Geometry Assurance of Composite Manufacturing
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Program
Publicerad
2021
Författare
Fernström, Vilma
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
In the development of future aerospace technology, innovations to reduce weight play an essential role. Minimizing the weight, reduces fuel consumption which is desired in the aspect of cost and sustainability due to the reduction of đ¶đ2 emission. An example of this evolution is replacing metallic engine parts with other materials such as carbon fiber composites. However, this replacement requires further research of the composite manufacturing process. The material behavior of composites is more complex than that of metals with multiple sources of variation to control. It is essential to mitigate these variations in the production of aerospace components since the negative impact on the function can lead to loss of performance and increased quality costs.
This study is in collaboration with GKN aerospace and aims to contribute with knowledge in how the manufacturing process of aero-engine parts can be improved to enhance the development of sustainable technology. The main focus of the study is to identify sources of variation in the manufacturing process and to examine how a digital geometry assurance process for composites can be described. To conduct the research, workshops, and interviews were held to gather information about the manufacturing process. A case study of a guide vane was then performed to investigate how the identified variation sources can be accounted for in a curing simulation. To validate the findings, a review of previous literature in the field of composite variation and simulation was performed.
The main findings of this study are a cause-and-effect diagram containing the identified variation sources of a composite manufacturing process and a chart describing a digital geometry assurance process constructed to account for process-induced distortions. However, the result contains several gaps that need to be filled before it may be put to actual use. The results can therefore be seen as a foundation for further research.
Beskrivning
Ămne/nyckelord
Carbon fiber , geometrical variation , composite manufacturing , digital twin , geometry assurance