time
● Order Lead-Time
● Set-Ups
● Batch Sizes
● Paper Removal
● Out-Time Windows
● Tolerances
● Blade Management
● Poly Interleaving
● Tension
● Yield / Scrap
● Doffing
● Cleaning
● Environmental Factors
● Poly Width
● Poly Thickness
● Tension
● Wind Pattern
● Spool Core Width
● Spool Packaging
● Final Packaging
● Final Inspection
The Levers of PrecisionSlit™ Slit Tape:Inputs and Outputs Drive Cost and AFP Productivity
MATERIAL INPUTS PROCESSING FACTORS OUTPUT FORMATS
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New Directions in Slit Tape
● Formats not limited to current (1/8", 1/4", 1/2")
● Optimized slit tape widths per part
● Maximize throughput, minimizing yield loss
● Narrow for complex part segments/fill-in zones
● Wider (1" to 2") tapes for large, less complex parts
● Crossover/combination between AFP and ATL
● Multiple ATL rolls feeding multiple tape laydown heads(e.g.: Mtorres 2-tape and 4-tape ATL heads)
● Customized spool lengths optimized to the lay-up process
● Shorter spools on outer edges, longer spools in the middle
● Yield improvement, limiting remnant reprocessing, etc.
● Improve the density and run time of prepreg spools
● Reduced thickness and width of liner to enable more prepreg on the spool
● Reconfigure spools shape (taper to square edge)
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Example: Trial Spool Winding for Wide Slit Tape (pictured example)
● 1.5" Slit Tape Width
● 6" Core Inner Diameter
● ½" wall for stability
● Liner is slit to net width of tape
● 16" spool face length
● OD shown here: ~10 inches,
● Slit tape length: ~6,000 lin. Ft(69 m2) prepreg
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Square edge
spool
profile=more
length
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Length inLinear Feet
Weight(Prepreg) Total Weight
Total ft2 (m2) per spool 32 spool creel
9,665 24.3 lbs 27.6 lbs 404 (37) 778 lbs
Process Impact:Innovative Spool Designs Drive Significant AFP Gains
New Spool:
● ~190 FAW material, 1.5" slit width
● 16" face width by 16" OD
● Maximum spool weight – 103 lbs
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Length inLinear Feet
Weight(Prepreg) Total Weight
Total ft2 (m2) per spool 20 spool creel
11,109 83 lbs 103 lbs 1,389 (129) 1,660 lbs
Compared to current spool:
● 9,665 linear feet x 0.5" wide x 9.5" OD x 16" face width
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Benefits for the Customer
FUNCTION BENEFITS
Spool Package Optimized for AFP with More Material perSpool
• Cost Reduction of Slit Tape
• Better AFP Utilization & Productivity
• Fewer AFP Change-Overs & Cleanings
• Higher Material Yield
• Fewer Scheduled Cleanings
• Better Freezer Utilization
• Lower Freight Costs
Precision w/“Net Width” & Thinner Poly Liner
• Better Slit-Edge Quality & Precision
• Less Exposure to FOD on Incoming Parent Rolls
• Less Exposure of Slitting Blades to Resin
• Less Resin Build-Up, Less Fuzz
• Fewer Stringers
• Reduced Cost of Poly & Paper Liners
• Reduced Poly Liner Waste (Thinner / Narrower)
• Environmental Benefits
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Combination of Materials Prior to Slitting/Spooling
● Currently – Multi-layer laminations are built with individual AFP and/or ATL lay-ups of various component materials, sometimes requiring transporting parts between machines
● Developing – Pre-combined materials (laminated wide-web rolls), are then converted into slit tape to reduce production steps and shorten part manufacturing cycle times ● Goal – AFP manufacturing time
and complexity fall ● Logistics costs eased, product handling
reduced, yield loss improvements likely to be realized
UD Prepreg
SecondMaterial
Big gains in productivity may come from challenging our current
notions of process design and not just “turning up the speed dial”.
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Pre-Combined Materials, cont’d
● Potential for two or more layers● Prepreg/Adhesive layer● Prepreg/Lightning strike layer● Prepreg/Fiberglass (impact protection)● Prepreg/Prepreg (bias ply layers)
● Challenges – Bonding layers well is critical; dissimilar materials will behave differently in the unwinding and lay-up process if separation occurs
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Trading hours gained of Production time on AFP for added value/cost
in material? The analysis may reveal some good potential opportunities
if all-in costs are measured.
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Kitting and Combination of Products to Drive Work Cell Production
Concept – Deliver a set of Prepreg products sufficient to fulfill a multi-process component build-out
● Kitting of various products/materials to feed a work cell center (combined materials, ply cut parts, slit tape, slit rolls, etc)
● Focus – Distributed manufacturing cells for part production
● Example – Precision CFRP components combined in the following scenario:
Enhancements to the material for process-ability without reducing
mechanicals are a key part of improving long-term productivity.
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One Example:Combining Precision CFRP Components
● A base structure created by Hand-Layup ply-cut parts labeled and packaged for each component
● That structure is combined into an AFP part-mold, onto which the extended structure might be built with AFP lay-up and component UD prepreg slit tape
● Finishing that structure might require either lightning strike or strengthening layers, which were provided in specified amounts of prepreg plus “special property” materials combined and slit for final AFP layering before curing
● Kit structure of component materials could be delivered to the workcell by part order, reducing on-floor storage, yield waste, and easier logistics in-plant
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ThermoPlastic Materials:Automated Fabrication and Formatted TPC Materials
Hand lay-up is giving way to Automated Processing in parts fabrication
● Thermoplastic materials
● Aerospace
● Automotive
● Industrial
● New technologies
● AFP technologies and scale appropriate for the market
● Compression Molding
● Welding and Joining techniques
● Applications
● Abundant and growing
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Developing Continuous Fiber Thermoplastic Slit Tape
Ongoing Collaboration with Major Material Suppliers
● Increasing material product offerings
● Industry standards developing: PEEK, PEKK, PEI, and PPS
● Very limited, or defect-free incoming material
● Increasing incoming master roll sizes, lengths, and widths
Customized Requirements for Process and Cost Control
● Can be specific to the particular automated process line and/or part
● Outgoing spool size and configuration (larger/longer for more run time)
● Slit widths and tolerances matched to process and part optimization
● Material splicing. Goal = “fly-away” splices that don’t require removal at the AFP line
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Take-Aways
● Great Potential in prepreg based Automated Fiber Placement (AFP)
● The industry is just beginning to understand the potential for CFRP in large scale production
● Mid-sized and more specialized parts are beginning to justify smaller scale production technologies
● Development of fully engaged and committed resources by Supply Chain partners is needed for market acceptance of improvement opportunities
● Past 10 years –Fully validated use of CFRP and Slit Tape for Automated Fiber Placement (AFP)
● Next 10 years –Great potential for optimization and next generation developments using an array of composites formats.
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© 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
Benefits of Using Web Formatting Services
Outsource It● Focus on Your Core Competencies – Making Airplanes
● Lower Costs and Reduce Capital, Space, and Labor
● Utilize the Most Advanced Slitting & Ply-Cutting Technologies in the World
Leverage Web’s Experience● All Major Commercial, Defense, & Space Programs
● All Major Pre-Pregs and Fabrication Approaches
● Industry Certifications and Reputation
● AS9100C Aerospace-Grade Processes and Systems
Added Value● Materials Sourcing & Management
● Process Controls, Reporting, Labeling, Traceability
● Kitting, Inspection, Packaging, DRP
● State-of-the-Art Composites Development Center(Thermoset, Thermoplast, Dry Fiber, Laminates, etc.)
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© 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
Thank You
Proprietary & Confidential. All content contained within this document is the sole property of Web Industries, Inc. No portion may be copied or redistributed without the expressed written consent of Web Industries.
Contact Information
Patrick MarkertHead of Business Development EuropeWeb Industries Stade GmbHSophie-Scholl-Weg 22A21684 Stade
Mobile: +49 (0)160 589 4485Email: [email protected]
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Sebastian FehlApplications EngineerWeb Industries Stade GmbH
Sophie-Scholl-Weg 22A
21684 Stade
Mobile: +49 (0)160 487 3560Email: [email protected]