Systems for forming composite parts, methods of forming composite parts, and methods of precisely performing a plurality of operations on a composite part

A method of forming a composite part that includes a plurality of spaced-apart imprinted features configured to indicate, to a robotic drilling system, a location for a fastener hole within the composite part, the method comprising:

• positioning a plurality of plies of composite material on a layup mandrel, wherein the layup mandrel includes a mandrel body that defines a layup surface that defines a layup surface finish roughness, wherein the layup mandrel also includes a plurality of regions of isotropic surface finish spaced-apart on the layup surface, wherein the isotropic surface finish defines an isotropic surface finish roughness that is greater than the layup surface finish roughness, and further wherein a location of each region of isotropic surface finish of the plurality of regions of isotropic surface finish corresponds to a desired location for the fastener hole within the composite part;
• conforming the plurality of plies of composite material to a layup surface shape of the layup surface, wherein the conforming includes imprinting, within at least a mandrel-contacting ply of the plurality of plies of composite material:
• (i) the layup surface finish roughness within regions of the mandrel-contacting ply that contact the layup surface;
• and
• (ii) the isotropic surface finish roughness within regions of the mandrel-contacting ply that contact the plurality of regions of isotropic surface finish;
• and
• curing the plurality of plies of composite material to define the composite part, wherein, subsequent to the curing, the composite part includes the plurality of spaced-apart imprinted features, and further wherein a location of each spaced-apart imprinted feature of the plurality of spaced-apart imprinted features corresponds to a location of a corresponding region of isotropic surface finish of the plurality of regions of isotropic surface finish.

A method of precisely performing a plurality of operations on a composite part that includes a plurality of imprinted features defined on a surface of the composite part, the method comprising:

• detecting, with a vision system of an end effector of a robotic system, a corresponding imprinted feature of the plurality of imprinted features, wherein the corresponding imprinted feature has an isotropic feature surface finish with a roughness that is greater than a surface roughness of a remainder of the composite part;
• aligning, with a positioning system of the robotic system, an operating assembly of the end effector relative to the corresponding imprinted feature;
• and
• performing, with the operating assembly of the robotic system, a corresponding operation of the plurality of operations on the composite part.