DEVELOPMENT OF A PRESSURE SENSITIVE SMART ROLLER FOR THERMOPLASTIC AUTOMATED FIBRE PLACEMENT

Abstract

The goal of in-situ Automated Fibre Placement (AFP) is to produce finished components in minimal time by eliminating post-manufacturing consolidation in ovens or autoclaves. To realise such time and cost savings, precise monitoring of process parameters is necessary to assure quality and prevent defects. This study develops a pressure-sensitive smart roller for inline monitoring of consolidation pressure in an in-situ thermoplastic AFP system. Thermal and mechanical loads were quantified, and a prototype was created through simulations and experiments. This study was conducted in collaboration with DLR and the University of British Columbia (UBC), the latter having previously developed a smart roller for thermoset applications.