Title: Process Modeling and Manufacturing of Thermoplastic Prepreg Tape

Authors: Alex M. Reichanadter, Joshua S. Dustin, and Jan-Anders E. Mansson

DOI: 10.33599/nasampe/s.19.1489

Abstract: In order to meet new fuel efficiency and recyclability criteria, thermoplastic composites are finding more applications in automobiles. The demand from the transportation industry is expected to help grow the global thermoplastic composites market from $26.16 billion in 2017 to $67.87 billion by 2026 [1]. Thermoplastic composite parts are often manufactured from pre-impregnated (prepreg) tape or organo sheets in order to reduce cycle times. This approach divides the thermoplastic composite part manufacturing into two distinct steps, an initial impregnation step where resin saturates the fiber bed and a final thermoforming step to take on the part shape. In this supply chain, the production of thermoplastic tape is a bottleneck for manufacturing. In order to address this issue, we at the Composites Manufacturing & Simulation Center (CMSC), have built a custom thermoplastic prepreg line in order to study the challenges associated with increased throughput. Our prepreg line is configurable for traditional thermoplastic hot-melt impregnation, fiber co-mingling, and film impregnation. In addition to the flexible line configuration, process models will be developed to predict line tape quality and later used to guide the design and operation of future prepreg tape lines.

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Conference: SAMPE 2019 - Charlotte, NC

Publication Date: 2019/05/20

SKU: TP19--1489

Pages: 12

Price: FREE