Automation in Aircraft Composite Manufacturing
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | SAAB Aktiebolag - SAAB AB |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 2 400 000 |
| Project duration | September 2013 - October 2016 |
| Status | Completed |
Purpose and goal
Today´s composite manufacturing is either highly automated with expensive manufacturing equipment or an all manual manufacturing. Project focus is on automation with industrial robots and specially designed end-effectors to find something in-between. The final demonstrator shows that this aim can be reached.
Expected results and effects
From this project, Linköping University has become a part of the Swedish composite Manufacturing Cluster. Master thesis works, student projects, international academic publications and a Licentiate thesis was (co-)funded by this project. Off-the-shelf-robots have successfully been demonstrated to TRL4, in this complex environment, and further work will be made in the Vinnova projects ROBUST and SWE Demo.
Planned approach and implementation
Manufacturing processes in Saabs composite shop were analysed in the pre-study phase. Based on that, a demonstrator was specified and divided into several smaller sub-demonstrators that were developed further by project partners and in student projects. The final demonstrator, set-up at Linköping University, picked and placed carbon prepreg laminates on a forming tool and did the forming operation of a hat-profile for an aircraft cargo-door. The project was controlled by work-shop meetings and reference group meetings.