scholarly journals A Novel Approach: Combination of Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) and Additive Layer Manufacturing (ALM)

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Rakhshbahar ◽  
Michael Sinapius

Automated processing techniques such as automated fiber placement (AFP) or automated tape laying (ATL) are well known nowadays. However, there is still a lot of potential for these methods to achieve better results, especially for large and complex composite structures. In this experimental work, the gap effect with the Automated Fiber Placement is shown and a solution to overcome this drawback is presented. The gaps are particularly apparent on complex and/or double-curved surfaces and reduce the mechanical properties of the composite structure. In order to cover the unavoidable weak area of this effect, a plurality of fiber composite layers are laid on top of one another in order to increase the mechanical properties of components. This in turn makes the components heavier and more expensive to produce. In this new method, the gaps are detected by profile sensor after placement of the tape on the mold. The gaps are filled with the aid of a 3D printer with carbon continuous-fiber reinforced plastics. By combining the 3D printing and AFP technology, composite parts can be manufactured in a more homogeneous manner. Subsequently, the components are produced faster, cheaper and even lighter because of the avoidance of the additional layers.

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Falk Heinecke ◽  
Christian Willberg

The automated fiber placement process (AFP) enables the manufacturing of large and geometrical complex fiber composite structures with high quality at low cycle times. Although the AFP process is highly accurate and reproducible, manufacturing induced imperfections in the produced composite structure occur. This review summarizes and classifies typical AFP-related manufacturing defects. Several methodologies for evaluating the effects of such manufacturing defects from the literature are reviewed. This review paper presents recent scientific contributions and discusses proposed experimental and simulation-based methodologies. Among the identified ten defect classes, gaps and overlaps are predominant. This paper focuses then on methods for modelling and assessing gaps and overlaps. The state of the art in modelling gaps and overlaps and assessing their influence on mechanical properties is presented. Finally, research gaps and remaining issues are identified.


2016 ◽  
Vol 1140 ◽  
pp. 239-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Frederik Koch ◽  
Daniel Barfuss ◽  
Mathias Bobbert ◽  
Lukas Groß ◽  
Raik Grützner ◽  
...  

This publication describes new process chain approaches for the manufacturing of intrinsic hybrid composites for lightweight structures. The introduced process chains show a variety of different part and sample types, like insert technology for fastening of hollow hybrid shafts and profiles. Another field of research are hybrid laminates with different layers of carbon fiber reinforced plastics stacked with aluminum or steel sheets. The derived process chains base on automated fiber placement, resin transfer molding, deep drawing, rotational molding and integral tube blow molding.


2020 ◽  
Vol 246 ◽  
pp. 112427
Author(s):  
Cong Zhao ◽  
Xianfeng Wang ◽  
Xingyu Liu ◽  
Cheng Ma ◽  
Qiyi Chu ◽  
...  

Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shouzheng Sun ◽  
Zhenyu Han ◽  
Hongya Fu ◽  
Hongyu Jin ◽  
Jaspreet Singh Dhupia ◽  
...  

Automated fiber placement (AFP) is an advanced manufacturing method for composites, which is especially suitable for large-scale composite components. However, some manufacturing defects inevitably appear in the AFP process, which can affect the mechanical properties of composites. This work aims to investigate the recent works on manufacturing defects and their online detection techniques during the AFP process. The main content focuses on the position defect in conventional and variable stiffness laminates, the relationship between the defects and the mechanical properties, defect control methods, the modeling method for a void defect, and online detection techniques. Following that, the contributions and limitations of the current studies are discussed. Finally, the prospects of future research concerning theoretical and practical engineering applications are pointed out.


2020 ◽  
Vol 233 ◽  
pp. 111700
Author(s):  
Minh Hoang Nguyen ◽  
Avinkrishnan A. Vijayachandran ◽  
Paul Davidson ◽  
Damon Call ◽  
Dongyeon Lee ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenyu Han ◽  
Shouzheng Sun ◽  
Zhongxi Shao ◽  
Hongya Fu

Processing optimization is an important means to inhibit manufacturing defects efficiently. However, processing optimization used by experiments or macroscopic theories in high-speed automated fiber placement (AFP) suffers from some restrictions, because multiscale effect of laying tows and their manufacturing defects could not be considered. In this paper, processing parameters, including compaction force, laying speed, and preheating temperature, are optimized by multiscale collaborative optimization in AFP process. Firstly, rational model between cracks and strain energy is revealed in order that the formative possibility of cracks could be assessed by using strain energy or its density. Following that, an antisequential hierarchical multiscale collaborative optimization method is presented to resolve multiscale effect of structure and mechanical properties for laying tows or cracks in high-speed automated fiber placement process. According to the above method and taking carbon fiber/epoxy tow as an example, multiscale mechanical properties of laying tow under different processing parameters are investigated through simulation, which includes recoverable strain energy (ALLSE) of macroscale, strain energy density (SED) of mesoscale, and interface absorbability and matrix fluidity of microscale. Finally, response surface method (RSM) is used to optimize the processing parameters. Two groups of processing parameters, which have higher desirability, are obtained to achieve the purpose of multiscale collaborative optimization.


Author(s):  
Hamid Nayeb Hashemi ◽  
Gongdai Liu ◽  
Ashkan Vaziri ◽  
Masoud Olia ◽  
Ranajay Ghosh

In this paper, we mimic the venous morphology of a typical plant leaf into a fiber composite structure where the veins are replaced by stiff fibers and the rest of the leaf is idealized as an elastic perfectly plastic polymeric matrix. The variegated venations found in nature are idealized into three principal fibers — the central mid-fiber corresponding to the mid-rib, straight parallel secondary fibers attached to the mid-fiber representing the secondary veins and then another set of parallel fibers emanating from the secondary fibers mimicking the tertiary veins of a typical leaf. The tertiary fibers do not interconnect the secondary fibers in our present study. We carry out finite element (FE) based computational investigation of the mechanical properties such as Young’s moduli, Poisson’s ratio and yield stress under uniaxial loading of the resultant composite structures and study the effect of different fiber architectures. To this end, we use two broad types of architectures both having similar central main fiber but differing in either having only secondary fibers or additional tertiary fibers. The fiber and matrix volume fractions are kept constant and a comparative parametric study is carried out by varying the inclination of the secondary fibers. We find significant effect of fiber inclination on the overall mechanical properties of the composites with higher fiber angles transitioning the composite increasingly into a matrix-dominated response. We also find that in general, composites with only secondary fibers are stiffer with closed cell architecture of the secondary fibers. The closed cell architecture also arrested the yield stress decrease and Poisson’s ratio increase at higher fiber angles thereby mitigating the transition into the matrix dominated mode. The addition of tertiary fibers also had a pronounced effect in arresting this transition into the matrix dominated mode. However, it was found that indiscriminate addition of tertiary fibers may not provide desired additional stiffness for fixed volume fraction of constituents. In conclusion, introducing a leaf-mimicking topology in fiber architecture can provide significant additional degrees of tunability in design of these composite structures.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isciane Caprais ◽  
Pierre Joyot ◽  
Emmanuel Duc ◽  
Simon Deseur

Automated fiber placement processes could be combined with additive manufacturing to produce more functionally complex composite structures with more flexibility. The challenge is to add functions or reinforcements to PEEK/carbon composite parts manufactured by automated fiber placement process, with additive manufacturing by fused filament fabrication. This consists of extruding a molten polymer through a nozzle to create a 3D part. Bonding between polymer filaments is a thermally driven phenomenon and determines the integrity and the final mechanical strength of the printed part. 3d-printing high performance polymers is still very challenging because they involve high thermal gradients during the process. The purpose of this work is to find a process window where the bonding strength is maximized between the composite laminate and the first layer of printed polymer, and inside the printed function as well. Experimental measurements of the temperature profiles at the interface between a composite substrate and 3d-printed PEI under different processing conditions were carried out. The interface was observed using microscopic sections. The methodology for studying the impact of printing parameters on the cohesion and adhesion of printed parts with a composite laminate is described. This work provides insights about the influence of processing conditions on the bond formation between high-performance polymer surfaces. It highlights the importance of controlling the thermal history of the materials all along the process.


2019 ◽  
Vol 228 ◽  
pp. 111335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minh Hoang Nguyen ◽  
Avinkrishnan A. Vijayachandran ◽  
Paul Davidson ◽  
Damon Call ◽  
Dongyeon Lee ◽  
...  

2014 ◽  
Vol 643 ◽  
pp. 48-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Chen ◽  
Wen Jun Xu ◽  
Ben Wang ◽  
Yu Gang Duan ◽  
Xiao Hui Zhang

Robotic automated fiber placement (Robotic AFP) was a cost-effective and highly innovative approach to produce large and complex composite structures. In order to achieve desired qualities, the tow tension of the process required to becontrolled accurately. Due to the high nonlinearity of the system, such as the large elastic modulus, flexibility and viscosity of the tow, traditional methods failed to work effectively. A fuzzy-adaptive PIDcontroller combining fuzzy logic and adaptive PID together was proposed in this work. Fuzzy logic was able to respond quickly to disturbances without the need for an accurate model and adaptive PID control could eliminate the steady-state error by adapting its parameters to the working conditions. With this method, the tow tension could be precisely regulated thus improved the qualities of the composite structures.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document