Composite Applications Simulate Fiber-Placement Machinery

Version 7.1 of CGTech’s Vericut Composite Programming (VCP) and Vericut Composite Simulation (VCS) applications are designed to program and simulate automated fiber-placement machinery from various machine tool builders.

VCP reads CAD surfaces and ply boundary information and creates fiber-placement paths to fill the plies to user-specified manufacturing standards and requirements. “Batch” processing capabilities reduce the time required to make changes to one or more plies. Layup paths are linked together to form specific sequences and are output as NC programs for the fiber-placement machine.

VCS reads CAD models of the layup tool and fixtures and simulates the layup sequence directly from NC program files, either from VCP or from other composite layup path-generation programming applications. Tow material is applied to the layup form via NC program instructions in a virtual CNC-simulation environment. The simulated material applied to the form can be measured and inspected to ensure the NC program follows manufacturing standards and requirements. A report showing simulation results and statistical information can be created automatically.