?? JEC Lab - AUGMENTED REALITY SYSTEM IMPROVES MANUAL COMPOSITES MANUFACTURING

AUGMENTED REALITY SYSTEM IMPROVES MANUAL COMPOSITES MANUFACTURING

Despite the increasing automation of composite production processes many still involve manual work. Preforms and prepregs, for example, have to be cut and aligned in the correct position to ensure consistent product quality. Printed paper-based ‘plybooks’ enable the worker to position each ply in its intended place, but this means that component quality depends on the worker’s experience, skill level and training. As an alternative, laser projection systems are widely used to improve the accuracy of lay-up operations, but their disadvantages include high investment costs and limited flexibility. To overcome the limitations of these methods, the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT has developed a digital assistance system using smart glasses.

Digital assistance approach

In an augmented reality (AR) environment the user interacts with the real world, which is enriched by digital content. This technology is already found in many applications, for example, in smart phone apps or software for headsets that capture the environment through cameras and project digital content into the wearer’s field of view. In a production scenario, AR-based technologies enable centrally-generated real-time information to be sent to the worker to support their decentralized activities in manufacturing, maintenance or repair, thus ensuring consistent results, preventing errors and aiding in quality assurance.

Fraunhofer’s Augmented Lay-Up system supports the worker in both cutting and depositing preforms or prepregs by projecting target contours on automatically-recognized surfaces. It enables the conversion, visualization and extension of plybook information sets to guide the worker through the process steps.

From plybook to smart device

Relevant data sources such as CAD or plybook files serve as the basis for the Augmented Lay-Up system. The contents are processed, converted and transferred to the AR-based software. The software includes two main features: Cutting (assistance for cutting out specific ply geometries from preform or prepreg materials), and Lay-Up (assistance for the deposition of preform or prepreg plies). In the Cutting feature, 2D cutting lines are projected onto the cutting table and fiber orientation information and special instructions are displayed. In the Lay-Up feature, the deposition contours are directly projected on the physical mold. Additional information concerning the material type, ply number, fiber orientation and worker instructions is displayed next to the mold. In both features, the worker is guided through the manufacturing process systematically.

The modular software design facilitates adjustments and allows for easy expansion of the system. For example, the existing Cutting and Lay-Up modules could be extended by a Quality feature.

The Fraunhofer system is generally platform-independent, but appropriate hardware is required. For the initial development, a first-generation Microsoft HoloLens was selected.

Technology demonstrator?

The system was validated by manufacturing a demonstrator with different manual lay-up operations. The prototype was shown to decrease manufacturing time, reduce cutting and lay-up errors, and minimize material waste. It can be used for different components, processes and materials. Current limitations are mainly traceable to the smart glasses used for the initial implementation, but future technological development of smart devices promises to remedy these.

Fraunhofer offers companies a feasibility study in which the Augmented Lay-Up system is demonstrated using the prototype setup. Their use case is also analysed to design concepts for a tailored approach for the products concerned.

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