Automated Deposition Design

Ensuring Accurate Composites Manufacturing With Automated Layup Machines

FiberSIM Automated Deposition Design (ADD) software enables users to engineer to the characteristics of automated fiber placement or tape laying machines when creating composite parts. The characteristics of automated layup machines can include minimum/maximum material widths, minimum course length, and minimum cut angles. The ADD allows engineers to assess and add extended boundary alterations to account for these characteristics, such as minimum course lengths. In addition, automated layup machines cannot layup material accurately if there is a large step of multiple plies from the material edge to the tool surface. The machines cannot effectively “ramp up” on the step, and will, instead, lift up layers of composite material already deposited on the tool surface, hindering the layup of the part. Automated layup path planning uses ply origins as a definition of the ply’s course centerline and, therefore, the starting layup of a ply. Staggering the ply courses between plies with the same orientation and coverage area is critical to controlling the position of overlaps and gaps. The staggering of the ply courses ensures part strength and adherence to design requirements.

Traditionally, engineers needed to make these alterations using manual design methods. This process was tedious, time-consuming, and error-prone.

When combined with the FiberSIM Composite Engineering Environment or the Advanced Composite Engineering Environment, the ADD enables engineers to automatically create minimum course extensions for all necessary plies at the same time. Users can digitally associate the minimum course extension to a transition point on the ply, and automatically apply the desired corner treatment to all necessary plies at the vertex point. The alteration is propagated to every necessary ply without having to manually select each one. Using the ADD Extended Ramp object, users can automatically “ramp down” the extended boundaries of the plies, making it easy for automated deposition machines to “ramp up” onto multiple plies without lifting up ply layers. ADD’s Stagger Origins command automatically generates the creation of staggered ply origins to offset courses having the same coverage as the original layer. The staggered origin is applied to the proper ply upon export from FiberSIM to path planning software. The digital thread between the composite engineering definition and automated fiber placement or tape layup manufactured parts provided by ADD ensures that parts are designed and manufactured according to specification, so change notices due to machine characteristics are eliminated and part certification is simple.

Automated Deposition Design software helps engineers:

• Simplify and automate the design for manufacturing process while addressing the automated layup machine characteristics
• Create composite parts more quickly and cost-effectively
• Maintain a digital thread to ensure parts are made to specification and are certifiable
• Realize the full cost and rate benefits that automated layup can provide.