The Boeing Company
Articles produced from automated fiber-placement systems and methods

Abstract:

An article of manufacture comprises a strip that extends along and is centered on a virtual curvilinear path, comprising an arc, having an arc length and a radius. A ratio of the strip-width to the radius is greater than or equal to 0.003. The arc length is equal to or greater than a product of the radius and .pi./64. Within each of discrete strip-regions of the strip, one of the unidirectional reinforcement fibers that is closest to the first longitudinal strip-edge is more buckled than another one of the unidirectional reinforcement fibers that is closest to the second longitudinal strip-edge. Ones of the unidirectional reinforcement fibers that are buckled are parallel to a smallest one of virtual surfaces, joining the first longitudinal strip-edge and the second longitudinal strip-edge.