Process and system for improving surface quality of composite structures

1. A method comprising:

laying up a first set of composite plies comprising a first outer ply of a first composite structure;

measuring a surface of the first outer ply and forming a first set of measurements;

forming, using a tool path generator and responsive to a difference between the first set of measurements and expected measurements for the surface of the first outer ply, a modified tool path, via modifying a path for a composite placement machine laying down a composite ply on the expected measurements for the surface of the first outer ply, such that the modified tool path matches the first set of measurements; and

laying down the composite ply using the composite placement machine and the modified tool path.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composite ply is laid up onto the first outer ply, and measuring the surface of the first outer ply comprises measuring a size or a shape of the first set of composite plies.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composite ply is part of a second composite structure having a same design as the first composite structure.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

laying up a second set of composite plies onto the first outer ply, wherein the second set of composite plies includes a second outer ply; and

measuring a surface of the second outer ply and forming a second set of measurements.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

forming, using the tool path generator and responsive to a difference between the second set of measurements and expected measurements for the surface of the second outer ply, a second modified tool path, via modifying a path for the composite placement machine laying down a second composite ply on the expected measurements for the surface of the second outer ply, such that the second modified tool path matches the second set of measurements; and

laying down the second composite ply using the composite placement machine and the second modified tool path.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein measuring the surface of the first outer ply comprises using a laser tracker.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

compacting the first set of composite plies using at least one of heat or pressure prior to measuring the surface of the first outer ply.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of composite plies has a quantity of plies between 10 and 20.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein measuring the surface of the first outer ply and forming the first set of measurements comprises part of an inspection sampling plan.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein measuring the surface of the first outer ply comprises using measuring equipment having an accuracy of at least 0.001″.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

laying up a third set of composite plies including a third outer ply of a third composite structure;

measuring a surface of the third outer ply and forming a third set of measurements;

forming, using the tool path generator and responsive to a difference between the third set of measurements and expected measurements for the surface of the third outer ply, a further modified tool path, via modifying a path for the composite placement machine laying down a third composite ply on the expected measurements for the surface of the third outer ply, such that the further modified tool path matches the third set of measurements; and

laying down the third composite ply using the composite placement machine and the further modified tool path.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the third composite ply is a part of the third composite structure.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the third composite ply is part of a fourth composite structure having a same design as the third composite structure.

14. A method comprising:

laying up a plurality of composite plies and forming a first composite structure;

measuring a plurality of surfaces of the first composite structure and forming a plurality of sets of measurements;

forming, using a tool path generator and responsive to a difference between at least one set of measurements in the plurality of sets of measurements and expected measurements for the at least one set of measurements in the plurality of sets of measurements, at least one modified tool path, via modifying at least one path for a composite placement machine laying down a composite ply on the expected measurements for the plurality of surfaces of the first composite structure, such that the modified tool path matches the at least one set of measurements of the plurality of sets of measurements; and

laying down a respective composite ply on the plurality of surfaces of the first composite structure using the composite placement machine and the at least one modified tool path.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the composite ply for the at least one modified tool path is part of the first composite structure, and measuring the plurality of surfaces of the first composite structure comprises measuring a size or a shape of the plurality of surfaces of the first composite structure.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the composite ply for the at least one modified tool path is part of a second composite structure comprising a same design as the first composite structure.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising modifying a quantity of laydown surfaces equivalent to a quantity of surfaces in the plurality of surfaces of the first composite structure.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

laying up a plurality of composite structures having a same design as the first composite structure using the at least one modified tool path.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising the composite placement machine creating a composite structure comprising a surface within 0.010″ of design.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of composite plies comprises plies infused or impregnated with resin.