Title: A Systems Solution to Quality Escapes in Composites Manufacturing

Authors: Scott Blake

DOI: 10.33599/nasampe/c.24.0295

Abstract: Despite ongoing procedural and training modifications for manual tasks on the composites manufacturing floor, limiting factors inherent to the human condition continue to induce costly quality escapes. Floor operators naturally become distracted or fatigued. Expectation bias may cause them to be less vigilant, for example, in checking that the next pattern in a kit correctly matches the layup sequence. With today’s intensifying schedule and cost pressures, operators may also be more likely to take shortcuts, such as prestamping or stamping behind a whole series of steps. The resulting quality escapes can and have resulted in component failures in the field, including some that have led to loss of life. Rather than seeking new ways to change human behavior and improve performance, this paper presents a systems solution to quality control comprised of (1) electronic process control and (2) AI-enabled automatic inspection. Electronic process control provides a digital solution that guides operators to perform the right task in the right sequence at the right time. It includes electronic buyoffs that preclude prestamping or stamping behind. Automatic inspection replaces error-prone manual inspection with machine vision image capture and analysis that achieve near-100% inspection accuracy. The paper describes this digital approach to quality control, the supporting technology, and a use case in which a composites fabricator transitioned from traditional manual quality control to the proposed digital quality control.

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Conference: CAMX 2024 | San Diego CA

Publication Date: 2024/9/9

SKU: TP24-0000000295

Pages: 15

Price: $30.00