Implementation of a new method for robotic repair operations on composite structures
Résumé
Composite materials nowadays are used in a wide range of applications in aerospace , marine, automotive, surface transport and sports equipment markets. For example, all aircraft have the potential to incur damage and therefore require repairs. These shocks can impact the mechanical behavior of the structure in a different ways: adversely, irretrievable and, in some cases, in a scalable damage. It is therefore essential to intervene quickly on these parts to make the appropriate repairs without immobilizing the aircraft for too long. The scarfing repair operation involves machining or grinding away successive ply layers from the skin to create a tapered or stepped dish scarf profile around the damaged area. After the scarf profile is machined, the composite part is restored by applying multiple ply layers with the correct thickness and orientation to replace the damaged area. Once all the ply layers are replaced, the surface is heated under a vacuum to bond the new material. The final skin is ground smoothed to retrieve the original design of the part. Currently, the scarfing operations are performed manually. These operations involve high costs due to the precision, heath precautions and a lack of repeatability. In these circumstances, the use of automated solutions for the composite repair process could bring accuracy, repeatability and reduce the repair's time. The objective of this study is to provide a methodology for an automated repair process of composite parts, representative of primary aircraft structures.
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