Research On Trajectory Generation & Coverability Analysis Of Automated Fiber Placement

Combines the advantages of filament winding and automatic tape-laying, the automatic fiber placementing (AFP) is one of advanced composites automatically and low-cost manufacturing technology with high efficiency, high-quality and high-precision, it is becoming the typical manufacturing process of aerospace composites structures in developed countries, which can be applied to manufacture all types of complex surface shape of composites stuctures. However, AFP is still in its infancy in China at present, relevant research must be explored.Based on the Pre-research project of civil aircraft"Key technologies of automatic fiber placement machine", the work of trajectory planning and coverability analysis in CAD/CAM technology were carried out. The main contents and conclusions are as follows:(a) Trajectory planning algorithm of AFP was studied. The revolving-like body which widely used in the aerospace field as the research object, applying the differential geometrical theory, fiber placement trajectory planning model was established, based on analysis method.(b) Coverability analysis algorithm of AFP was studied. In response to the unfavorable effect such as fiber overlapping or gaps, two coverability analysis algorithms, the trajectory center expanding form and the benchmark center interpolation form, based on geodesic were proposed. On the basis, corresponding relationship between adjacent trajectory centerlines distance and fiber number was established, an efficient coverability analysis algorithm was proposed. The computer example tests showed that, in comparison to two previous methods, the efficient coverability analysis algorithm is most time-saving, only 10% and 2.3% computation time of the two methods, respectively.(c) Based on the aforementioned work, VB 6.0 platform was employed in developing relevant AFP CAD/CAM software modules using CATIA Automation technology. Application of these algorithms and software on large-scale launch vehicle fairing verified the correctness and validity, and also made a positive and useful exploration on having self-owned intellectual property of AFP CAD/CAM software.