TextureJet is showcasing ArcSlice, its latest technology for the aerospace industry, at the Ignite Space exhibition, which is taking place at the National Space Centre, Leicester, on 5-6 February.
ArcSlice offers a new method for surface preparation of non-conductive materials. It provides a flexible solution for preparing the surface of carbon fibre resin polymer (CFRP) prior to bonding and coating. The process can be readily scaled for any part size or area and it removes the need for immediate bonding after surface preparation.
This makes it a more flexible and practical surface preparation solution compared to traditional methods. For example, media blasting requires masking and creates the issue of surface contamination and peel ply has a slower moulding process and creates more waste. Plus, it delivers high cohesive strength through enabling mechanical interlocking.
ArcSlice is being developed with a grant from the Midlands Aerospace Alliance’s Pivot into Space Programme, which helps companies transition into the space sector and is funded by the UK Space Agency.
The grant has enabled TextureJet to develop a prototype robotized cell solution, demonstrating the capability to apply the ArcSlice technology using a robot arm.
As part of the project TextureJet benchmarked the performance of the ArcSlice process using the newly developed prototype robotized cell solution, compared to current industry methods for surface preparation of carbon fibre reinforced polymers to improve the bond strength.
This testing highlighted a number of key benefits compared to traditional methods using in aerospace manufacturing.
- Greater precision – ArcSlice offers precise material removal at high speed (1,600mm /s single nozzle coverage).
- High level of control – The process is controllable and repeatable, enabling an improvement of >51% in repeatability vs peel ply and >47% vs media blasting.
- No masking required – With the electrolyte delivered by a jet, the process is selective in the area being machined, therefore eliminating the need for masking.
- ArcSlice RA = 15% increase in strength over prototype equipment.
- Comparable lap-shear strength compared to existing technology (media blasting and peel ply).
- No contamination, as opposed to media blasting where surface contamination is a major issue.
- >45% less variability compared to using peel ply and media blasting.
