An Analysis of Defects IN Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) Technology

Current trends in composite manufacturing technologies for the aerospace industry are focusing on the automatic deposition of composite tapes and new multi-component materials systems, such as toughened prepregs, for improved component performance, damage tolerance or added functionality. In the frame of this work, a robotic Automated fiber placement - AFP in situ process was applied to obtain high-quality thermoplastic composite structures. Automated fiber placement (AFP) with laser-assisted heating (LAFP) is an attractive manufacturing technology for the development of lightweight and high-performance components, primarily for the aerospace, automotive, military and many other dominant industries worldwide. For the sample laminate plates produced with the AFP procedure, the flexural strength was investigated, and optical images were analyzed for irregularities such as pore content and weaker interlaminar bonding between the layers. In this research, the pore content is from 8% to 10% which showed that the accuracy of the robot has an important role.

Keywords: Automated fiber placement; thermoplastic; laser; flexural strength; irregularities.