Automated layup of spherical GLARE components using cooperating robots

The use of Fiber-Metal-Laminates (FML) for aircraft fuselages offers a wide range of opportunities regarding mechanical properties like weight and impact tolerance. One example for an FML is glass reinforced aluminum (GLARE) which is currently used in the A380 fuselage. The production process for existing components is highly manual and therefore the use of GLARE is limited due to high production costs. A promising approach to reduce costs is the development of a fully automated production process for GLARE components. Challenges of an automated production include the handling of large aluminum sheets and especially the layup of sheets on spherical surfaces. The Center for Lightweight Production Technology investigated the use of cooperating robots to build an example layup. A main focus was to determine if the setup provides a sufficient repeatability and accuracy. The layup showed that the maximum width of the sheets needs to be limited in order to avoid kinks and waviness. These occur in spherical curved areas of the mold. A possible solution to avoid the waviness as well as inner stresses is the use of preformed spherical aluminum sheets for the layup. The feasibility of a preformed layup is experimentally investigated and opportunities for the process are discussed