Continuous Draping of Double Curved Geometries – A Geometrical Approach to Describe an Automated Layup Process of Fabrics on Complex Surface

To achieve a higher grade of integral aircraft structure design, a new unconventionally stiffened lattice composite fuselage panel is developed allowing a co-curing process of fuselage skin and stiffening structure. For this purpose, a novel automated layup module is under development. Within this contribution, the geometrical behaviour of the fibre-fabric during continuous draping onto the mould surface is investigated. Based on experimental draping studies on occurring issues during fabric draping, a process model was created. The presented approach is based on geometrical boundary conditions and neglects specific material properties. To ensure proper draping results, the fabric has to be kept under tension. Thus, it must be dropped in dependence of the surface geometry at the resulting “draping-spline” (Figure 4). Simulation results are verified and discussed through three-dimensional measuring data of the layup process. Subsequently, the geometrical data of the “draping-spline” for different process situations is analysed to determine the workspace for the layup modules shape-replicating kinematics. Furthermore, possible kinematical configurations and needed degrees of freedom to replicate the shape-changing three-dimensional spline mechanically are discussed.