RAMPF using 8-head TFP machine to reduce cost, weight
February 10, 2021 - Canada
RAMPF Composite Solutions, renowned for first-class composite design and manufacturing solutions to various industries including aerospace, defence, transportation, medical, and green technology¸ is using its new eight-head Tailored Fibre Placement (TFP) machine to design complex parts with high structural performance, weight savings, and lower cost.
This is achieved through TFP’s unparalleled freedom to selectively place and orient the carbon fibre and fibreglass filaments where strength or weight optimisation is required. The structural performance of the composite is maximised while also providing for greatest possible weight savings, reduced carbon fibre usage, and lower cost.
Recently, RAMPF Composite Solutions transformed a stainless steel part used in commercial aircraft to a part made almost entirely of carbon fibre, resulting in the part weighing four and a half times less without an increase in costs. In fact, the customer was able to realise additional operational cost savings because of the significant weight reduction.
Only five layup preforms were produced compared to the 75 that would have been required using traditional carbon composite design approaches.
Larry Fitzgerald, CEO of RAMPF Composite Solutions, said: “Reducing production cost while lowering component weight in complex composite parts has often proved to be a mutually exclusive challenge. Now, thanks to this exciting technology and the outstanding composites design skills of our team, the advantages of Tailored Fibre Placement can be used to design complex parts to be lightweight and cost competitive at the same time.”
This is achieved through TFP’s unparalleled freedom to selectively place and orient the carbon fibre and fibreglass filaments where strength or weight optimisation is required. The structural performance of the composite is maximised while also providing for greatest possible weight savings, reduced carbon fibre usage, and lower cost.
Recently, RAMPF Composite Solutions transformed a stainless steel part used in commercial aircraft to a part made almost entirely of carbon fibre, resulting in the part weighing four and a half times less without an increase in costs. In fact, the customer was able to realise additional operational cost savings because of the significant weight reduction.
Only five layup preforms were produced compared to the 75 that would have been required using traditional carbon composite design approaches.
Larry Fitzgerald, CEO of RAMPF Composite Solutions, said: “Reducing production cost while lowering component weight in complex composite parts has often proved to be a mutually exclusive challenge. Now, thanks to this exciting technology and the outstanding composites design skills of our team, the advantages of Tailored Fibre Placement can be used to design complex parts to be lightweight and cost competitive at the same time.”