Title: FIBER TOW SPREADING DURING AFP MANUFACTURING

Authors: Von Clyde Jamora, Conner M Sherin, Siqin Dong, Bodhisatwa Bhattacharjee, Krishnanand Kaipa, Oleksandr Kravchenko

DOI: 10.33599/nasampe/s.23.0186

Abstract: Automated fiber placement is a high-throughput manufacturing process which allows for tailored layups to create structures with variable thickness and fiber orientations. However, during deposition and compaction, prepreg tows experience spreading due to the viscous flow of the matrix. Consequently, an unevenness in the tow spreading results in irregular morphology and the formation of defects such as gaps and overlaps. An articulated robotic system with a heated roller end-effector, with the capability of varying the compaction force, was developed to investigate how substrate compliance affects tow spreading during fiber tow deposition. Prepreg tows were deposited with different forces on an aluminum tool and layup plates with varying thicknesses. Therefore, the compliance of the substrate was varied, which allowed to measure the differences in tow spreading. Results demonstrated that as the layup thickness increased, the amount of tow spreading was reduced. To better understand the tow behavior, a visco-hyperelastic constitutive model was developed and calibrated. A finite element model was used to understand the heat transfer and compaction during the tow deposition.

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Conference: SAMPE 2023

Publication Date: 2023/04/17

SKU: TP23-0000000186

Pages: 12

Price: $24.00