Germany’s Patch Placement specialist, Cevotec, has made the highly scalable SAMBA series systems ready for processing thermoset prepreg material, along with the benefits of Fibre Patch Placement technology. With SAMBA series, Cevotec offers tailored, automated fibre layup systems for challenging 3D geometries and laminates with complex fibre orientation.

Automated fibre layup of CFRP components with challenging 3D geometries is now possible in all production environments from high-volume production to flexible batch production or prototyping.

Like all SAMBA series cells, SAMBA series Prepreg also feature a variable and contamination free laser cutting, precise camera-controlled fibre placement and the fast and easy tool change system. Specific are a cooled material storage and an energy-efficient photonic heating of patches. For the integral production of highly complex-shaped parts, SAMBA series systems operate with up to 12 robot axes and a flexible patch gripper to precisely place defined fibre patches on a 3D mould mounted on a tool manipulation robot. This allows for a discrete orientation of each patch and eliminates scrap as well as additional forming processes through additive, 3D net-shape preforming. Through the individual orientation of every patch along load paths, mechanical properties like stiffness and strength improve up to 150 per cent, while the additive patch technology saves up to 30 per cent of the precious fibre material.

An even better cost-benefit ratio is reached when using the Fibre Patch Placement technology to process material that is “left over” in AFP processes: As a matter of fact, in automated fibre placement processes all bobbins of tape material are changed if only one runs out of tape during a manufacturing process. Thus, a lot of tape material is fed to a less valuable recycling or needs an expensive special treatment to dispose the uncured prepreg tape material scrap.

Taking in account that the integral production of complex shaped 3D parts eliminates costly manual work steps and that hybrid prepreg / glass fibre production is possible, SAMBA series prepreg offers manufacturers a very promising new approach to automate the fibre layup for complex CFRP components. (GK)