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99 tons and 39 ft tall: Largest fiber placement robot gets ready to build big rockets

Rocket Lab USA has begun installation of the largest automated fiber placement (AFP) machine of its kind into the company's Neutron rocket production line. The AFP machine will enable Rocket Lab to automate production of the largest carbon composite rocket structures in ever created.

The 99-ton AFP machine has been custom designed and built for Rocket Lab and is expected to save around 150,000 manufacturing hours in the Neutron rocket's production process. [Credit: Photo courtesy of Rocket Lab USA]

 

 

 

 

The custom-built, 99-ton, 39-ft-tall robotic machine, American-made by Electroimpact in Washington, has just completed final acceptance testing with the manufacturer, and installation has begun at Rocket Lab's Space Structures Complex in Middle River, MD. The new machine will automate the production of all large composite structures of the Neutron launch vehicle including the panels that make up the 91-ft-long interstage and fairing, 22.9-ft-diameter first stage, and the 16.4-ft-diameter second stage tank.

Rocket Lab says the autonomous machine can move up to 98 ft along the length of its track and lay down continuous carbon fiber composite at a rate of 328 ft per min. The AFP machine also has a fully automated real-time inspection system that hunts for miniscule defects throughout the laminated carbon composite and alerts the machine operator of any issues before the machine begins laying down the next layer, providing additional assurance that these critical structures of the launch vehicle meet Rocket Lab's high quality standards required for reusable Neutron launches.

MUST-WATCH VIDEO: Rocket Lab -- All about the world's largest AFP machine of its kind. See it in action. [Credit: Rocket Lab USA]

As Neutron's carbon composite structures move into full-scale production, this autonomous machine is expected to introduce significant time-savings of 150,000+ manufacturing hours into the production process.

"As we build the world's largest carbon composite rocket, it makes sense that we require a world-first carbon composite fiber placement machine. We're combining our proprietary flight-proven carbon composite technology, additive manufacturing, and autonomous robotics to design and build large-scale aerospace components at a pace that will support not only Neutron's launch cadence, but support Electron and carbon composites structures for our spacecraft customers too," says Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck.

The AFP machine will also be leveraged to print smaller carbon composite Neutron structures, first stages of Rocket Lab's Electron launch vehicle, and other flight-proven carbon composite structures for space including spacecraft structural panels and assemblies, solar panel substrates, carbon composite tanks and primary structures, and custom projects for the aerospace industry.

Source: Rocket Lab USA

Published November 2024

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