SAMPE Journal - March/April 2013 - (Page 5)

A Note from the Technical Director Dr. Scott W. Beckwith SAMPE Journal Technical Editor swbeckwith@aol.com “Automated Fiber Placement Technology Has Made Significant Progress in Last 25 Years” Automation and innovative composites manufacturing processes have continued to move our industries forward in several market arenas over the past few decades. Resin infusion technologies exploded rapidly in the mid-1980s with various versions of resin transfer molding (RTM), vacuum-assisted RTM (or VARTM), resin film infusion (RFI) and subsequently Bill Seemann’s version, SCRIMP, Seemann’s Composite Resin Infusion Molding Process. I have obviously left out numerous other versions of infusion processes that developed because they likely number well over 40-50 subsets or iterations, but in general it can be said that the “resin infusion” process technology explosion was extensive. At roughly the same time that resin infusion technology began to expand, automated fiber placement technology (AFP) began to make serious improvements to established process technologies obtain from automated tape lay-up and filament winding manufacturing methods. Manufacturing engineers began in earnest to harvest the attributes of both technologies in order to establish a more automated, structurally optimized design technology into a process that could provide significantly more unique composite structures. Composites companies across the board (material suppliers, machine technologists, designers, structural analysts and numerous others) combined their talents to develop an automated technology that has truly been unique and adaptable across various markets. One example of a very early complex geometry is the aircraft air engine duct made using an early fiber placement machine laying down carbon fiber prepreg materials. However, the early versions of automated fiber placement technologies were quite complex although they had numerous features such as tow-cut and tow-add aspects, tow-steering capability, thermoset and thermoplastic resin material machine offerings, etc. These early versions developed over several years from the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s at a time when machine manufacturers were only a very few and the material lay-down rates were often quite low. AFP technology at that time was pretty much limited to aerospace markets where such complex technological structures were required and only that process seemed to address the needs. Today, there is considerable improvements in AFP machine capability, materials technology and availablity, and, applications in numerous other (non-aerospace) markets. As two examples, the complex iso-grid reinforced composite shell structures developed by the ALA Group and Electroimpact is typical of what can now be done at much higher lay-down rates and complexity. At the same time, AFP technology has moved to more commercial markets as well. The manufacturing of large wind energy blades using AFP technology, as shown in the M-Torres machine fabrication of long blades is one of several where AFP and material laydown technology has moved the composites industry forward significantly. One can likely expect even more in the near term. SAMPE Journal, Volume 49, No. 2, March/April 2013 5

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SAMPE Journal - March/April 2013

SAMPE Journal - March/April 2013
Table of Contents
President’s Message
Technical Director’s Corner
Chemical Reactivation of Exterior Decorative Aerospace Topcoats
Materials & Products
Welcome SAMPE’s Newest Members
SAMPE Journal Editorial Calender
Corporate Partners
Experimental-Comparative Investigation of the Effects of Various Process Parameters on Drilling CFRP
SAMPE Proceedings
Perspectives
Europe News & Views
SAMPE Europe’s SEICO 2013, Paris, France
SAMPE Europe’s SETEC 13 Wuppertal, Germany
Machining and Drilling of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) Composites
The SAMPE Foundation
Industry News
SAMPE 2013|Long Beach
SAMPE Tech 2013|Wichita, KS Call for Papers
Advertiser’s Index
Resource Center
SAMPE Membership Application
SAMPE Books & CD’s Order Form
Industry Events Calendar
Chapter Contacts

SAMPE Journal - March/April 2013