Introduction
Airframe Designs was engaged by Teledyne CML Composites to design and manufacture composite ply location aids. The requirement was to manufacture a tool which would help position the individual plies for the Dassault business jet bullet fairings.
Reverse Engineering Process
To design the location aids, the associated mould tool surface needed to be 3D scanned in order to be reverse engineered. This was carried out on-site and played a critical role in reducing lead time.
Design Process
Through the use of scanned surface geometry, the new ply location aid was designed and formed within an aerospace CAD software called CATIA. The ply location aid’s design was majorly affected by the required strength and stiffness. To produce a robust and accurate manufacturing aid these two factors are required to be calculated.
Manufacturing Process
The additive manufacturing process allowed the part to be manufactured at a low cost whilst still being a effective and lightweight manufacturing aid. Also, the required prototypes and final part were able to be manufactured with a quick turnaround to to the process of additive manufacturing taking less time then other manufacturing processes. The material used was tough PLA (Polylactic Acid) which is an affordable material which offers a greater durability and greater resistance compared to a regular PLA.
Inspection Process
Each part was inspected as a post-manufacturing process. The 3D printed part was compared to the CAD model to ensure the manufactured part is within tolerance. Verisurf was used to create an inspection report which included a visual display of the tolerances achieved.
Conclusion
Through Design and manufacturing, AFD showcased exceptional technical expertise and skill, delivering a high standard to the customer. Click the link to read the full case study.
www.airframedesigns.com/portfolio/composite-bullet-fairing-ply-location-aids/
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