News (Sponsor type)

FibreLINE automates the entire preforming process. It cuts, sorts and sequences large plys of carbon fibre and other composite material before shaping and placing it onto a mould where it is inspected and heat staked, made ready for the next stage of production. It is available in different configurations according to the application and is selected from the Loop Technology product suite.

One configuration of FibreLINE has FibreFORM at the centre – an award-winning pick and place end-effector. Manufacturing composite aerostructures requires material to be placed carefully onto moulds that have complex 3D surfaces. FibreFORM provides a breakthrough in automation because it can form large pieces of material (plys) into the required 3D complex shape and then place it incredibly precisely whilst managing shear forces to ensure no damage is done to the fibres. The result is deposition rates of up to 200 kg per hour, a significant improvement from AFP/ATP that place smaller strips at 20-50 kg per hour, whilst delivering greater accuracy and less damage to the material than traditional manual lay-up.

Another configuration of FibreLINE has FibreROLL at the centre, which is a tool that picks, loads and places dry carbon fibre plys via interchangeable storage rollers. Its compact design allows for the transfer of plys up to 20 m long and up to 5 m wide. In recent development trials at the National Composites Centre in Bristol, UK, this configuration achieved dry fibre deposition rates in excess of 350 kg per hour. FibreLINE also comes with peripheral inspection system equipment in the form of FibreEYE to ensure the material is deposited defect free, FibreKIT for sorting, sequencing and optimal material utilisation as well as FibreTACK to secure the plys in place within the preform stack.

FibreLINE is a Loop Technology product and the result of many years of experience developing automated composite processes leveraging our expertise in machine vision, motion control and industrial robotics. Composite materials are increasingly attractive in aerospace because they help build lighter aerostructures and therefore more fuel-efficient aircraft which ultimately helps deliver on sustainability targets. A kilo less weight on an aeroplane makes a huge difference, saving 180 kg of fuel and 600 kg of carbon dioxide per year.

FibreLINE revolutionises the preforming stage in composite manufacturing. By effectively handling large pieces of multi-axial ply without damage, it can cut the number of pieces required to build an aircraft wing cover from 100,000 pieces to potentially 100. It minimises manufacturing time, reduces factory footprint and offers vast opportunities in downstream assembly.

FibreLINE is installed in one configuration at the National Composites Centre as part of a programme which is focused on making aircraft wings lighter and producing them around 10 times faster than current rates. A different configuration of FibreLINE is set to be installed at the University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), a Boeing-led project alongside Spirit AeroSystems, AMRC and Loop Technology. The latest FibreLINE configurations will be integrated with the largest industrial robots available on the market in the FANUC M-2000iA Series, including the strongest long reach robot in the world.

These gigantic robots are required because they provide the necessary payload to integrate with FibreFORM, which itself weighs over a tonne, as well as providing the reach and flexibility to carry out the required inspection and deposition activities when manufacturing very large aerospace parts. Moreover, Zund recently announced their largest aerospace specific Q-Line cutter that will now work in conjunction with FibreLINE.

Cover photo: FibreLINE