Design and fabrication of automated tape laying placement head for composite manufacturing

Dhanjal, Rishipal Singh and Raju, Gangadharan (2019) Design and fabrication of automated tape laying placement head for composite manufacturing. Masters thesis, Indian institute of technology Hyderabad.

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Abstract

Automated lay-up of prepreg is gradually replacing manual layup in the fabrication of composite parts for aerospace, automotive and renewable energy applications. This is driven by a need for higher manufacturing rates from aerospace manufacturers and a need for a high-quality manufacturer for wind and tidal power blades. The main methods for automated layup are Automated Tape Laying (ATL) and Automated Fiber Placement (AFP). However, despite its industrial importance the amount of research into both processes is limited, in particular with respect to productivity and process reliability. In this work, the objective is to design and fabricate the tape placement head of the ATL machine to lay the pre-preg tape (semi-impregnated tape) onto the mold or tool. The ATL head is built with certain functions such as tensioning mechanism for providing tension in the tape during laying operation, feeding mechanism for delivering the tape to the compaction roller where laying is done, cutting mechanism for shearing off the tape and compaction mechanism for applying uniform normal force during the deposition of tape on the tool surface. A model is prepared which can provide different tape tensions, laying speeds and normal force to the tape during laying.

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