Process and cost modelling applied to manufacture of complex aerospace composite part

Plastics, Rubber and Composites, December 2013, volume 42, Issue 10.

F Weiland1; C Weimer1; F Dumont1; Ch. V Katsiropoulos2 Sp. G Pantelakis*2, I Sitaras3; A A Skordos3; E Berthé4, P de Luca4

1 Eurocopter Production Technologies and Projects, Donauwörth 86607, Germany and

2 Laboratory of Technology and Strength of Materials, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, University of Patras, Rion 26500, Greece and

3 Composites Centre, Cranfield University, Cranfield MK43 0AL, UK and

4 ESI Group, 99 Rue des Solets, Rungis Cedex 94513, France.

 

Abstract

 Novel methods for process simulation and cost analysis have been applied during manufacturing process development of a rotor blade pitch horn. The aim is to reduce costs and lead time on the one hand and to enhance part quality on the other hand. Fabric draping has been simulated using the kinematic draping code PAM-QUIKFORM incorporating new processing strategies. Draping strategies were optimised using a genetic algorithm taking into account manufacturing constraints, which led to a fabric shear reduction by up to 10° with the optimised strategy implemented in manufacturing. A novel material generation of prebindered carbon fibre tows has been used to enhance rigidity and dimensional accuracy of the preform and to minimise processing time. State-of-the-art preforming technology has been incorporated in the process significantly increasing the degree of automation. The process had been analysed based on the activity based costs methodology deriving product costs as sum of costs of all activities involved. Development efforts have been concentrated based on the analysis in order to optimise cycle times with a nearly even duration of the subprocesses. In comparison to a manual prepreg manufacturing process, cost savings with the novel, semiautomated preforming process could be quantified to ∼20%.

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rotor blade pitch horn

 

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