Kanfit completes production of acceptance test- part with Automated Fiber Placement (AFP)

Kanfit Ltd., Israel, a manufacturer of fit-to-fly assemblies and subassemblies for the aerospace industry, has completed the production of a u-shaped spar acceptance test part in its Automated Fiber Placement (AFP). The part was produced with carbon epoxy material with several layup orientations, combined with a Nomex honeycomb core.

The six-axis robotic Ingersoll Machine Tools AFP machine, equipped with a head stock-tail stock system, enables Kanfit to manufacture complex composite aerostructures up to two meters in length. The AFP machine is comprised of a robotic arm for rapid placement of up to eight tows of one-quarter inch composite fibers.

The AFP, the first of its kind in Israel, is part of Kanfit’s joint research and development

venture with Israel’s aerospace and defense industry leaders, including Elbit Systems, IAI, Israel’s Ministry of Defense and Rafael Defense Systems. There are also plans to expand its use to other industrial sectors using other types of prepreg materials besides carbon epoxy.