ComMUnion

The goal of the ComMUnion project, led by AIMEN, has been to develop a robotic system for the manufacturing of 3D multi-material components of metal/composite thermoplastic with carbon fiber.

The system consists of various offline software applications, interconnected and communicated with the manufacturing cell through a knowledge-based system to predict the behavior of the components to be manufactured, support product design, and manage the robots and the cell.

The main result achieved has been a fully robotic prototype cell, consisting of two heads: one for texturing, including a laser-assisted heating system, and another flexible head for tape positioning. Both include an online surface inspection system for quality control.

The prototype has been demonstrated in the automotive sector, with the participation of the company Gestamp, through the application of tapes on structural components of car bodies. In the aerospace industry, thanks to Aciturri, a new research field has been opened to improve the integration of components and aerodynamic benefits.

AIMEN has contributed technically in the fields of micro-texturing and laser cleaning to modify the material with the aim of improving the surface adhesion between the composite and metal. This includes defining the characteristics of metal-composite joints, conducting non-destructive inspections of materials, and designing control systems.