Automated high-volume production of complex

composite parts: Continuous multi-tow shearing

Evangelos Zympeloudis, Kevin Potter, Paul Weaver, Byung Chul Kim
In an attempt to improve the productivity of composites manufacturing, the
industry has pioneered the use of automated material placement machines.
Although these machines excel in placing fibres in straight lines, their ability to
produce curved paths is extremely limited. The concept of CMTS removes this
limitation while maintaining the potential for high production rates.
Tow Steering Limitations of Current Technology
• Lay-up in complex doubly curved moulds
• In plane bending of tapes  Defects:

• Structural efficiency through variable

stiffness structures [3] [4]
Fibre Buckling Width affects steering abilities

• Minimum steering radius:

• ATL: 6000 mm for 150 mm wide tape
[1] [2] • AFP: 630 mm for 3.175 mm wide tow [3]

Continuous Multi-Tow Shearing Evaluation of Different Materials for CMTS

• Exploit material shear deformation • Defect generation
- Resin pockets
- Local wrinkling
- Tow thickness variation
• Process Accuracy
- Tape path deviation
- Tape boundaries variation
10.0 Resin Pocket Areas vs Position
9.0 Tows 1-10
Percentage of Resin Area (%)

Aim: Develop a material placement head

Tows 11-30
8.0
Tows 31-40
7.0
0
which can produce high quality tow 6.0

5.0

steered laminates at high production rates 4.0

3.0

2.0

1.0

0.0
-230 -170 -110 -50 0 50 110 170 230
X Position (mm)

{Weft yarns with low tension cause areas of resin pockets}

200 mm

30 deg 50 deg
30 deg 40 deg 50 deg
{Fusible weft yarns cause excessive wrinkling at high shear angles}

• Minimum steering radius:

• CMTS: 260 mm for 90 mm wide tape

[1] Coburn et al. 2015 [2] Chauncey Wu et al. 2009 www.bristol.ac.uk/composites

Supported by
[3] M. H. Nagelsmit et al, 2013 [4] K. D. Potter, 2009