Routing and Feasibility for Composites
Composites routings include processes from the Composites process group, as well as secondary machining processes (on a 5-axis mill), optional Ultrasonic Scanning (from the process group Other Secondary Processes), and optional Manual Paint (from the Surface Treatment process group):
Composites processes include a layup process, preceded by ply-cutting and mold-preparation processes, and followed by curing, breakdown, and inspection processes:
In particular, Composites routings include the following:
• Ultrasonic Cut: models unrolling, cutting, and any necessary splicing of ply material. It also models identing and unloading the plies. It is only included if the Ply Layup process is Hand Layup.
• Mold Preparation: models applying nd curing some number of coats of mold release material, as well as applying and curing tack.
• Ply Layup: models the process of laying up plies onto a mold. This is either Hand Layup, Automated Fiber Placement, or Automated Tape Layup—see Ply Layup.
• Autoclave Cure: models attaching and detaching thermocouples, loading and unloading the part, and curing the part with heat and pressure in an autoclave.
• Tooling Breakdown: models moving the part and tooling into a work cell, removing the vacuum bag and part, and moving the empty tooling out of the work cell.
• Tool Clean: models manual, laser, or cryogenic cleaning of the mold. See Tool Clean.
• Final Inspection: models visually inspecting the finished part.
Tool Breakdown (which is under Tooling Breakdown) and Inspecting (which is under Final Inspection) are component-level operations of the Bench Operation process. Bench Operation occurs twice in Composites routings. Each occurrence has a single child operation, either Tool Breakdown or Inspecting:
See also Secondary Processes.
Ply Layup
Ply Layup is implemented by either Hand Layup, Automated Fiber Placement (AFP), or Automated Tape Layup (ATL):
Hand Layup is included by default. Users can manually select ATL or AFP instead. ATL and AFP are feasible only if the part has no cores. Every layup process is feasible only if all the part’s materials are compatible with the process (as indicated by the material properties Can AFP, Can ATL, and Can HLU).
ATL and AFP include the following:
• ATL or AFP Ply Placement (component-level operation):
• Final Vacuum Bag (process)
• Vacuum Drop Test (component-level operation)
• Attach Thermocouples (component-level operation)
Hand Layup includes the following:
• Hand Layup Cycles
• Final Vacuum Bag
• Vacuum Drop Test
• Attach Thermocouples
There are multiple occurrences of Hand Layup Cycles:
Each occurrence consists of a Hand Layup Cycle (laying up one or more ply or core layers), followed by debulking (using a vacuum bag):
• Hand Layup Cycle (laying up one or more ply or core layers)
• Vacuum Bag
• Debulk
• Remove Vacuum Bag
Each Hand Layup Cycle consists of the following sequence:
• One ply or core placement cycle
• Vacuum Bag process
• Debulk component-level operation
• Remove Vacuum Bag component-level operation
Each placement cycle is either a ply placement cycle or a core placement cycle. The first placement cycle is a ply placement cycle; one of the subsequent cycles is a core placement cycle, and the rest are ply placement cycles.
Each ply placement cycle consists of one or more Ply Placing operations.
Each core placement cycle consists of the following sequence of core operations:
• Core Potting
• Core Splicing
• Core Placing
By default in starting point VPEs, the first placement cycle (before the first Debulk) consists of a single occurrence of the Ply Placing operation. Administrators can customize this default with the cost model variable defaultNumPliesBeforeFirstDebulk (1 in starting point VPEs). Users can override the default on a per-part basis with the setup option Number of Ply Sequences Before First Debulk.
Subsequent ply placement cycles each consist of 3 occurrences of the Ply Placing operation, by default in starting point VPEs. Administrators can customize this default with the cost model variable defaultNumPliesPerDebulkCycle (3 in starting point VPEs). Users can override the default on a per-part basis with the setup option Number of Ply Sequences Per Debulk Cycle.
Tool Clean
Tool Clean: three alternative, component-level operations are available for tool cleaning:
• Manual Tool Cleaning: tool cleaned by hand using an acetone solvent. This is auto-included.
• Cryogenic Tool Cleaning: tool blasted clean with a cryogenic cleaning device. Can be included manually.
• Laser Tool Cleaning: tool cleaned using a hand-held laser cleaning device. Can be included manually.
Mold Preparation: mold preparation consists of the application of some number of coats of mold release (three coats, by default in starting point VPEs), optionally followed by the application of tool tack (included, by default; can be manually excluded).
For each mold release coat, two component-level operations are performed:
• Applying Mold Release
• Curing Mold Release
Administrators can customize the default number of coats with the cost model variable defaultNumMoldReleaseCoats (3 in starting point VPEs). Users can override the default with the setup option Number of Mold Release Agent Coats.
Application of tool tack consists of the following component-level operations:
• Applying Tool Tack
• Curing Tool Tack
Tool tack application is included by default but can be manually excluded.
Secondary Processes
Secondary processes include the following:
• 5-axis Mill: profile milling and hole making, provided by the Machining process group.
• Ultrasonic Scanning: C-Scan or A-Scan, provided by Other Secondary Processes. C-Scan is auto-included. Users can manually include A-scan instead, or manually exclude ultrasonic scanning altogether.
• Manual Paint: provided by the Surface Treatment process group, auto included. Users can manually exclude it.