Composites Formatting: Optimizing Materials, Machines, and Methods for Better Fabrication Solutions Patrick Markert & Sebastian Fehl CFK-Valley Convention 2016, 15-16 June, 2016 © 2016 Web Industries Proprietary & Confidential © 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
www.webindustries.com
Meeting Goals: 1. Introduce Web Industries 2. AFP Technology Advancements & New Industry Challenges 3. CFRP Slit Tape Trends & Developments 4. Thermoplastic Formatting 5. Conclusions 6. Questions
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Introductions: Web Industries Executive Briefing ● 46+ years experience processing, manufacturing, and innovation with flexible materials ● Diversified market niches ● ● ● ● ●
Aerospace Composites Medical In-Vitro Diagnostics Heath & Hygiene Wire & Cable Components Industrial Fabrics & Components
● 450 employees, privately- held, and financially strong
● 7 facilities and 60+ processing lines providing contract manufacturing capability ● Industry certifications: ISO 9001, 13485, 14001, AS/EN9100C, FDA Registration © 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
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An Evolution: Technical Innovations Lead to Future Opportunities 1970’s - 1990: ● Proving the potential of CFRP in Aerospace ● Developing Primary Manufacturing Methods 1990 – 2015: ● Fully validated uses of CFRP in Aerospace ● Multiple manufacturing technologies proven-in ● Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) and Slit Tape adoption in major programs
2015 & Beyond: ● Great potential for optimization , speed, efficiency ● A wide-array of composites formats will be needed to enable next-generation manufacturing methods © 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
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Market Demand: Meeting the Growing Need for Precision Composites Formatting
FORMATTING
MANUFACTURING MATERIALS APPLICATIONS
• • • • • •
Wing Skins Spars Stringers Engines Fuselage Secondary
• • • • • •
Thermoset Thermo-Plastic UD Pre-Preg Fabric Glass Matrix/Hybrid
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• Hand Layup • Automated Tape Layup (ATL) • Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) • Compression Molding
Custom Attributes PrecisionOriented • Spools • Pad-Rolls • Ply-Cutting • Kitting • Chop/Flake
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Supply Chain: Enabling Aerospace Manufacturing with CFRP Formatting Fiber Precursor
Resin
Tooling & Equipment
Composites Materials
Aero-Structure Fabrication
Fiber
Fabric / Weaving
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Precision Composites Formatting & Kitting
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Services: Web Industries in Advanced Composites for Aerospace
PRECISION SLITTING & WINDING
CUSTOM SLIT TAPE SPOOL PACKAGE DESIGN THERMOPLASTIC CHOPPING CAD-CONTROLLED LASER & KNIFE CUTTING
Web Industries is the premier provider of the most comprehensive and advanced set of formatting services for composite-based manufacturing in the aerospace industry. The most trusted composites formatter for the world’s most stringent aerospace programs.
COMPOSITE PLY KITTING COMMERCIAL SCALE CAPACITY FREEZER STORAGE MATERIAL MANAGEMENT & LOT TRACEABILITY CUSTOM REPORTING & MATERIAL LABELING AEROSPACE QUALITY & FOD CONTROL RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CENTER
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The Challenges Ahead: Industry Demand for Materials & Automation ● What is the right material and manufacturing method for my part? ● Prepreg-based Processes: ATL vs. AFP used in large part construction ● ATL productivity with AFP performance and yield benefits ● Demand for greater productivity from both technologies
● Are there opportunities for enabling cross-over/combination of AFP and ATL technologies? ● Can pre-combining of materials enabling process efficiencies and shortened manufacturing cycle times? ● How do we harness the rapid growth in Thermoplastics automation leveraging years of thermoset-based AFP and ATL programs ● Ultimately…how do new possibilities in Slit Tape configurations impact the range and reach of AFP technology?
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Materials: Performance, Yield, & Cost ● Aircraft Builders want the Material Supply Chain to improve productivity, reduce yield loss (“buy to fly” ratios), and drive down material costs. ● New Composite airplane programs will increase demand for improved production efficiency and lower material costs. ● Opportunities: Material Supply Chain ● Optimized prepreg parent roll widths and lengths for input and productivity ● Improved Spool Package Density and AFP Spool handling to raise productivity and reduce waste ● Opportunities to combine materials and save lay-up steps in the process ● Minimizing environmental impact and cost
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Automation: New AFP Technology & Productivity Challenges AFP Technology is advancing… ● Nimble designs and flexibility in AFP heads on robotic machine base ● New lines combine AFP and ATL capabilities for large-scale parts
● Combinations of multiple discrete AFP robots working simultaneously on large parts ● AFP heads carrying multiple widths of slit tape for more efficient laydown and fill-in applications ● Machine innovations are driving the need for better collaboration and more robust formatting solutions
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Collaboration is Key: Optimizing Material Formats for AFP Success EFFORT End-to-End Collaboration: + Prime Aerospace Co + Material Provider + Web Industries + AFP Equipment + Fabricator
=
SUCCESS
Better Over-All AFP Economics Increased Lay-Down Rates / Pounds-Per-Hour Improved AFP Set-Up / Doffing / Change-Over Improved AFP Asset Utilization & Precision
Increase Overall Material Yield Optimize Material Handling and Storage Kitting, Prep-for-Use, Optimized Packaging Reusable Packaging Proximity & Logistics Remnant Reclamation Strategies
Leaving any one of these parties out of early design and development can lead to processes and specifications that will be less than ideal. © 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
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The Levers of PrecisionSlit™ Slit Tape: Inputs and Outputs Drive Cost and AFP Productivity
SECONDARY
PRIMARY
MATERIAL INPUTS
PROCESSING FACTORS
OUTPUT FORMATS
Quality & Defects Length Width Resins Tack Levels Thickness / FAW
Tolerances Defect Removal (logged & unlogged) Slitting Speed Inspection Splicing Asset & Labor Utilization
Slit Tape Width Final Spool Configuration Overall Tape Length Spool Width I/D & O/D Spool Weight
● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Fiber Types Moisture Content Wet-Out Thaw-Time Order Lead-Time Set-Ups Batch Sizes
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Paper Removal Out-Time Windows Tolerances Blade Management Poly Interleaving Tension Yield / Scrap Doffing Cleaning Environmental Factors
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Poly Width Poly Thickness Tension Wind Pattern Spool Core Width Spool Packaging Final Packaging Final Inspection
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New Directions in Slit Tape ● Formats not limited to current (1/8", 1/4", 1/2") ● Optimized slit tape widths per part ● Maximize throughput, minimizing yield loss ● Narrow for complex part segments/fill-in zones ● Wider (1" to 2") tapes for large, less complex parts ● Crossover/combination between AFP and ATL
● Multiple ATL rolls feeding multiple tape laydown heads (e.g.: Mtorres 2-tape and 4-tape ATL heads) ● Customized spool lengths optimized to the lay-up process ● Shorter spools on outer edges, longer spools in the middle
● Yield improvement, limiting remnant reprocessing, etc.
● Improve the density and run time of prepreg spools ● Reduced thickness and width of liner to enable more prepreg on the spool ● Reconfigure spools shape (taper to square edge)
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Example: Trial Spool Winding for Wide Slit Tape (pictured example) ● 1.5" Slit Tape Width
● 16" spool face length
● 6" Core Inner Diameter
● OD shown here: ~10 inches,
● ½" wall for stability
● Slit tape length: ~6,000 lin. Ft (69 m2) prepreg
● Liner is slit to net width of tape
Square edge spool profile=more length
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Process Impact: Innovative Spool Designs Drive Significant AFP Gains New Spool: ● ~190 FAW material, 1.5" slit width ● 16" face width by 16" OD ● Maximum spool weight – 103 lbs Length in Linear Feet
11,109
Weight (Prepreg)
83 lbs
Total Weight
103 lbs
Total ft2 (m2) per spool
1,389 (129)
20 spool creel
1,660 lbs
Compared to current spool: ● 9,665 linear feet x 0.5" wide x 9.5" OD x 16" face width Length in Linear Feet
9,665
Weight (Prepreg)
24.3 lbs
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Total Weight
27.6 lbs
Total ft2 (m2) per spool
404 (37)
32 spool creel
778 lbs 15
Benefits for the Customer FUNCTION
BENEFITS
Spool Package Optimized for AFP with More Material per Spool
•
Cost Reduction of Slit Tape
•
Better AFP Utilization & Productivity
•
Fewer AFP Change-Overs & Cleanings
•
Higher Material Yield
•
Fewer Scheduled Cleanings
•
Better Freezer Utilization
•
Lower Freight Costs
•
Better Slit-Edge Quality & Precision
•
Less Exposure to FOD on Incoming Parent Rolls
•
Less Exposure of Slitting Blades to Resin
•
Less Resin Build-Up, Less Fuzz
•
Fewer Stringers
•
Reduced Cost of Poly & Paper Liners
•
Reduced Poly Liner Waste (Thinner / Narrower)
•
Environmental Benefits
Precision w/“Net Width” & Thinner Poly Liner
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Combination of Materials Prior to Slitting/Spooling ● Currently – Multi-layer laminations are built with individual AFP and/or ATL lay-ups of various component materials, sometimes requiring transporting parts between machines ● Developing – Pre-combined materials (laminated wide-web rolls), are then converted into slit tape to reduce production steps and shorten part manufacturing cycle times ● Goal – AFP manufacturing time and complexity fall ● Logistics costs eased, product handling reduced, yield loss improvements likely to be realized
UD Prepreg
Second Material
Big gains in productivity may come from challenging our current notions of process design and not just “turning up the speed dial”. © 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
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Pre-Combined Materials, cont’d ● Potential for two or more layers ● ● ● ●
Prepreg/Adhesive layer Prepreg/Lightning strike layer Prepreg/Fiberglass (impact protection) Prepreg/Prepreg (bias ply layers)
● Challenges – Bonding layers well is critical; dissimilar materials will behave differently in the unwinding and lay-up process if separation occurs
Trading hours gained of Production time on AFP for added value/cost in material? The analysis may reveal some good potential opportunities if all-in costs are measured. © 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
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Kitting and Combination of Products to Drive Work Cell Production Concept – Deliver a set of Prepreg products sufficient to fulfill a multi-process component build-out ● Kitting of various products/materials to feed a work cell center (combined materials, ply cut parts, slit tape, slit rolls, etc)
● Focus – Distributed manufacturing cells for part production ● Example – Precision CFRP components combined in the following scenario:
Enhancements to the material for process-ability without reducing mechanicals are a key part of improving long-term productivity. © 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
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One Example: Combining Precision CFRP Components ● A base structure created by Hand-Layup ply-cut parts labeled and packaged for each component ● That structure is combined into an AFP part-mold, onto which the extended structure might be built with AFP lay-up and component UD prepreg slit tape
● Finishing that structure might require either lightning strike or strengthening layers, which were provided in specified amounts of prepreg plus “special property” materials combined and slit for final AFP layering before curing ● Kit structure of component materials could be delivered to the workcell by part order, reducing on-floor storage, yield waste, and easier logistics in-plant
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ThermoPlastic Materials: Automated Fabrication and Formatted TPC Materials Hand lay-up is giving way to Automated Processing in parts fabrication ● Thermoplastic materials ● Aerospace ● Automotive
● Industrial
● New technologies ● AFP technologies and scale appropriate for the market
● Compression Molding ● Welding and Joining techniques
● Applications ● Abundant and growing
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Developing Continuous Fiber Thermoplastic Slit Tape Ongoing Collaboration with Major Material Suppliers ● Increasing material product offerings ● Industry standards developing: PEEK, PEKK, PEI, and PPS ● Very limited, or defect-free incoming material
● Increasing incoming master roll sizes, lengths, and widths Customized Requirements for Process and Cost Control ● Can be specific to the particular automated process line and/or part
● Outgoing spool size and configuration (larger/longer for more run time) ● Slit widths and tolerances matched to process and part optimization ● Material splicing. Goal = “fly-away” splices that don’t require removal at the AFP line © 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
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Take-Aways ● Great Potential in prepreg based Automated Fiber Placement (AFP)
● The industry is just beginning to understand the potential for CFRP in large scale production ● Mid-sized and more specialized parts are beginning to justify smaller scale production technologies
● Development of fully engaged and committed resources by Supply Chain partners is needed for market acceptance of improvement opportunities ● Past 10 years – Fully validated use of CFRP and Slit Tape for Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) ● Next 10 years – Great potential for optimization and next generation developments using an array of composites formats.
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Benefits of Using Web Formatting Services Outsource It ● Focus on Your Core Competencies – Making Airplanes ● Lower Costs and Reduce Capital, Space, and Labor ● Utilize the Most Advanced Slitting & Ply-Cutting Technologies in the World
Leverage Web’s Experience ● ● ● ●
All Major Commercial, Defense, & Space Programs All Major Pre-Pregs and Fabrication Approaches Industry Certifications and Reputation AS9100C Aerospace-Grade Processes and Systems
Added Value ● ● ● ●
Materials Sourcing & Management Process Controls, Reporting, Labeling, Traceability Kitting, Inspection, Packaging, DRP State-of-the-Art Composites Development Center (Thermoset, Thermoplast, Dry Fiber, Laminates, etc.)
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Thank You Contact Information Patrick Markert Head of Business Development Europe Web Industries Stade GmbH Sophie-Scholl-Weg 22A 21684 Stade
Sebastian Fehl Applications Engineer Web Industries Stade GmbH Sophie-Scholl-Weg 22A 21684 Stade
Mobile: +49 (0)160 589 4485 Email:
[email protected]
Mobile: +49 (0)160 487 3560 Email:
[email protected]
Proprietary & Confidential. All content contained within this document is the sole property of Web Industries, Inc. No portion may be copied or redistributed without the expressed written consent of Web Industries. © 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
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