Abstract

The implementation of composite materials within the industry is a trend that has been developing for many years. In the case of the aeronautical industry, the gradual replacement of metallic parts by composite elements is increasing with each new aircraft model developed. However, these composites imply a challenge towards their end of life, since their dismantling and processing is under development, and they are currently processed as waste, with no recycling or reuse opportunities. In this context, a robotic dismantling solution is proposed by means of abrasive water jet cut, guided by a digital twin system. This system allows operator-guided cutting of the composite part, permitting the selection of the specific area to be dismantled on the aircraft itself. Thanks to a portable abrasive water jet system, operated by a collaborative robot, the cutting operations can be carried out in situ. This dismantling system is placed on a portable platform, operated by an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle) system integrated in the dismantling system itself, capable of transporting it along the working area. In this way, new strategies for dismantling and reusing the composite material at its end of life are proposed. These new options include the extraction of complete parts selected by the operator for their reuse, the elimination and/or recovery of rivets and the adaptation of the parts to be dismantled for a subsequent recycling process.