Innovative Tape Placement Robotic Cell: High Flexibility System to Manufacture Composite Structural Parts With Variable Thickness

Abstract

Until today, there are only automated processes able to manufacture composite components with a constant thickness. This work focuses on the need to find a system able to manufacture composite structural parts characterized by a variable thickness. An innovative tape placement robotic cell composed of a deposition integrated system and an anthropomorphic robot with 6DOF is shown in this work. The main characteristics of the designed deposition integrated system are (i) alternate deposition movement, (ii) tape compaction system, and (iii) tape tension control system by proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controllers. With these systems, it is possible to obtain a high flexibility robotic cell that allows to manufacture variable thickness components with good mechanical volumetric properties. After the design phase, the system has been realized and afterwards it has been validated by analyzing the experimental tests with the quality of some benchmark manufactured by the innovative cell.