The 3D Winder is the world’s first robotic winding
machine capable of laying carbon fibre to make complex,
lightweight composite parts for industry.
It comes out of a 2-year Knowledge Transfer Partnership
(KTP).
Luke Vardy, Managing Director of Cygnet Texkimp, said:
The 3D Winder revolutionises what the composites
industry can achieve with winding. It offers benefits
in terms of cost and speed of manufacture as well as
the strength, uniformity and repeatability of the
finished product.
There is nothing else like it on the market at the
moment. It is the first machine of its kind.
Turning research into reality
The 3D Winder builds on a prototype from the
university’s School of
Materials.
Through the KTP, the Northwich-based company brought in
PhD graduate and composites academic, Dr Yan Liu, to
develop this technology to work with more complex and
curved shapes.
The resulting machine uses a technique called filament
winding to create complex components such as fuel pipes
and aircraft wing spars, which are the main structural
members of the wing.
It does so cost-effectively, in high volumes and at
high speeds. Trials have shown it to produce parts much
quicker and to a higher integrity than traditional
methods such as braiding and weaving. It has the
potential to wind an aircraft wing spar in just a few
minutes.
Reflecting on the KTP, Luke said:
Partnering with the university enabled us to carry
out extensive research into advanced filament winding
techniques.
It laid the groundwork for us to develop a new
filament winding product stream more quickly than we
otherwise would, to be first to market with an
innovative new product.
Following the success of the partnership, Yan was
offered a permanent role at Cygnet Texkimp’s R&D
centre.
The future is bright
Since the project ended, the 3D Winder has gone on to
be recognised by industry. In 2017 it won
the Composites UK Trade
Association’s innovation in composite
manufacture award.
A production-scale version of the machine is now being
used to carry out advanced trials with international
part manufacturers, including one of the world’s
leading automotive wheel manufacturers. The very
lightweight quality of composite components make the 3D
Winder ideal for the aerospace and automotive sectors.
Luke continued:
We’re on the threshold of a new generation of
lightweight, fuel-efficient cars and aeroplanes.
Demand for greater fuel efficiency and lower
emissions is driving the need for better ways of
producing and using intelligent materials such as
carbon fibre composites.
Our long-term objective is to see this technology
adopted as a conventional way to produce composite
parts throughout the world.
