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GROUP OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES LED BY AGFM CONCLUDES SUCCESSFUL YEAR (2006) OF REGIONAL TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCES As previously reported by HPC (May 2005, p. 56, and May 2006, p. 30), American GFM (AGFM, Chesapeake, VA., a member of the worldwide machine tool organization), has spearheaded formation of a Consortium of Advanced Technology Companies to provide an Inspection and Repair Preparation Cell (IRPC) concept for aircraft maintenance depots. On February 9, 2006, the IRPC concept was presented at a Technology Conference held in Chesapeake, VA, and demonstrations were performed at the AGFM manufacturing facility, highlighting AGFM Ultrasonic Cutting and Routing machine tools and various technologies which are part of the IRPC concept. Those technologies include: A) Accordion Fringe Interferometry (AFI), a recently developed advanced “digital shape scanning” technology from Dimensional Photonics Inc (DPI), Wilmington, MA. B) Advanced Laser Projection Technology, from Assembly Guidance Systems, Inc. (AGS), Chelmsford, MA. C) Advanced Laser Shearography, from Steinbichler Optotechnik GmbH (Neubeuern, Germany) The Conference was attended by Aerospace personnel from throughout several regions in the United States, as well as from a European auto racing team. As reported (HPC May 2006, p. 30) “the conference generated interest and input from participating end-users”. As a result of that interest, plus requests for similar, but more localized, or regional Technology Conferences, the consortium held three additional regional Conferences during 2006. The goal for future activities of the Consortium, in addition to potential refinements to the IRPC, was established and continues to be, to address a very broad spectrum of requirements of Advanced Composites Manufacturing and Repair Facilities, with a focus on, but not limited to, the Aerospace Industry. On June 22, 2006 a regional Technology Conference was conducted in Wichita, KS, by members of the Consortium. It was well attended by representatives of local aircraft manufacturers. Prompted by pre-conference requests by attendees, in addition to presenting information regarding the IRPC, information was presented regarding advanced technologies/processes that can be applied to advanced composites aircraft manufacturing, as well as potential inspection and repair of advanced composites manufacturing defects. Among the advanced manufacturing processes presented was AGFM’s CompForm automated preforming process for manufacturing composite parts utilizing one of many liquid composite molding process, such as RTM, VARTM, Resin Infusion, etc. On August 24, 2006 a regional Technology Conference was conducted in Salt Lake City, (SLC) UT, by members of the Consortium. It was well attended by personnel from area aerospace and composites manufacturing and repair facilities, plus Hill AFB, the regional SAMPE Chapter and by a Representative of the State of Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Composites Manufacturers’ Support Organization. The agenda included the similar information as presented at the Wichita Conference, plus information regarding a collaboration between AGFM and Voss Scientific, LLC (Albuquerque, NM) to review the possibilities of utilizing microwave, millimeter wave and other advanced technologies for the purpose of improving the NDI of various composites parts, including aircraft radomes. On November 15, 2006 a regional Technology Conference was conducted in Seattle, WA, by members of the Consortium. It was very well attended by personnel from the Seattle area aerospace and composites manufacturing and repair facilities, as well as a representative from PACCAR/Kenworth Truck Company/ Composites Tooling Division (Seattle); plus representatives from GE Research (Schenectady, NY), AAR Aerospace MRO (Florida), Boeing (Winnipeg, Canada), Avcorp Industries (Vancouver, BC, Canada). The agenda was similar to the SLC agenda, plus information was presented by representatives from GFM, Steyr, Austria, regarding two recent impressive developments of the GFM organization: A) GFM has recently developed a unique Flat Tape Laying Machine/System which employs an automatic multiple head changer, for dealing with layups that require more than one type of material to be laid up in an individual composite part. The first such Tape Laying System, with four (4) different heads of different materials, has been recently delivered by GFM to a European customer. Of course, all machines/systems built at/by GFM Austria, are also available from AGFM for US customers, and vice versa. B) GFM has designed, manufactured and recently delivered to a major aerospace customer, an advanced composites manufacturing system/cell, which covers a floor space of approximately 50 meters by 70 meters. This cell includes the following:
Information regarding two additional technologies that have very strong possible applications for both composites manufacturing and repair facilities, was presented by a representative of Photo Emission Technology, Inc. (PET), Camarillo, CA. The potential applications are: A) Inspection to determine surface finish/surface roughness “on the part”, or “on the aircraft” (not only in the lab). The technology is a portable capacitance-based instrument for manual inspection, and can be implemented in an automated production inspection system/cell. B) Inspection to determine surface cleanliness “on the part”, or “on the aircraft” (not only in the lab). The technology is Photo Emission Technology, also known as Photo Electron Emission Technology. It can also be used for a manual application, or can be implemented in an automated production inspection system/cell. Since some of the attendees who traveled from out of state had requested, in advance, information relative to composites wind power manufacturing, AGFM/GFM (GFM) representatives presented information regarding some concepts being studied, and to shortly be actively be pursued by the GFM organization. Basic designs have been made of some GFM machine tools and processes that are anticipated to be utilized for composites wind power applications. Technologies from various members of the Consortium will be utilized for AGFM composites wind power systems as/when the requirements for those technologies become clear. Current Consortium-related Efforts/Results from Activities Associated with the 2006 Technology Conferences include: A) Optimization of various configurations of automated systems for prepreg dispensing, ply marking and ultrasonic cutting
Consortium members: B) Development of the Advanced Defect Repair Inspection (ADRI) Process. This process addresses the problem of composites manufacturing defects. It involves the combination of:
Consortium members: D) Initiative for extending CAD-based Integrated Repair to include Field Repair Consortium members:a. AGS b. DPI c. AGFM/REI d. Abaris E) Initiative to address requirements of surface roughness/surface finish inspection “on the part”, or “on the aircraft”, and not limited to “in-lab inspection”, during the manufacturing process
Consortium members: F) Initiative to address requirements of surface cleanliness inspection/verification “on the part”, or “on the aircraft”, and not limited to “in-lab inspection”, during the manufacturing process
Consortium members: G) Development of automated pallet/shuttle system/process for loading/unloading large machine tool
Consortium members: H) Initiative to integrate the CompForm automated performing process, from AGFM, with the advanced “Resin Infusion” (liquid composite molding) Process, from Comtek Advanced Structures, Ltd. (Burlington, Ontario, Canada & Phoenix, AZ), for “out of autoclave” curing of fiberglass components/assemblies. Note: A second phase of this initiative is anticipated to include requirements of graphite components/assemblies, in addition to fiberglass components/assemblies.
Consortium members: I) Focus on training requirements for operating the evolving advanced Total Integrated Systems from the AGFM Consortium
Consortium members: J) Initiative to review possibilities to utilize microwave, millimeter wave, and other advanced technologies for the purpose of improving the NDI of various composites parts, including aircraft radomes
Consortium members: K) Initiative to address present and future requirements of composites manufacturing for the Wind Power Industry.
Consortium members: Some of the Activities Planned for the Consortium in 2007:
A)
Central Regional Technology
Conferences – Late Jan./Early Feb. B)
Eastern Regional Technology
Conferences – Dates TBD
C)
Technology Conference - Date TBD D)
Western Regional Technology
Conferences – Dates TBD American GFM Chesapeake, VA 23323 Phone: 757-487-2442 |