Sensing, Controls and Automation Group June 910, 2004

1
Sensing, Controls and Automation GroupJune 9-10,
2004

• John M. Griffith
• Technical Fellow
• Structural Technologies, Prototyping and Quality
• Phantom Works, St. Louis
• The Boeing Company

[phone] John.m.griffith_at_boeing.com
2
Expertise/Background

• Advanced Composite Materials, Processing and
  Manufacturing/Quality..
• New Technology Development
• Technology Maturation
• Application Transition
• Associated with Advanced Composites for 38 Years

3
Definitions
Technology Maturity

• Technology Developer and Technology Customers
  Have Significantly Different Perspectives
• These Metrics Do Not Take Into Account Different
  Perspectives From Multiple Disciplines
• Typical Time Frames Going From Initial
  Development to Production Range From 1 Year to
  15-20 Years.

Content related to Accelerated Insertion of
Materials Composites (AIM-C) which is jointly
accomplished by a Boeing Led Team and the U.S.
Government under the guidance of NAVAIR. Work
funded by DARPA/DSO (Dr. Leo Christodoulou) and
administered by NAVAIR through TIA
N00421-01-3-0098.
4
Definitions

• Sensing
• Directed at Variable Measurement (Directly or
  Indirectly)
• Used In-Process and/or Embedded in Parts
• Control
• Directed at Variability Areas/Items and Limits
• Includes Materials, Processing, Indirect/Support
  Materials, Equipment and Tooling
• Covers In-Process Control and Final Part Control
• Used at Three Different Times
• Initial-Setup
• Production
• Changes/Change Control

5
Definitions

• Automation
• Relative to Processing/Manufacturing Operations
  or Steps
• Preforms (If Applicable)
• Injection (Material(s) Into Preform or Tool)
• Secondary Operations
• Relative to Equipment
• Established and Available
• Special Purpose

6
State of The Art (SOTA) Assessment
(General Observations/Comments)

• Sensing
• Tend to Minimize Sensors in Production
• Tend to Maximize Sensors During Maturation and
  Startups
• Temperature and Pressure Primary Variable Sensors
• Few Qualified For Batch Type of Aerospace
  Production
• Several Key Process Variables Not Presently
  Measurable by Sensors
• Control
• Tend to Over Control Everything Through
  Specifications (Knowns and Known Unknowns)
• Unknown Unknowns Create Problems
• 6 Sigma is Helping
• Control of Change is an Issue
• Automation
• Has Been Difficult for Aerospace Composites
  Liquid Molding Because of Low Rates, Low
  Quantities and Batch Type of Mfg
• Previous Focuses Were on Labor Intensive Areas
  Such As Preform Layup Automation
• Driven By Economics, Not Technology (Need Good
  Understanding of Variability Areas and Items for
  Automation)

7
Future Vision

• Science Based Understanding of Material,
  Processing, Indirect/Support Material, Equipment
  and Tooling Variability Along With Variability
  Limits and Interactions for Intelligent Control
  and Repeatable Components. This Includes Sensor
  Based Control of Key Variables.

8
Perceived Gaps

• Understanding Part Impact From Primary Variable
  Limits
• Understanding Material Chemistry Variability
  Impact On Processing
• Understanding Processing Variability Impact On
  Material Chemistry
• Understanding of Part Impact From Material
  Chemistry Variability and Limits
• Verification and Validation of Variable Models
• Pedigree of Information on Variability Research
  Activities
• Capability to Integrate Variability/Control
  Models and Tie To Part Performance
• Capability to Use Models/Integrated Models By
  Industry
• Understanding of As-Built Relative to
  As-Designed Variability For Intelligent Controls

..Transition/Implementation/Usage is Based on
Perceived Risk of Customers
9
Research Thrusts

• Chemistry Based Understanding of Variability and
  Variability Control
• Increased Emphasis on Model Verifications and
  Validations
• As-Built Variability Understanding Relative to
  As-Designed
• Architecture/Infrastructure for Integrated
  Variability Modeling or Simulation
• Information Data Bases with Known Pedigree of the
  Information
• Increased Standards and/or Common Metrics for
  Variability Measurements to Enable Multi-Scale
  Multi-Model Simulation of Variability Factors and
  Interactions Directed Towards Part Impacts