Coriolis Composites of France announced on October 10 that it will provide an automatic fiber placement (AFP) system to the National Institute of Aeronautics (NIAR) of Wichita State University in the United States. The installation of this equipment will help NIAR's technical development work in the field of three-dimensional thermoplastic composite automation, and promote the latest technology and applications of thermoplastic composites through cooperation projects with industry.
Coriolis Composites is committed to the development and production of robots for aircraft manufacturing, and has installed more than 60 robots worldwide. Most of these robots are used to produce FAA and EASA certified commercial aircraft, such as Airbus A320, A350 and A220 (formerly Bombardier C series).
"We are very pleased that NIAR has become our second American customer," said Clementine Gallet, president of Coriolis Composites. "The company has always supported the use of industrial robots to reduce the cost of airframe production and has maintained a long-term lead in this field. Advantages are now getting more and more resonance and recognition in the industry and academia."
Thermoplastic composites are the next generation of advanced composite materials used in the aerospace industry. They have better mechanical properties, are recyclable and more environmentally friendly. Coriolis Composites is a member of the ThermoPlastic Composites Research Center (TPRC, Enschede, The Netherlands). Through TPRC, the company has been accelerating the development of thermoplastic composite technology suitable for global aircraft applications.
"The Advanced Composites Research Center with the most advanced thermoplastic technology is very valuable to NIAR researchers and our industry and government partners. Coriolis Composites' thermoplastic AFP system will help advance multiple aircraft R&D projects," WSU Research And John Tomblin, vice president of technology transfer and executive director of NIAR.
The robots and software provided by Coriolis Composites are similar to large-scale 3D printing equipment that uses carbon fiber reinforced plastic to make new aircraft. In the aerospace industry, the use of thermoplastic composite materials is growing significantly, and customers demand lighter, more cost-effective and environmentally friendly products.
Coriolis Composites' AFP technology is based on the smallest profile and lightest weight deposition head in the industry. This shape allows the robot to achieve high accuracy when manufacturing complex and difficult-to-produce parts. Since 2009, the company has been using high-power lasers to automate the fiber laying of thermoplastic material systems such as PEEK, PEKK and PPS. In the past 8 years, Coriolis Composites has developed an extensive material and processing database that describes how to process thermoplastic materials with lasers.