Composites Formatting:
Optimizing Materials, Machines, and
Methods for Better Fabrication Solutions
Patrick Markert & Sebastian Fehl
CFK-Valley Convention 2016, 15-16 June, 2016
© 2016 Web Industries Proprietary & Confidential
© 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
www.webindustries.com
Meeting Goals:
1. Introduce Web Industries
2. AFP Technology Advancements
& New Industry Challenges
3. CFRP Slit Tape Trends
& Developments
4. Thermoplastic Formatting
5. Conclusions
6. Questions
© 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
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Introductions:
Web Industries Executive Briefing
● 46+ years experience processing, manufacturing,
and innovation with flexible materials
● Diversified market niches
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Aerospace Composites
Medical In-Vitro Diagnostics
Heath & Hygiene
Wire & Cable Components
Industrial Fabrics & Components
● 450 employees, privately- held,
and financially strong
● 7 facilities and 60+ processing lines
providing contract manufacturing capability
● Industry certifications: ISO 9001, 13485, 14001,
AS/EN9100C, FDA Registration
© 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
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An Evolution:
Technical Innovations Lead to Future Opportunities
1970’s - 1990:
● Proving the potential of CFRP in Aerospace
● Developing Primary Manufacturing Methods
1990 – 2015:
● Fully validated uses of CFRP in Aerospace
● Multiple manufacturing technologies proven-in
● Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) and Slit Tape
adoption in major programs
2015 & Beyond:
● Great potential for optimization , speed, efficiency
● A wide-array of composites formats will be needed
to enable next-generation manufacturing methods
© 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
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Market Demand:
Meeting the Growing Need for
Precision Composites Formatting
FORMATTING
MANUFACTURING
MATERIALS
APPLICATIONS
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Wing Skins
Spars
Stringers
Engines
Fuselage
Secondary
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Thermoset
Thermo-Plastic
UD Pre-Preg
Fabric
Glass
Matrix/Hybrid
© 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
• Hand Layup
• Automated
Tape Layup
(ATL)
• Automated
Fiber
Placement
(AFP)
• Compression
Molding
Custom
Attributes
PrecisionOriented
• Spools
• Pad-Rolls
• Ply-Cutting
• Kitting
• Chop/Flake
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Supply Chain:
Enabling Aerospace Manufacturing with CFRP Formatting
Fiber
Precursor
Resin
Tooling &
Equipment
Composites
Materials
Aero-Structure
Fabrication
Fiber
Fabric /
Weaving
© 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
Precision
Composites
Formatting & Kitting
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Services:
Web Industries in
Advanced Composites
for Aerospace
PRECISION SLITTING & WINDING
CUSTOM SLIT TAPE SPOOL PACKAGE DESIGN
THERMOPLASTIC CHOPPING
CAD-CONTROLLED LASER & KNIFE CUTTING
Web Industries is the premier provider
of the most comprehensive and
advanced set of formatting services
for composite-based manufacturing
in the aerospace industry.
The most trusted composites formatter
for the world’s most stringent
aerospace programs.
COMPOSITE PLY KITTING
COMMERCIAL SCALE CAPACITY
FREEZER STORAGE
MATERIAL MANAGEMENT & LOT TRACEABILITY
CUSTOM REPORTING & MATERIAL LABELING
AEROSPACE QUALITY & FOD CONTROL
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CENTER
© 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
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The Challenges Ahead:
Industry Demand for Materials & Automation
● What is the right material and manufacturing method for my part?
● Prepreg-based Processes: ATL vs. AFP used in large part construction
● ATL productivity with AFP performance and yield benefits
● Demand for greater productivity from both technologies
● Are there opportunities for enabling cross-over/combination of
AFP and ATL technologies?
● Can pre-combining of materials enabling process efficiencies and
shortened manufacturing cycle times?
● How do we harness the rapid growth in Thermoplastics automation
leveraging years of thermoset-based AFP and ATL programs
● Ultimately…how do new possibilities in Slit Tape configurations impact the
range and reach of AFP technology?
© 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
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Materials:
Performance, Yield, & Cost
● Aircraft Builders want the Material Supply Chain
to improve productivity, reduce yield loss (“buy
to fly” ratios), and drive down material costs.
● New Composite airplane programs will increase
demand for improved production efficiency and
lower material costs.
● Opportunities: Material Supply Chain
● Optimized prepreg parent roll widths and lengths
for input and productivity
● Improved Spool Package Density and AFP Spool
handling to raise productivity and reduce waste
● Opportunities to combine materials and
save lay-up steps in the process
● Minimizing environmental impact and cost
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Automation:
New AFP Technology & Productivity Challenges
AFP Technology is advancing…
● Nimble designs and flexibility in
AFP heads on robotic machine base
● New lines combine AFP and ATL capabilities
for large-scale parts
● Combinations of multiple discrete
AFP robots working simultaneously
on large parts
● AFP heads carrying multiple widths
of slit tape for more efficient laydown
and fill-in applications
● Machine innovations are driving the need
for better collaboration and more robust
formatting solutions
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Collaboration is Key:
Optimizing Material Formats for AFP Success
EFFORT
End-to-End Collaboration:
+ Prime Aerospace Co
+ Material Provider
+ Web Industries
+ AFP Equipment
+ Fabricator
=
SUCCESS
 Better Over-All AFP Economics
 Increased Lay-Down Rates / Pounds-Per-Hour
 Improved AFP Set-Up / Doffing / Change-Over
 Improved AFP Asset Utilization & Precision
 Increase Overall Material Yield
 Optimize Material Handling and Storage
 Kitting, Prep-for-Use, Optimized Packaging
 Reusable Packaging
 Proximity & Logistics
 Remnant Reclamation Strategies
Leaving any one of these parties out of early design and development
can lead to processes and specifications that will be less than ideal.
© 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
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The Levers of PrecisionSlit™ Slit Tape:
Inputs and Outputs Drive Cost and AFP Productivity
SECONDARY
PRIMARY
MATERIAL INPUTS
PROCESSING FACTORS
OUTPUT FORMATS
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Quality & Defects
Length
Width
Resins
Tack Levels
Thickness / FAW
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Tolerances
Defect Removal (logged & unlogged)
Slitting Speed
Inspection
Splicing
Asset & Labor Utilization
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Slit Tape Width
Final Spool Configuration
Overall Tape Length
Spool Width
I/D & O/D
Spool Weight
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Fiber Types
Moisture Content
Wet-Out
Thaw-Time
Order Lead-Time
Set-Ups
Batch Sizes
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Paper Removal
Out-Time Windows
Tolerances
Blade Management
Poly Interleaving
Tension
Yield / Scrap
Doffing
Cleaning
Environmental Factors
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Poly Width
Poly Thickness
Tension
Wind Pattern
Spool Core Width
Spool Packaging
Final Packaging
Final Inspection
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12
New Directions in Slit Tape
● Formats not limited to current (1/8", 1/4", 1/2")
● Optimized slit tape widths per part
● Maximize throughput, minimizing yield loss
● Narrow for complex part segments/fill-in zones
● Wider (1" to 2") tapes for large, less complex parts
● Crossover/combination between AFP and ATL
● Multiple ATL rolls feeding multiple tape laydown heads
(e.g.: Mtorres 2-tape and 4-tape ATL heads)
● Customized spool lengths optimized to the lay-up process
● Shorter spools on outer edges, longer spools in the middle
● Yield improvement, limiting remnant reprocessing, etc.
● Improve the density and run time of prepreg spools
● Reduced thickness and width of liner to enable more prepreg on the spool
● Reconfigure spools shape (taper to square edge)
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Example:
Trial Spool Winding for Wide Slit Tape (pictured example)
● 1.5" Slit Tape Width
● 16" spool face length
● 6" Core Inner Diameter
● OD shown here: ~10 inches,
● ½" wall for stability
● Slit tape length: ~6,000 lin. Ft
(69 m2) prepreg
● Liner is slit to net width of tape
Square edge
spool
profile=more
length
© 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
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Process Impact:
Innovative Spool Designs Drive Significant AFP Gains
New Spool:
● ~190 FAW material, 1.5" slit width
● 16" face width by 16" OD
● Maximum spool weight – 103 lbs
Length in
Linear Feet
11,109
Weight
(Prepreg)
83 lbs
Total Weight
103 lbs
Total ft2 (m2)
per spool
1,389 (129)
20 spool creel
1,660 lbs
Compared to current spool:
● 9,665 linear feet x 0.5" wide x 9.5" OD x 16" face width
Length in
Linear Feet
9,665
Weight
(Prepreg)
24.3 lbs
© 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
Total Weight
27.6 lbs
Total ft2 (m2)
per spool
404 (37)
32 spool creel
778 lbs
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Benefits for the Customer
FUNCTION
BENEFITS
Spool Package
Optimized for
AFP with More
Material per
Spool
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Cost Reduction of Slit Tape
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Better AFP Utilization & Productivity
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Fewer AFP Change-Overs & Cleanings
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Higher Material Yield
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Fewer Scheduled Cleanings
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Better Freezer Utilization
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Lower Freight Costs
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Better Slit-Edge Quality & Precision
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Less Exposure to FOD on Incoming Parent Rolls
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Less Exposure of Slitting Blades to Resin
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Less Resin Build-Up, Less Fuzz
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Fewer Stringers
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Reduced Cost of Poly & Paper Liners
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Reduced Poly Liner Waste (Thinner / Narrower)
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Environmental Benefits
Precision
w/“Net Width”
& Thinner
Poly Liner
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Combination of Materials
Prior to Slitting/Spooling
● Currently – Multi-layer laminations are built
with individual AFP and/or ATL lay-ups of
various component materials, sometimes
requiring transporting parts between machines
● Developing – Pre-combined materials
(laminated wide-web rolls), are then converted
into slit tape to reduce production steps
and shorten part manufacturing cycle times
● Goal – AFP manufacturing time
and complexity fall
● Logistics costs eased, product handling
reduced, yield loss improvements likely
to be realized
UD Prepreg
Second
Material
Big gains in productivity may come from challenging our current
notions of process design and not just “turning up the speed dial”.
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17
Pre-Combined Materials, cont’d
● Potential for two or more layers
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Prepreg/Adhesive layer
Prepreg/Lightning strike layer
Prepreg/Fiberglass (impact protection)
Prepreg/Prepreg (bias ply layers)
● Challenges – Bonding layers well is critical;
dissimilar materials will behave differently
in the unwinding and lay-up process if
separation occurs
Trading hours gained of Production time on AFP for added value/cost
in material? The analysis may reveal some good potential opportunities
if all-in costs are measured.
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Kitting and Combination of Products
to Drive Work Cell Production
Concept – Deliver a set of Prepreg products sufficient
to fulfill a multi-process component build-out
● Kitting of various products/materials to feed a
work cell center (combined materials, ply cut parts,
slit tape, slit rolls, etc)
● Focus – Distributed manufacturing cells for part production
● Example – Precision CFRP components combined
in the following scenario:
Enhancements to the material for process-ability without reducing
mechanicals are a key part of improving long-term productivity.
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One Example:
Combining Precision CFRP Components
● A base structure created by Hand-Layup ply-cut parts
labeled and packaged for each component
● That structure is combined into an AFP part-mold,
onto which the extended structure might be built
with AFP lay-up and component UD prepreg slit tape
● Finishing that structure might require either lightning strike
or strengthening layers, which were provided in specified amounts
of prepreg plus “special property” materials combined and slit for
final AFP layering before curing
● Kit structure of component materials could be delivered to
the workcell by part order, reducing on-floor storage, yield
waste, and easier logistics in-plant
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ThermoPlastic Materials:
Automated Fabrication and Formatted TPC Materials
Hand lay-up is giving way to Automated
Processing in parts fabrication
● Thermoplastic materials
● Aerospace
● Automotive
● Industrial
● New technologies
● AFP technologies and scale
appropriate for the market
● Compression Molding
● Welding and Joining techniques
● Applications
● Abundant and growing
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Developing Continuous Fiber
Thermoplastic Slit Tape
Ongoing Collaboration with Major Material Suppliers
● Increasing material product offerings
● Industry standards developing: PEEK, PEKK, PEI, and PPS
● Very limited, or defect-free incoming material
● Increasing incoming master roll sizes, lengths, and widths
Customized Requirements for Process and Cost Control
● Can be specific to the particular automated process line and/or part
● Outgoing spool size and configuration (larger/longer for more run time)
● Slit widths and tolerances matched to process and part optimization
● Material splicing. Goal = “fly-away” splices that don’t require
removal at the AFP line
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Take-Aways
● Great Potential in prepreg based Automated Fiber Placement (AFP)
● The industry is just beginning to understand
the potential for CFRP in large scale production
● Mid-sized and more specialized parts are beginning
to justify smaller scale production technologies
● Development of fully engaged and committed resources
by Supply Chain partners is needed for market acceptance
of improvement opportunities
● Past 10 years –
Fully validated use of CFRP and Slit Tape for Automated Fiber Placement (AFP)
● Next 10 years –
Great potential for optimization and next generation developments
using an array of composites formats.
© 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
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Benefits of Using Web Formatting Services
Outsource It
● Focus on Your Core Competencies – Making Airplanes
● Lower Costs and Reduce Capital, Space, and Labor
● Utilize the Most Advanced Slitting & Ply-Cutting
Technologies in the World
Leverage Web’s Experience
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All Major Commercial, Defense, & Space Programs
All Major Pre-Pregs and Fabrication Approaches
Industry Certifications and Reputation
AS9100C Aerospace-Grade Processes and Systems
Added Value
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Materials Sourcing & Management
Process Controls, Reporting, Labeling, Traceability
Kitting, Inspection, Packaging, DRP
State-of-the-Art Composites Development Center
(Thermoset, Thermoplast, Dry Fiber, Laminates, etc.)
© 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
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Thank You
Contact Information
Patrick Markert
Head of Business Development Europe
Web Industries Stade GmbH
Sophie-Scholl-Weg 22A
21684 Stade
Sebastian Fehl
Applications Engineer
Web Industries Stade GmbH
Sophie-Scholl-Weg 22A
21684 Stade
Mobile: +49 (0)160 589 4485
Email: pmarkert@webindustries.com
Mobile: +49 (0)160 487 3560
Email: sfehl@webindustries.com
Proprietary & Confidential. All content contained within this document is the sole property of Web Industries, Inc.
No portion may be copied or redistributed without the expressed written consent of Web Industries.
© 2016. Web Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.
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