Automated Composite Manufacturing for Aerospace Structures

The aerospace industry is accelerating its transition toward green, lightweight aircraft structures, driven by new propulsion technologies and rising sustainability goals. As new aerospace programs are defined, lightweight composite construction will play a central role in meeting performance and efficiency targets.

To enable large-scale use of high-performance composite materials in next-generation aerostructures, especially for single-aisle, medium-range aircraft, automation is essential. Today, critical multi-material components-such as fairings, radomes, nacelles, and control surfaces-still rely heavily on manual lay-up processes.

Cevotec’s Fiber Patch Placement (FPP) technology addresses this challenge by enabling automated fiber lay-up for complex 3D geometries, multi-material laminate stacks, and locally optimized reinforcements. It combines production flexibility, process reliability, and cost efficiency, while significantly improving the buy-to-fly ratio. FPP is a key technology for the production of next-generation composite aerostructures.

For precise placement of larger composite patches on curved or contoured surfaces, Cevotec’s SAMBA systems provide the Rolling Motion feature. This patented process uses a 6-axis placement robot to apply each patch with a controlled rolling movement, maintaining consistent pressure across the entire patch surface during layup.

To enhance productivity, the system includes an automated gripper exchange station, and gripper size can be adjusted to match part geometry and maximize throughput. The optimal contact curve is calculated using Cevotec’s ARTIST STUDIO software, which also performs offline programming of the robotic layup system via a digital twin.