1. '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

2. 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

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

4. June

5. July 04: A380 MSN001 at the assembly line in Toulouse
June

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

7. June

8. 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

9. Unpressurized fuselage section 19
June

10. June

11. June

12. June

13. June

14. 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

15. Curing tool Section 19 Floating skin done in INVAR, on steel structure
June

16. June

17. June

18. June

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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