Title: TOWARDS A VIRTUAL MANUFACTURING ARCHITECTURE TO CAPTURE THE AUTOMATED FIBER PLACEMENT LIFECYCLE

Authors: Ben J. Francis, Max B. Kirkpatrick, Drew B. Sander, Alex R. Brasington, Ramy Harik

DOI: 10.33599/nasampe/s.23.0044

Abstract: Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) is a composite manufacturing technique utilized to create advanced, industrial-scale composite structures. Despite its powerful capabilities, a lack of supervision during manufacturing allows machine deviations to occur undetected. Additionally, the current AFP workflow is an open-loop cycle, where data is siloed and analyzed within each phase. Digital twin concepts can be utilized to not only remove the black box nature of AFP manufacturing but also represent and analyze all phases in the AFP lifecycle. In this paper, additional functionalities are implemented into an existing digital shadow to enable a comprehensive virtual manufacturing environment for AFP. 3D scanning methods are used to validate the layout of the cell. Reconstructed paths using machine data and motion capture are compared to expected paths to investigate machine motion and kinematic accuracy. To create an environment to study the lifecycle, analyses from different phases throughout the AFP workflow are imported into the shadow. Ply tool paths, initial defect predictions, compaction pressure modeling, and as-manufactured defects are projected back onto the tool surface. The presented shadow provides an updated virtual manufacturing environment with a novel framework for investigating and analyzing the entire AFP workflow.

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Conference: SAMPE 2023

Publication Date: 2023/04/17

SKU: TP23-0000000044

Pages: 21

Price: $42.00