Robotic AFP process development for smart composite manufacturing of adaptive aerospace structures

Yoo, Cheong (author), Klobčar, Damjan (mentor), Bodkhe, Sampada (comentor)

The aerospace field aims for carbon neutrality by 2050, with adaptive structures reducing fuel use and noise. Achieving these systems requires materials that are lightweight, strong, and deformable, which conventional composites and actuators cannot fully provide. Additive Manufacturing enables smart material integration, while Automated Fiber Placement offers precision. This work develops a robotic AFP process combined with AM, implemented on a 6-axis FANUC robot with an AFP-XS toolhead to generate toolpaths and deposit dry glass fibers on AM-printed molds. Experiments compared actual fiber placement with simulated toolpaths, providing a qualitative check of placement and conformity. Results confirm the feasibility of robotic AFP as a scalable approach for manufacturing multifunctional adaptive aerospace structures. This outcome supports future developments in smart composite manufacturing.

• Language: English
• Keywords: automated fiber placement, additive manufacturing, adaptive aerospace structures, smart composite manufacturing, robotic manufacturing, geometric conformity
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Typology: 2.09 - Master's Thesis
• Organization: FS - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: XX, 71 str.
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-175019
• UDC: 007.52:621.79:629.7.02(043.2)
• COBISS.SI-ID: 258993667
• Publication date in RUL: 14.10.2025

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Razvoj procesa robotskega polaganja vlaken za pametno izdelavo prilagodljivih letalskih kompozitnih struktur

Abstract

Področje letalstva si prizadeva za ogljično nevtralnost do leta 2050, pri čemer prilagodljive strukture zmanjšujejo porabo goriva in hrup. Za dosego teh sistemov so potrebni materiali, ki so lahki, trdni in sposobni deformacije, česar konvencionalni kompoziti in aktuatorji ne morejo zagotoviti v celoti. Dodajalna proizvodnja omogoča integracijo pametnih materialov, medtem ko avtomatizirano polaganje vlaken omogoča natančnost. To delo razvija robotsko avtomatizirano polaganje vlaken (AFP) v kombinaciji z dodajalnimi tehnologijami (AM), izvedenem na 6-osnem robotu FANUC z orodjem AFP-XS za generiranje poti orodja in polaganje suhih steklenih vlaken na AM-natisnjene kalupe. Eksperimenti so primerjali dejansko polaganje vlaken s simuliranimi potmi orodja in zagotovili kvalitativno preverjanje skladnosti in polaganja. Rezultati potrjujejo izvedljivost robotskega AFP kot prilagodljivega pristopa za proizvodnjo večfunkcijskih prilagodljivih letalskih struktur. Ta rezultat podpira prihodnji razvoj pametne izdelave kompozitov.

• Keywords: avtomatizirano polaganje vlaken, dodajalna proizvodnja, prilagodljive letalske strukture, pametna izdelava kompozitov, robotska proizvodnja, geometrijska skladnost