This class is a follow up to “Intro to Composite Manufacturing Platform.” This hands-on course will follow the entire manufacturing process for composites, carbon fiber, and parts. It will begin with determining manufacturing strategies with the help of TruPlan software. Then we will use TruNest Composites software to nest the 2D carbon fiber plies for material efficiency. Since the carbon fiber fabric is time-sensitive, temperature-controlled material, it must be followed through the manufacturing process with high precision. The complete lifecycle of each roll of material and each carbon fiber part will be tracked accurately using TruNest Composites software. Finally, when the 2D shapes are cut using part programs generated by TruNest software, they will be laid up on the 3D part mold by hand, using laser projectors to assist with layup. The laser projectors that assist with ply layup will be programmed using TruLaser software. This session features TruNest Composites, TruLaser, and TruPlan.

Composite materials and particularly carbon fiber are some of the hottest materials in the manufacturing world today. Renowned for their high strength-to-weight ratio, carbon fiber parts are becoming more popular in traditional fields such as automotive and construction. Carbon fiber parts are created using additive-manufacturing processes and advanced techniques. Due to their high cost, efficiency is crucial to these kinds of parts. Autodesk, Inc., has created a manufacturing suite for the design, simulation, and manufacturing of composites materials such as carbon fiber. This platform will cover all of the production strategies that are currently in the market, including hand layup, fiber placement, and tape laying. This is an introductory course to the entire platform. Also included is the end-to-end composite manufacturing process. This session features TruPlan.

This session is a follow up to “Intro to Composite Manufacturing Platform.” This hands-on course will follow the entire manufacturing process of composite and carbon fiber parts using automated fiber placement and tape laying. We will cover the following topics: we will compare and analyze manufacturing strategies to determine the best manufacturing method for the part shape in question using TruPlan software; once we select the correct manufacturing technique for each layer of material, we will select a machine to lay the material automatically; we will define the automated fiber placement (AFP) machine using TruFiber software; and, finally, we will generate each toolpath to create the part for the AFP machine using TruFiber software. This session features TruPlan and TruFiber.

Resin transfer molding (RTM) is a relatively established technique for manufacturing continuous fiber composites. As lightweighting initiatives continue in automotive, new techniques for RTM are being established to reduce cycle time. Join the Moldflow and OCTO Teams for a discussion and demonstration of the RTM capabilities within Moldflow software, including forming simulations to acquire fiber orientations for the flow simulation in Moldflow software. This session features Moldflow and TruPlan.

Companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic all have something in common: disruption of the space travel and space cargo industries. How we ship things and people to outer space is a complex set of operations, and each of these companies is looking to do it cheaper, and, more importantly, lighter than anyone else. By shedding weight, the teams of engineers working on these spacecraft are also making space travel and shipping more attainable. In turn, their suppliers are also looking to adopt composite materials and manufacturing processes to ensure that all of the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have the parts they need, when they need them. In this class, we'll review how, with Autodesk software, you can learn how to make composite parts that may soon be in orbit.