'Automation in aerospace composite processing; its impact on tooling needs' Alfredo Güemes Prof. Materials Science Dept. Aeronautics Univ. Politecnica Madrid Pedro Muñoz-Esquer Director Dpt. Composite Engineering Airbus-España

Content General. The Airbus A-380 Overview of composites manufacturing processes Production of the unpressurized fuselage section Production of the horizontal estabilizer Requirements for the tooling Conclusions June - 2000

Airbus A-380. A380-700 m A380-900 Envergadura Longitud Altura 79.80 67.90 24.10 79.40 A380-800 73.00 79 ft 1 in / 24.1 m Envergadura Longitud Altura 261 ft 10 in / 79.8 m A380-800 / A380-800F 239 ft 6 in / 73.0 m 22 % of the structural weight, over 30 Tm, is done in composites June - 2000

June - 2000

July 04: A380 MSN001 at the assembly line in Toulouse June - 2000

Composite Materials Production PULTRUSION BRAIDING FIBER PLACEMENT COILING THREADS R.T.M. AUTOMATIC TAPE LAYUP June - 2000

June - 2000

Workload in Airbus-Spain Dorsal Fin Costillas del Ala Timón de Dirección (Rudder) Belly Fairing WLGD Montaje Cajones Sección 19 Sección 19.1 A.P.U. BLGD June - 2000

Unpressurized fuselage section 19 June - 2000

June - 2000

June - 2000

June - 2000

June - 2000

A 380 - Panels Section 19 Fibre Placement Lay-up Transfer to curing tool Skin curing Co-bonding Triming Hot Forming Flat lay-up Cutting Ultrasonic Inspection June - 2000

Curing tool Section 19 Floating skin done in INVAR, on steel structure June - 2000

June - 2000

June - 2000

June - 2000

A 380 - Skin Horizontal Stabilizer ATL Vacuum bag Cure Cycle Inspection BASE Automat Cutting Assembly + Vacuumbag ATL, flat Hot Forming STRINGERS Inspection Automatic Trimming Cure Cycle Cobonding June - 2000

Tooling requirements Dimensional accuracy in very large dimensions Dimensional stability under thermal excursion 200 ºC Durability Surface quality Compatibility with demoulding agents Easy of manufacturing, inspect and repair High thermal condutivity, low weight, low thermal expansion Tooling materials: Steel, Invar, CFRP, graphite, June - 2000

Additional tooling reqs. for RTM Very stiff. The dry preform need to be packed tight Very high accuracy in thickness to control fibre volume, and to avoid dry spots. Resin injection and vacuum ports needs to be carefully positioned for a good resin flow. Once closed, vacuum level better than 50 mm Hg. O-ring seal is critical. Heater and cooling system (electrical resistances, water conducts,...) can be built-in at the tool. June - 2000

Assembly tooling FLEXIBLE JIG:Placing of lateral boxes in a fixed position. After positioning the whole system can be moved. Old tooling, poor ergonomics, lead time reduction impossible Alignment according to geometrical key features. These movements are made by the positioners, taking into account a theoretical reference. BEST-FIT calculation before join-up operation. Recording of HTP reference position within a friendly graphical user interface. June - 2000

Conclusions + Composite manufacturing is still a labor intensive process, for many components. + New technologies have been developed to improve the productivity and quality of the parts. + Special moulds requirements derive from the large size of the components, the thermal excursion and the sticky nature of the composite during cure. June - 2000