Modelling the Automated Tape Placement

of Thermoplastic Composites with In-Situ

Consolidation

C.M. Stokes-Griffin, T.I. Matuszyk, Paul Compston, and M.J. Cardew-Hall

Research School of Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science,

The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia
chris.stokes-griffin@anu.edu.au

Abstract. In situ consolidation of thermoplastic composites opens the possibility

of fully automated composite production when coupled with fibre placement tech-
nologies such as automated fibre placement (AFP) and automated tape placement
(ATP). These approaches show much potential for flexible and efficient manufac-
ture of lightweight and high performance automotive structures, including high
pressure storage vessels for gaseous fuels. The placement rate of such systems
must be maximised for production, however maintaining composite quality is non-
trivial due to the highly dynamic behaviours at the nip point. Bonding is governed
by intimate contact, autohesion and degradation processes. The quality is a func-
tion of the level of bonding, crystallinity, void dynamics and residual stress gen-
eration. The behaviour of these processes is dictated by the temperature and/or
pressure distributions at the interface. In order to analyse the welding process it is
therefore necessary to have models for each of the processes combined with robust
pressure and temperature analysis. Process optimisation is a trade-off between the
different aspects of quality. This paper will investigate the limitations of the work
to date and identify improvements for future work.

1 Introduction
The high specific strength and stiffness of fibre-reinforced polymer composites
makes them an attractive choice of material for use in lightweight and high per-
formance automotive structures. Additional benefits include the ability to produce
complex geometries which result in lower part counts with fewer assembly and
joining operations. One area of particular interest is high pressure gas storage ves-
sels for alternative fuels such as compressed natural gas (CNG), where the cost-
benefit of using composite materials is favourable compared to metals.
There are two major hurdles when considering composites for automotive use:
1. Manufacturing process
The manufacturing process for composite materials is normally associated with
being slow due to labour intensive layup processes followed by long cure cycles
62 C.M. Stokes-Griffin et al.

due to the use of thermoset resins. The additional costs associated with prepreg
materials and autoclave cure need to be considered for the processing of high per-
formance composites. Technologies such as filament winding, automated tape or
fibre placement (ATP/AFP) have the ability to eliminate most of the labour inten-
sive layup process, however the long cure cycles still remain.
2. Environmental impact/Recyclability
Automotive manufacturers are under pressure to use materials and manufactur-
ing processes with minimal environmental impact. Composites are traditionally
made using thermoset resins which produce a significant amount of volatile or-
ganic compound emissions during the manufacturing process. Recycling of
thermoset composites is difficult and commercially viable solutions are still
under development [1].

Thermoplastic composites have the ability to address both of these issues. Thermo-
plastic materials are processed by fusion bonding: heat and pressure are applied to
the interface being joined, and the polymer molecules diffuse across the interface
forming a bond. As no solvents are involved, negligible emissions are produced
making it a very clean process. Furthermore, when coupled with a placement tech-
nology such as ATP or AFP, the composite can be bonded in situ as it is placed.
This means that once the placement has finished the component is ready for use- the
cure cycle is eliminated making the process time much shorter. Thermoplastic com-
posites are more easily recycled as they can be re-melted.
The in situ thermoplastic ATP process is an attractive manufacturing process
for the automotive industry as it is fast, clean, automated and uses sustainable ma-
terials. While extensive research has been conducted in the area, the process has
not yet reached maturity. A complete understanding of the process and ability to
accurately predict material quality in real processes is required in order for indus-
try to adopt the technology. This paper will investigate the limitations of the work
to date, identify improvements for future work and discuss the developments re-
quired for the commercialisation of the process.

2 The In Situ Thermoplastic ATP Process

The in situ thermoplastic ATP process is described by Figure 1. Unidirectional

pre-impregnated material is fed into the placement head. As the material ap-
proaches the consolidation device it is heated along with the substrate. The melted
surfaces of the tape and the substrate and are pushed together as pressure is ap-
plied by the consolidation device, resulting in a bond. Parts are made by building
up laminates layer-by-layer.