Effect of the automation of advanced composite fabrication process on part cost

An economic model has been developed to assess the effect of automation on part cost and to aid in the design of new automation methods by suggesting areas of improvement. The model compares the cost of manufacturing a flat laminate by manual labor to the cost of producing the part by automated methods. The results suggest that many current methods of advanced composite automation, with the exception of pultrusion and filament winding, are probably not cost effective in many current applications. This is due primarily to the low volumes typical for the aerospace industry, the high cost of automated equipment, and the only marginal gains expected in scrap and rework reduction. 13 references, 9 figures, 5 tables.