Composites Automatisierung Archives

cevoChristmas: 50x scaled patch sizes for your applications

Dear friends of Fiber Patch Placement,

These days, while fully engaged in our end-of-year activities to successfully close the last projects, we are proud to announce a big leap ahead for Fiber Patch Placement: we have successfully scaled the maximum patch size to 200 x 300 mm – the size of an DIN-A4 sheet of paper. That’s a 50x larger patch area compared to 20 x 60 mm with which we started four years ago! Especially our aerospace customers are keen to work with the new dimensions on larger parts.

But these days we also need to take a deep breath, pause for a moment and reflect on the year that soon comes to a close. We would like to remember some of the highlights together with you – such as our CAMX showfloor debut, or Cevotec winning the SKF Award for “Materials and Processes of the Future” at the Industry of the Future Challenge in Vernon, France. Furthermore, as with our previous newsletters, we’d like to give you deeper insight into our SAMBA modules. This time: the placement units!

Enjoy your read

Your Cevotec-Team

Kontakt
+49 89 2314 165 0
advantages@cevotec.com

Technology/Applications

Scaling up with SAMBA Step L: 50x increased patch size

Our engineers are currently setting up the largest member of SAMBA family to date in our cevoLab: SAMBA Step L is especially designed to meet the aerospace industry’s development requirements. It features a 6-axis robot mounted on a linear axis, a patch gripper able to handle patch sizes of 200 mm x 300 mm, and a roll-placement feature for the precise placement of larger patches on curved surfaces. It is able to process different fiber materials of various sizes, such as carbon, glass, aramid, adhesive films and others, and it features a self-corrective, real-time process control as all SAMBA systems, which ensures constant high laminate quality. In addition, a force sensor has been implemented to precisely control compaction pressures during the placement process.

With the new system, operational for projects from spring 2020 onwards, Cevotec expands its development service offerings in particular for producers of aerostructures. Now complex-shaped parts with sizes of up to 2 m x 3 m can be developed with Fiber Patch Placement technology, such as fairings, nacelles, panels, radomes, and any more. In particular, the ability to precisely place auxiliary materials of sandwich structures directly on the core is currently high in demand, as it also offers the opportunity to remove debulking steps from the process.

Get in touch to learn how FPP can save 20-60% in production cost & time for your larger components.

Technology

SAMBA deep-dive part 2: Placement modules

The SAMBA Series placement modules are individually designed to fit your specific applications. Standard robots brands are Stäubli or Kuka, and other brands can be implemented on request. The Scara fast picker robot implemented on SAMBA Pro guarantees very fast placement cycles. It is a good choice for medium to smaller sized parts with high to medium complexity. The 6-axis robot, implemented in the other systems of the family, represents the most flexible robot choice with its size adapted to the application range. Also, multiple robots per feeding unit are possible for certain applications to increase throughput even further.

The linear axis is optional for an extended reach and can be combined with each 6-axis robot configuration. In the large version, as implemented in the SAMBA Multi System, it is designed to mount the feeding unit in combination with the 6-axis robot. This set-up avoids unnecessary movements and improves cycle time. It is the best choice for large parts with more than 2 m in width. Depending on the application, the placement robot(s) individually can also be mounted on rails to increase reachability and cycle time. This is illustrated with the SAMBA Scale system. All components feature a positioning control unit for precise patch deposition and integrated heating units for processing both prepreg and bindered dry fiber materials. All placement units can be combined with different feeding and cutting units.

Which configuration enables you to save 20-60% of production cost & time? Contact us!

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Events

cevoReflections2019 …

What a year! At JEC World in March 2019 we introduced SAMBA Multi as Cevotec’s latest Fiber Patch Placement development. Featuring a multi-material feeding unit, SAMBA Multi production cells automate the time- and cost-intensive multi-material lay-up of aerospace sandwich components. And we showcased two multi material aerospace parts consisting of carbon and glass fiber and adhesive film layers on a complex-shaped aluminum honeycomb core with chamfered transitions. All materials were processed fully automated by a SAMBA system.

First steps into China: As part of a high-ranking delegation of German entrepreneurs and corporations in the aerospace sector, we took the opportunity in March 2019 to establish contacts with leading Chinese aviation companies. We will continue our efforts to bring Fiber Patch Placement to China and the rest of Asia in the years to come.

In June 2019, we were honored to receive the SKF Award “Materials and Processes of the Future” at the Industry of the Future Challenge in Vernon, France. Fiber Patch Placement, the solution for the automated production of complex composite parts, convinced the jury of senior executives from SKF, Atos and ArianeGroup. We are proud of this recognition!

After the summer, several events highlighted the benefits of Fiber Patch Placement. At the inaugural Global Urban Air Summit in London, experts discussed the way forward to make urban air mobility a reality in the decade to come. Our FPP technology convinced industry professionals that FPP allows for the flexible and scalable automation that the sector needs to keep up with its aspirations to quickly and economically rampup production as urban air vehicles conquer the skies.

At this year’s CAMX in Anaheim, CA, we celebrated the official debut on the showfloor, following a first small appearance in 2017 with the nomination of FPP for the CAMX Innovation Awards. As part of the technical conferences, Thorsten Groene spoke in detail about Composites 4.0 Process Control with FPP technology.

We were also present at JEC Asia, showcasing a multi-material component of an engine nacelle at the Innovation Planet and having our CEO Thorsten Groene presenting about FPP advantages and application areas.

In case you have missed us there …

Events

See you around?

We are looking forward to meeting you at the following events and conferences.

JEC World
March 3 – 5,. 2020
Villepinte, France

AeroDef Manuacturing
March 16 – 19, 2020
Fort Worth, Texas

ILA Berlin
Mai 13 – 17, 2020
Berlin, Germany

From the press

Our latest FPP news always find positive press echoes. Visit our press archive to (re)read about FPP lightweight applications in urban air mobility or pressure vessel reinforcements. And we would like to take this opportunity to thank our press partners most sincerely for their support in 2019!