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Session: Session 5a: Advances in Manufacturing Automation
Session starts: Wednesday 15 April, 09:40
Presentation starts: 10:00
Room: Main

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Soren Blomaard ()
Rob Barendse ()

Abstract:
Hybrid Robotic Winding with Integrated Multi-Material Application: A Unified Software–Hardware Approach for Advanced Composite Manufacturing This work describes a hybrid manufacturing cell that integrates filament winding (FW) and automated fiber placement (AFP) to enable multi-material layups on a single robotic platform governed by one CAD/CAM workflow. A robotic system with automatic end-effector exchange carries both a high-speed winding tool and an AFP head, operating with a synchronized rotary mandrel. This shared kinematic chain eliminates inter-cell part transfers and maintains a single coordinate frame across processes. The software treats FW and AFP as peer operations defined directly on the part geometry. Within a single project, users specify filament winding layers and localized reinforcements; the system then compiles collision-aware toolpaths and head-swap transitions into a single controller program. Offline simulation validates reachability and clearance for both tools and provides cycle-time estimates. High-fidelity FE models can be exported directly to finite-element solvers to support pre-manufacture analysis and optimization. Multi-material application is supported through modular process toolboxes in the CAD/CAM software, coupled with a flexible robotic system that can be extended with different end-effectors using tool stations with automatic tool changers. The unified environment coordinates inter-process sequencing between FW and AFP, and other processes like rubber winding or milling processes. The integration of multiple processes into the same workstation, reduces floor space and avoids re-fixturing. The unified software approach offers new design opportunities for engineers combining multiple materials and processes within a single software environment. Representative applications include pressure vessels and cylindrical fuselage sections requiring rapid baseline winding with locally tailored AFP reinforcements. Overall, the combined software–hardware stack provides a practical route to manufacturable, functionally graded laminates with controlled quality and traceability.