Near net shape thermoplastic preforming with continuously automated cutting and robotic pick and place processes

Abstract

Today’s automated production lines for carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) parts of the aerospace industry are mostly designed for one special part or application. Changing part geometry or material would lead to a complete re-design of the whole process chain. Here comes the flexible and highly automated the DLR process into game: A continuously automated production line “from fabric delivery to the near net shape pre-form – ready for consolidation”. With the paper and presentation, the authors would like to contribute to the industry’s increasing needs of continuously automated but highly flexible process chains for variable high vol-ume CFRTP parts.