{"id":7886,"date":"2024-11-21T03:43:41","date_gmt":"2024-11-21T08:43:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/robodk.com\/blog\/?p=7886"},"modified":"2025-08-21T06:11:18","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T10:11:18","slug":"dual-robot-fiber-placement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/robodk.com\/blog\/dual-robot-fiber-placement\/","title":{"rendered":"Dual Robot Project: DLR, NRC and RoboDK Advance Aerospace Manufacturing with Dual Fiber Placement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Automated fiber placement is an application with great potential in aerospace manufacturing, with various groups exploring its application. This latest challenge between DLR and NRC apply dual robots through RoboDK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Over the past few years, we have seen automated fiber placement recurring as an application, such as our previous success stories addressing the close tolerances of the process<\/a> and collaborative robot placement<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This process of fiber placement involves using automation technology to create multi-layered composite products. A robot accurately places hundreds of fibers impregnated with synthetic resin into a pattern to build up multiple layers of coating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This project combines the expertise and knowledge from three key collaborators \u2014 DLR, NRC, and RoboDK \u2014 to enhance production efficiency of this key process for the aerospace industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introducing… the DLR-NRC-RoboDK Project<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Like all good projects, success begins with the right partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the three expert companies involved in this project:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

German Aerospace Center (DLR)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A core player in the project is the German Aerospace Center (DLR).<\/a> This leading research organization focuses on applying cutting-edge technology across aerospace, energy, transportation, and security sectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DLR has strong expertise and experience in robotics and automation, with projects applying this robotic technology across its focus industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

National Research Council of Canada (NRC)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The National Research Council of Canada (NRC)<\/a> plays a key role in driving scientific discovery and technological development in Canada. This international mission for challenge with DLR highlights their commitment to forging international partnerships to meet industry demands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Automation and manufacturing are core focus areas for the NRC, with previous announcements that<\/a> manufacturing is “at the heart of the Canadian economy.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RoboDK<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The final key collaborator in this project is ourselves, RoboDK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, RoboDK’s key contribution was through providing calibration tools to ensure that the dual-robot system could achieve high precision. This is crucial for the application of fiber placement, where the success of the placement depends on precise placement accuracy from the robots involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 Common Challenges of Automated Fiber Placement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To create a successful robotic application, the team had to focus on overcoming common challenge areas for fiber placement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Various challenges are typically associated with fiber placement<\/a>, including complexity of process planning, the managing of intricate techniques, and difficulties in achieving seamless integration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this project, the collaborators highlighted the following 3 challenges:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Need for Rigid Jigs \u2014<\/strong> Automated fiber placement often relies on rigid jigs. While these are essential for maintaining dimensional accuracy with conventional automation, they can significantly restrict design flexibility.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Need for Precise Molds \u2014<\/strong> To ensure that manufactured components meet strict tolerances and quality standards, it’s usually necessary to make precise molds. However, this can increase both time and cost.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Lack of Design Flexibility \u2014<\/strong> Without robots, automated fiber placement can become a highly inflexible process. This can restrict the applicability of the process.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    The team looked to overcome these challenges by using a dual-arm robotic system. This itself adds some extra challenges, as both robots need to be precisely synchronized. This is why they chose RoboDK with its industry-leading calibration process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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