NIAR Composites Workshop 2017
Optimizing the Hand Lay-up Manufacturing Process
A Hands-on CATIA 3DEXPERIENCE workshop for composites design, manufacturing and hand layup was recently hosted at the National Center for Aviation (Wichita Stata University). Over two days Inceptra and Dassault Systems hosted many of our customers to share their experiences and also manufacture a winglet using composite hand layup techniques.
Attendees used the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to design a winglet and prepare it for manufacturing. They also experienced the manufacturing techniques first hand using hand layup, ply cutting and laser projection technologies. During layup, attendees were set in two groups of about four people and they did the ply-ply layup themselves using laser projections to guide them on 3D printer layup tools provided by NIAR. Materials for the 3D printed tooling was suitable for curing in the autoclave overnight. The next morning everyone debagged and inspected their results which were actually very good considering the time constraints we had to deal with.
Day 1: Composites Hands-On Workshop – 3DEXPERIENCE Composites Design, Manufacturing and Laser Projection
Day 1 was about Designing + Manufacturing preparation with CATIA 3DEXPERIENCE and then making these winglets for real. Awesome teamwork with NIAR and Inceptra.
Day 2: Composites Hands-On Workshop – 3DEXPERIENCE Virtual to Real
Day 2 of the Composites workshop at NCAT in Wichita: From Virtual to Real. Our winglets are now cured. Scanning the winglets to measure the spring-in on the actual part, but also simulating this phenomenon with Convergent COMPRO and SIMULIA Abaqus. Then back to CATIA for Tooling Compensation thanks to the unique “Virtual to Real Shape Morphing” CATIA app.
Again awesome teamwork with DS, NIAR, Inceptra and Convergent Manufacturing Technologies.
Inceptra would like to thank all who were involved to make this happen and for all of our customers who took the time out of their busy schedules to attend! Looking forward to more of these events in the near future!
Article compiled by Todd Wigglesworth
Senior Application Engineer
Inceptra