Innovative Robotic Platforms: Dual-Robot AFP and Welding of Thermoplastic CFRPs

Automated fibre placement (AFP) is one of the most used processes for the manufacturing of modern carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) aerospace components. Main cost drivers and barriers to rapid design changes are expensive molds and jigs. The National Research Council Canada together with the DLR developed a holistic and novel approach which uses dual-robot manufacturing and joining, and can be carried out without tools and jigs. Within this project, not only the accuracy of cooperating standard industrial robots has been improved drastically, but also a closed software pipeline from CAD to robot has been built up that is a significant part of the advanced process. Using existing research done by the DLR on direct consolidation AFP and continuous ultrasonic welding (cUW) in mono robot configuration, the team established new processes that are using significant less expensive jigs and improved design flexibility.
Conducted in collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada/Conseil national de recherches du Canada's Aerospace Research Centre, this project also received funding from the Small Teams Initiative: nrc.canada.ca/...
Find more information here: www.dlr.de/zlp...
Contact: Lars Brandt ([e-mail])
Videoproduction by lange-sicht.de/

[@wayshapeform]

This is amazing! I was just wondering to myself recently if this method of TFP would even be possible and here it is!

[@abdokorayem9478]

Amazing Work ... I can't seem to find any publications on this. Could you please name a the publication this was reported in?

[@dlrinstituteofstructuresan6594]

Thank you for your interest in our research! You can read about the first results here: elib.dlr.de/196708/

[@hafizuddinmohdlowhim8426]

Do you foresee to license this technology for commercial purposes?

[@dlrinstituteofstructuresan6594]

This work is mainly focused on improvement of the required core technologies, and patents of other entities may apply. However, DLR has a strong focus and supports technology transfer to industry.