CAMX 2024, Part 1: A blend of automation, AI and advanced techniques

Composites, once confined to aerospace and automotive sectors, are now driving innovation across freight, construction and energy industries, enhancing sustainability and competitiveness. CAMX 2024 highlighted projects that are broadening the scope of material application, focusing on efficiency, adaptability and sustainability. As sectors like eVTOL near commercial viability, the demand for flexible, automated equipment that can seamlessly transition from development to production is rising. Meanwhile, the aerospace industry is innovating to reduce reliance on hard tooling, improve first-time quality and minimise rework, highlighting the growing potential of composites across various fields. The event underscored a synergy within the composites sector, with industries increasingly seeking advanced materials sustainability-driven systems, and AI-assisted solutions to enhance production, streamline supply chains and reduce costs.

Advancing automated solutions in composite manufacturing

In the manufacturing category of the Awards for Composites Excellence (ACE), competition for Equipment and Tooling innovations, Northrop Grumman, in collaboration with Electroimpact, introduced the Scalable Composites Robotic Additive Manufacturing (SCRAM) system. This proprietary technology combines Automated Fibre Placement (AFP), Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), milling and large area pellet extrusion with the flexibility of quick end effector changes. Designed to print airworthy composite structures using continuous carbon fibre towpreg with a high-performance thermoplastic matrix, SCRAM eliminates the need for hard tooling and secondary curing processes, significantly reducing costs and production timelines. Its key features include in-situ consolidation, multi-material deposition and a large-scale build envelope, showcased in the Pathfinder project with a flight-certified part.

Similarly, Broetje Automation showcased its adaptable and modular solutions designed for commercial aviation, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), air taxis and hydrogen tank storage. As the UAV and eVTOL markets transition from prototypes to industrial-scale production, the demand for scalable, automated processes for fibre composite components is surging. Broetje’s STAXX family products, particularly the STAXX Flex multitow AFP end effector, exemplify this shift by offering scalability and versatility for 2D and 3D parts. Their patent-pending hybrid AFP/winding process further innovates by allowing seamless transitions from winding to AFP lay-up without machine changes.

Meanwhile, commercial aviation remains a hub of innovation, though supply chain bottlenecks are prompting a focus on ramping up production rates. With AFP systems needing to adapt to wider material formats, Web Industries is responding by developing scalable production lines that minimise waste and maximise yield, cutting wide rolls into precise widths to improve efficiency and sustainability. Their patented BiasPly® technology continues to evolve for producing advanced TP bias-ply composites at commercial scale. “Customers are particularly interested in our next-generation slitting technology, which provides significant efficiencies in aerospace manufacturing. It enables the scale, lower costs and quality needed for future higher-rate manufacturing needs,” highlighted Jason Surman, Vice President Aerospace, Web Industries.

Advancing automated inspection

As aerospace production ramps up, consistent quality control and minimal waste become increasingly important. While AFP has advanced rapidly, inspection processes are still catching up at the production scale. Sayata Ghose, technical fellow at Boeing, emphasised during the session “The state and future of automated inspection of automated composite layups” that while AFP technology has progressed, automated inspection has lagged, particularly for secondary structures. “The qualification process is highly part-dependent,” Ghose explained. “Your system, including all sensors, must perform reliably and consistently over the part’s lifetime. However, inspection automation must evolve from lab-scale systems to full-scale production.”

Automation is becoming essential for inspecting larger and more complex parts as production volumes increase. Industry leaders like Andrew Purvis (Electroimpact), Chris Madsen (Northrop Grumman) and Matt Zupan (Fives) presented cutting-edge AI-driven systems during the session. These include Electroimpact’s profilometer-based Real-Time In-process Inspection Technology (RIPITx) and Fives’ Composites Optical Automated Surface Tracking system (COAST). Additionally, WSU NIAR is developing the In-process AFP Manufacturing Inspection System (IAMIS), which is being implemented on AFP systems from multiple manufacturers. European advancements by MTorres and Coriolis further illustrate how automated inspection is advancing to meet the demands of large-scale production, ensuring quality and scalability in composite manufacturing.

Empowering humans through AI, not replacing them

At CAMX, Magnus Venus Products (MVP) and LestaUSA showcased a self-learning robotic solution for surface coating in composite moulding, demonstrating simplicity, adaptability and precision, and user-friendly programming interface. Maurice Conti, in his keynote, emphasised the importance of synergy between technology and human expertise, stating, “It’s really about the technology and the human working together.” This sentiment echoed across the event where AI and robotics emerged as crucial drivers of innovation. GrayMatter Robotics’ AI-powered robotic turnkey system for tedious surface finishing and treatment showcased how AI can adapt to complex shapes, making it ideal for prototypes and small production runs. This technology streamlines operations and reduces costs. “Our comprehensive automation suite simplifies the automation journey and delivers cost-effective solutions for manufacturers of all sizes. We are planning to launch the next generation of smart robotic cells based on mobile platforms, allowing us to work on much larger parts and integrating new sensor modalities,” shared Satyandra K. Gupta, cofounder and chief scientist at GrayMatter Robotics.

Maurice Conti highlighted AI’s inevitable impact on industries like manufacturing, material development and product management, stating, “AI is coming – there’s no decision to make, only when and how.” Srikanth Pilla, director, and Gang Li, assistant director, from the Center for Composites Materials (Artificially Intelligent Manufacturing Paradigm for Composites) expanded on this, presenting their AI-enabled inverse design approach for thermoplastic composites. This method accelerates material development by replacing traditional trial-and-error with AI-driven solutions that improve performance, enhance sustainability and lower costs and structural weight.

Their approach begins with design requirements, allowing the trained AI to backtrack and determine the necessary material properties. AI then generates optimised material designs and processes based on preselected factors such as sustainability and cost. Through case studies, they demonstrated how AI and machine learning analyse vast datasets to reveal patterns, streamline workflows, predict trends and boost productivity – enhancing both strategic planning and risk management. The technology also supports generative design, optimising solutions across material science and engineering. As Conti advised, the composites industry should “consider these technologies with optimism but also with some critical thoughts.”

Plyable showcased their AI-driven technology, which automates the design and production of composite tools and parts, drawing significant interest from attendees. The platform has the ability to cut lead times and costs while maintaining the quality standards.

Another session entitled “Advances in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Manufacturing with Composites” explained how AI and robotics are accelerating design and production, reducing development cycles from months to days. Mike Polino of Machina Labs shared insights from a project with Air Force Research Labs, highlighting how industrial robots can shape dieless Invar sheets (roboforming), to sub-millimetre tolerances, as well as material and robotics learnings that could lead to faster, lower-mass tool production.

CAMX 2024 underscored the evolution of composite manufacturing with a blend of automation, AI-driven advancements, and refined production techniques. Innovations in AFP technology, adaptable tooling systems and comprehensive inspection solutions illustrated the industry’s push for greater efficiency, adaptability and precision. These strides signal an opportunity where composites are poised to tackle evolving production demands and drive industry progress.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where we dive into further technological advancements and explore emerging cross-sector innovations and sustainability matters.

Cover photo: San Diego Convention Center