JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #133 - March/April 2020 - 108

R&D

Booth: Hall 6 - M74

Aerospace

HEATED TOOL-CURED INTEGRATED WING SKIN
Spirit AeroSystems combined its patented self-heated tooling and resin infusion technology to produce the world's first
lower wing cover (LWC) demonstrator with no autoclave or oven. Utilizing its design for manufacturing and infusion expertise,
Spirit achieved complete integration of the LWC skin, stringers and fuselage fittings into a single component. Combining
Saertex's HTS40 non-crimp fabric, Solvay's 890 resin and a low-cost semi-rigid bag for dimensional control, the company
attained a consistent fibre volume fraction and part tolerances. Saertex's HTS40 also features a thermoplastic veil that improves damage tolerance and
enables weight and material savings. Heat for infusion and cure is delivered through a composite tool with embedded heated zones, each monitored
and controlled independently. Heating the part directly with the tool reduces processing times and equipment costs. The tool also incorporates
a patented resin delivery system, with infusion port locations optimized through resin flow simulations, further minimizing processing times. An
automated stringer cell advances high-rate manufacture by accepting raw material, consolidating, dynamically forming and trimming on-the-fly to
produce tool-ready fabric preforms. Finally, a newly-developed combined inspection and metrology cell streamlines validation. These combined
design, material, simulation, fabrication, and automation innovations significantly reduce costs and enable higher rate composite manufacturing.

www.spiritaero.com

EQUIPMENTS

NEW PNP SERIES PNEUMATIC PRESSES
FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF APPLICATIONS

Booth: Hall 6 - R51a

There is a growing need in composite development for a machine
that has highly-accurate force, temperature and cooling control.
The capabilities of Wabash MPI and Carver, Inc.'s new line of
pneumatic presses for a wide variety of
applications - the PNP Series - fill that void.
Standard models are available in 0.5-, 2- and
5-ton capacities and feature a table-top, fourpost construction. The maximum operating
temperature is 260°C with no 3-phase power
needed.
Other standard features include low-friction seals and bearings,
an infinite-life framework, interchangeable cylinders along with a 90 PSIG
design pressure and five-micron particulate air filters. Optional features
range from CE and clean room designs to platen cooling, heat tubes and
426°C operation, among others. These presses excel in many applications
including composites moulding, laminating, rubber moulding, plastics
testing, fluid/resin extraction, destructive testing, bonding, cell disruption
and sample preparation. This press series features a quiet operation
with no hydraulics to deal with. Minimal maintenance requirements also
make it an excellent addition for companies that are focused on a green
initiative. www.wabashmpi.com

108

jec composites magazine / No133 March - April 2020

Multi-sector

Cevotec expands its service portfolio for manufacturers of aerostructures with the addition of SAMBA Step L in its high-tech lab near Munich,
Germany. The new R&D system expands the range and size of components that can be processed as part of the company's development
services. SAMBA Step L features a six-axis pick&place robot mounted on a linear axis. The increased range allows to deal with larger part sizes
common to complex aerostructures such as fairings, nacelles, panels and radomes. Accordingly, the patch grippers are scaled for patches up
to 200 mm x 300 mm. To enable maximum flexibility in the development process, predefined patches of different sizes and materials can be fed
individually to designated pick-up positions. A smooth deposition of large patches on curved surfaces is realized by
a special roll-placement feature. Cevotec's service offering for aerostructure application development now includes
complex components with larger sizes up to 2 m x 3 m. SAMBA Step L processes many different fibre materials:
carbon, glass, aramid, adhesives, and others. As all SAMBA systems, it features self-corrective real-time process
control, which ensures constant laminate quality and the highest precision as well as repeatability of the placement
process. SAMBA Step L will be ready for customer R&D projects as of spring 2020. Switching manual lay-up to
fibre patch placement saves 20-60% in production cost and time for manufacturers. www.cevotec.com

ULTRASONIC CUTTING
AND SURFACE MACHINING EFFECTOR

The Soniblade L ultrasonic cutting and
surface machining effector is dedicated to
Nomex and aluminium honeycomb. The
cutting knife can cut Nomex and aluminium
honeycomb up to 80 mm thick and presents
many advantages. It offers a very clean cut
without fraying, no materiel residue and
a considerably increased blade lifetime.
The rotary disc can surface Nomex and aluminium honeycomb
and provides a clean cut without fraying, with no material residue,
offering the possibility of working in open environments without a
dust collection system. The cutting and surfacing tools are mounted at
the end of the effector. This effector is suitable for cutting tables, 5-8 axis
machines and robotized cells. It has manual or automated connections
and interchangeable tool holding systems for blades (30, 40, 50 and
80mm) and discs (Ø 15, 18.3, 50 and 63 mm). The cutting effector can
cut monolithic or multi-ply composite materials up to 30mm in thickness
and raw materials such as carbon, Kevlar, aramid, glass and honeycomb
(aluminium/Nomex). This equipment is mainly used for raw material
preparation in the aeronautics sector and by raw material producers.
Booth: Hall 6 - A52

Multi-sector

Booth: Hall 5 - Q80

Aerospace

A SIX-AXIS PICK & PLACE ROBOT FOR LARGE AEROSTRUCTURES

www.sonimat-et.com

http://www.spiritaero.com http://www.cevotec.com http://www.wabashmpi.com http://www.sonimat-et.com

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #133 - March/April 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #133 - March/April 2020