German automated fiber patch (Fiber Patch Placement, FPP) technology company Cevotec announced that the company's FPP technology has made the latest progress in the manufacture of large and complex aerospace structural parts. The model SAMBA Step L is currently the largest body in the SAMBA series of Cevotec. The maximum patch size that can be paved can reach 200mm * 300mm, which is a full enlargement of 50 compared with the earliest 20mm * 60mm patch. Times. Cevotec said that the new technology can further expand the application field of FPP technology, especially to meet the technical needs of the aviation industry for new applications and new processes.
SAMBA Step L is installed at cevoLab near Munich and will be delivered this spring. The biggest feature of the device is a six-axis pick-and-place robot arm mounted on a linear axis.
"The robotic arm with expanded range of motion allows us to cope with specific component sizes of ordinary aircraft," said Dr. Neven Majic, Executive Vice President of Cevotec. "According to the specific component size, we upgraded the size of the patch fixture to be able to handle the German industry standard DIN-A4 size (approximately 200mm * 300mm).
In order to maximize the process flexibility, the pre-set size and material patches can be individually sent to the designated pickup position. The smooth placement of large-size patches on the curved surface can be achieved by the roller placement technology. It is said that this new paving technology can ensure the quality of large-size laminated patches, while effectively preventing the entry of air.
SAMBA Step L is mainly designed for the automatic lay-up process of large aerospace components. It can serve a sandwich structure with a size of 2m * 3m and a space curved surface. Optional materials include carbon fiber, glass fiber, aramid fiber, and adhesives. Like other products in the SAMBA series, SAMBA Step L has self-correction, real-time processing and layer control functions, which can obtain stable layer quality. The control system can guarantee the high precision of the paving process and the precise repeatability between the patches. In addition, the device also uses pressure sensors to precisely control the pressure applied during the paving process.
Neven Majic said: "We started the conceptual design of this equipment in 2018, and the cooperation projects with many aviation customers have inspired us to industrially enlarge the size of the patch and the equipment size. At present, the equipment has been enlarged by 50 times, The future may be even bigger. "
"With SAMBA Step L, we have taken another big step in making FPP a standard production technology for the aviation industry," said Thorsten Groene, CEO of Cevotec. "Our technology has been applied to components such as fairings, nacelles, panels and radomes. The equipment can directly lay auxiliary materials directly on the core material of the sandwich structure without intermediate steps such as pre-suction glue. There is great potential for low-cost manufacturing of next-generation aviation structural parts. "