Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 93 |
| Journal | Journal of Composites Science |
| Volume | 5 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Apr 2021 |
Abstract
The manufacturing of large-scale structural components is still dominated by manual labor in many sectors of the modern composite industry. Efforts are being made to establish an automated layup technology for complex structural elements. Processing dry non-crimp fiber fabrics (NCF) offers great cost opportunities and high deposition rates, compared to prepreg-based technologies like automated fiber placement (AFP). Here, the fabric architecture is considered during the draping of the plane textile on curved surfaces. In this paper, the development of a draping unit for balancing fabric tension and consolidating continuously across the layup width is presented. We introduce a geometrical process model to achieve a fabric-friendly draping of the used unidirectional NCF. The shape of the resulting draping front depends on the surface geometry, the shearing of the previously laid-up textile, and the positioning of the material feed. To consolidate the fabric at the altering draping front in an automated layup process, the shape of the continuous consolidation element can be controlled by the elongation of serial soft actuators, manipulated by parallel robot kinematics. The shape replication ability of the draping unit is promising for the implementation of a continuous, fabric-friendly draping process for complex surface geometries.
Keywords
- Automation, Draping, Fabrics/textiles, Lay-up (manual/automated), Process modeling, Soft-robotic
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Materials Science(all)
- Ceramics and Composites
- Engineering(all)
- Engineering (miscellaneous)
Cite this
- Standard
- Harvard
- Apa
- Vancouver
- BibTeX
- RIS
In: Journal of Composites Science, Vol. 5, No. 4, 93, 01.04.2021.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Development of a shape replicating draping unit for continuous layup of unidirectional non-crimp fabrics on complex surface geometries
AU - Denkena, Berend
AU - Schmidt, Carsten
AU - Werner, Simon
AU - Schwittay, Dietmar
N1 - Funding Information: Funding: The authors thankfully acknowledge the financial and organizational support of the project FlexProCFK by the federal state of Lower Saxony and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The publication of this article was funded by the Open Access Fund of the Leibniz Universität Hannover.
PY - 2021/4/1
Y1 - 2021/4/1
N2 - The manufacturing of large-scale structural components is still dominated by manual labor in many sectors of the modern composite industry. Efforts are being made to establish an automated layup technology for complex structural elements. Processing dry non-crimp fiber fabrics (NCF) offers great cost opportunities and high deposition rates, compared to prepreg-based technologies like automated fiber placement (AFP). Here, the fabric architecture is considered during the draping of the plane textile on curved surfaces. In this paper, the development of a draping unit for balancing fabric tension and consolidating continuously across the layup width is presented. We introduce a geometrical process model to achieve a fabric-friendly draping of the used unidirectional NCF. The shape of the resulting draping front depends on the surface geometry, the shearing of the previously laid-up textile, and the positioning of the material feed. To consolidate the fabric at the altering draping front in an automated layup process, the shape of the continuous consolidation element can be controlled by the elongation of serial soft actuators, manipulated by parallel robot kinematics. The shape replication ability of the draping unit is promising for the implementation of a continuous, fabric-friendly draping process for complex surface geometries.
AB - The manufacturing of large-scale structural components is still dominated by manual labor in many sectors of the modern composite industry. Efforts are being made to establish an automated layup technology for complex structural elements. Processing dry non-crimp fiber fabrics (NCF) offers great cost opportunities and high deposition rates, compared to prepreg-based technologies like automated fiber placement (AFP). Here, the fabric architecture is considered during the draping of the plane textile on curved surfaces. In this paper, the development of a draping unit for balancing fabric tension and consolidating continuously across the layup width is presented. We introduce a geometrical process model to achieve a fabric-friendly draping of the used unidirectional NCF. The shape of the resulting draping front depends on the surface geometry, the shearing of the previously laid-up textile, and the positioning of the material feed. To consolidate the fabric at the altering draping front in an automated layup process, the shape of the continuous consolidation element can be controlled by the elongation of serial soft actuators, manipulated by parallel robot kinematics. The shape replication ability of the draping unit is promising for the implementation of a continuous, fabric-friendly draping process for complex surface geometries.
KW - Automation
KW - Draping
KW - Fabrics/textiles
KW - Lay-up (manual/automated)
KW - Process modeling
KW - Soft-robotic
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85104547183&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/jcs5040093
DO - 10.3390/jcs5040093
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85104547183
VL - 5
JO - Journal of Composites Science
JF - Journal of Composites Science
IS - 4
M1 - 93
ER -