ATL/AFP
AFP/ATL design-to-manufacture: Bridging the gap
Managing production of a structure made via fiber or tape placement often requires software-aided manipulation of the subtle differences between that which is designed and that which can be manufactured.
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New packaging machine uses lightweight carbon fiber airshafts
When Premier Paper Converting Machinery (New Berlin, Wis.) introduced its new custom machine for producing Kraft paper honeycomb used to make packaging materials, the device was equipped to hold four massive 98-inch/2.4m wide rolls of paper, each one weighing 5,300 lb/2,409 kg. To support these paper rolls during u
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ATL and AFP: Signs of evolution in machine process control
Improved machine-control software, placement accuracy and design simulation have made automated fiber placement and tape laying machines truly production-worthy. The evolution, however, still continues.
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There are no bad ideas
Whenever we, as an editorial staff, sit down to begin planning editorial features and other articles for the coming year, we get our ideas from a variety of sources.
Read MoreATL and AFP: Defining the megatrends in composite aerostructures
Automated tape laying and automated fiber placement technologies take a key enabling role in production of today’s — and tomorrow’s — composite-airframed commercial jets.
Watch
Composites Protect Pipe in Downhole Environment
Glass-reinforced epoxy provides a durable and affordable liner for alternative pipe used in enhanced oil recovery.
Read MoreSpeaking Out: Composite Structural Design and Manufacturing ... the Times are A-Changin&'
In the early 1990s, I had the pleasure of working on one of the largest aerospace composites research and development (R&D) projects that has ever been conducted. The program focused on composite fuselage and wing structure for large aircraft. Designs were developed and manufacturing processes were demonstrated at
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Inside manufacturing: Dual-Laminate Pipe Comes of Age
Computerized pipe fusion and customized multimandrel filament winding equipment mass-produces nearly four miles of pipe for chemical plant in China.
Read MoreIn Situ Manufacturing: Pipe Relining in Demanding, Corrosive Environments
Onsite technology offers continuous manufacture and insertion of new high-performance pipe, without excavation and replacement.
Read MoreFilament winding
Filament winding is a continuous fabrication method that can be highly automated and repeatable with relatively low material costs. A long, cylindrical tool called a mandrel is suspended horizontally between end supports, while the “head” – the fiber application instrument – moves back and forth along the length of a
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