High-Performance Composites is read by qualified composites industry professionals in the fields of continuous carbon fiber and other high-performance composites as well as the associated end-markets of aerospace, military, and automotive.
Issue link: https://hpc.epubxp.com/i/101340
NEWS afp/laser projection integration a ���rst M source: assembly guidance achinery manufacturer Electroimpact (Mukilteo, Wash.) has announced the development of an automated ���ber placement (AFP) machine cell that fully integrates the LASERGUIDE laser projection system from Assembly Guidance Systems Inc. (Chelmsford, Mass.). ���One interface now allows operators to monitor and con- THE POWER OF PFG PEEL PLY It takes both imagination and engineering to achieve ���ight. Today, aircraft manufacturers trust Precision Fabrics Group to help them think beyond existing material and processing limits. Working together, we can help you develop products for your speci���c applications. For more information about PFG Peel Ply that meets aerospace speci���cations, call John Houston at 1-888-PEEL-PLY, or contact one of our distributors. Cytec Process Materials (formerly) Richmond Aircraft Products, Inc. 562-906-3300, CA Northern Composites 603-926-1910, NH Technology Marketing, Inc. 801-265-0111, UT Flugzeug Union SUD 49-896-072-5393, Germany Gregory Young Sales & Service, Inc. 903-878-7291, TX (formerly) Aerovac Systems Ltd. 44-1274-550-500, U.K. Precision Fabrics is an ISO 9001 certified company 16 | precisionfabrics.com 1-888-PEEL-PLY (733-5759) Fax 336-510-8003 high-performance composites trol both the AFP machine and the laser projection system, seamlessly,��� explains Electroimpact engineer Todd Rudberg. Integration addresses the remaining bottlenecks in automated production of composites ��� tasks that demand human intervention, including the transfer of data from the build sequencer to the projection software. Now, that data transfer step has been eliminated. Creation of the single system was enabled by Assembly Guidance���s software development kit (SDK). ���SDK provides ... tools that allow composites manufacturing systems to control Assembly Guidance laser projectors with their software,��� notes Scott Blake, Assembly Guidance president. Reportedly, projection errors are reduced by a factor of ���ve. ���By having the laser system integrated,��� Rudberg says, ���the locations of the AFP machine, mandrel, and laser system are all precisely known relative to a common coordinate system, which results in considerably reduced discrepancy in projections and actual ply boundaries.��� Accordingly, the laser system can be used to locate a part or machine within 0.015 inch/0.38 mm, without any physical contact between the part and the machine. Further, an automated touch probe can be used without risk of part damage due to uncertainty about its location.