Title: Process Modeling and Optimization for Risk Assessment and Defect Mitigation in the Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) Process

Authors: Alireza Forghani, Paulo Silva, Kamyar Gordnian, Malcolm Lane, Sam Reid, Curtis Hickmott, Victoria Hutten, Thammaia Sreekantamurthy, Christopher Wohl, Brian Grimsley, Brian Coxon, Anoush Poursartip

DOI: 10.33599/nasampe/s.21.0641

Abstract: Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) offers a fast and more repeatable alternative for the fabrication of complex composite parts compared to traditional deposition methods such as hand lay-up. With the performance advantages of the AFP process comes additional sources of defects due to geometry and process conditions that are not common in a hand lay-up process (e.g. wrinkles, puckers, fiber bridging, etc.). Under NASA’s Advanced Composites Project (ACP), Convergent was tasked with developing a physics-based modeling framework for AFP simulation which can be used to reduce cycle times for more efficient and optimized processing of composite parts. Convergent has developed a detailed finite element simulation of the AFP process featuring a physics-based tack model of the rate-dependent cohesion and separation of slit tape leading to out-of-plane defects. This paper will review the components of the detailed AFP process simulation, mechanical behavior of the system, and incorporated sub-models based on characterization methods.

References: 1. V. Hutten, A. Forghani, P. Silva, C. Hickmott, T. Sreekantamurthy, C. Wohl, B. Grimsley, B. Coxon, and A. Poursartip (2019) “A Validation Study of a Physics-Based Tack Model for an Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) Process Simulation”, SAMPE Proceedings, https://doi.org/10.33599/nasampe/s.19.1512. 2. A. Forghani, C. Hickmott, V. Hutten, H. Bedayat, C. Wohl, B. Grimsley, A. Poursartip (2018) “Experimental calibration of a numerical model of prepreg tack for predicting afp process related defects”, SAMPE Proceedings. 13 3. A. Endruweit, G.Y.H. Choong, S. Ghose, B.A. Johnson, D.R. Younkin, N.A. Warrior, D.S.A. De Focatiis (2018) “Characterisation of tack for uni-directional prepreg tape employing a continuous application-and-peel test method” Compos. Part A Appl. Sci. Manuf. 114, 295–306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2018.08.027. 4. U. Sachs, R. Akkerman (2017) “Viscoelastic bending model for continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites in melt” Compos. Part A Appl. Sci. Manuf. 100, 333–341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2017.05.032.

Conference: SAMPE NEXUS 2021

Publication Date: 2021/06/29

SKU: TP21-0000000641

Pages: 13

Price: FREE