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Recent developments in automated composite manufacturing technologies, such as Automated Fibre Placement, AFP, and Automated Tape Layup, ATL, have enabled larger components to be produced efficiently, leading to an increased use of prepreg composites in aerospace. These processes are limited in the geometry that may be produced and therefore secondary forming processes are commonly required for implementation. There is, therefore, a need to improve reliability and increase forming capability using these processes, whilst ensuring that defects in the laminate are limited. Thermoforming of composite and polymer materials is a well-known forming method for use with polymers and polymer based materials. This paper will discuss the monitoring methods and results used in a typical thermoforming process based on experimental results from a composite material during Thermal Roll Forming (TRF). The focus of this testing is to characterise the effect of temperature and dynamic contact forces on the composite against the real-time development of defects such as wrinkles during TRF forming.

A recently developed peel test designed to simulate the automated tape lay-up (ATL) process was used to measure tack and dynamic stiffness of newly developed ATL prepregs. Resin was extracted from the prepreg process before impregnation of the fibres. Isothermal small amplitude frequency sweeps were carried out in shear rheology to determine time–temperature superposition parameters in the form of Williams–Landel–Ferry equation. Gel permeation chromatography and differential scanning calorimetry demonstrated that the resin was not significantly changed during the prepregging process. The WLF parameters were used to transpose isothermal tack and dynamic stiffness results with excellent agreement found. This relationship offers manufacturers using composite prepreg a method to maximise and maintain tack levels at different feed rates by appropriate changes in temperature. This is of significant importance in improving the reliability of automated composite lay-up processes such as AFP and ATL, whose feed rate must vary to accommodate lay-up operations.

Recent developments in automated composite manufacturing technologies, such as Automated Fibre Placement, AFP, and Automated Tape Layup, ATL, have enabled larger components to be produced efficiently, leading to an increased use of prepreg composites in aerospace. These processes are limited in the geometry that may be produced and therefore secondary forming processes are commonly required for implementation. There is, therefore, a need to improve reliability and increase forming capability using these processes, whilst ensuring that defects in the laminate are limited. Thermoforming of composite and polymer materials is a well-known forming method for use with polymers and polymer based materials. This paper will discuss the monitoring methods and results used in a typical thermoforming process based on experimental results from a composite material during Thermal Roll Forming (TRF). The focus of this testing is to characterise the effect of temperature and dynamic contact forces on the composite against the real-time development of defects such as wrinkles during TRF forming.

Recent developments in automated composite manufacturing technologies, such as Automated Fibre Placement, AFP, and Automated Tape Layup, ATL, have enabled larger components to be produced efficiently, leading to an increased use of prepreg composites in aerospace. These processes are limited in the geometry that may be produced and therefore secondary forming processes are commonly required for implementation. There is, therefore, a need to improve reliability and increase forming capability using these processes, whilst ensuring that defects in the laminate are limited. Thermoforming of composite and polymer materials is a well-known forming method for use with polymers and polymer based materials. This paper will discuss the monitoring methods and results used in a typical thermoforming process based on experimental results from a composite material during Thermal Roll Forming (TRF). The focus of this testing is to characterise the effect of temperature and dynamic contact forces on the composite against the real-time development of defects such as wrinkles during TRF forming.

Recent developments in automated composite manufacturing technologies, such as Automated Fibre Placement, AFP, and Automated Tape Layup, ATL, have enabled larger components to be produced efficiently, leading to an increased use of prepreg composites in aerospace. These processes are limited in the geometry that may be produced and therefore secondary forming processes are commonly required for implementation. There is, therefore, a need to improve reliability and increase forming capability using these processes, whilst ensuring that defects in the laminate are limited. Thermoforming of composite and polymer materials is a well-known forming method for use with polymers and polymer based materials. This paper will discuss the monitoring methods and results used in a typical thermoforming process based on experimental results from a composite material during Thermal Roll Forming (TRF). The focus of this testing is to characterise the effect of temperature and dynamic contact forces on the composite against the real-time development of defects such as wrinkles during TRF forming.

Recent developments in automated composite manufacturing technologies, such as Automated Fibre Placement, AFP, and Automated Tape Layup, ATL, have enabled larger components to be produced efficiently, leading to an increased use of prepreg composites in aerospace. These processes are limited in the geometry that may be produced and therefore secondary forming processes are commonly required for implementation. There is, therefore, a need to improve reliability and increase forming capability using these processes, whilst ensuring that defects in the laminate are limited. Thermoforming of composite and polymer materials is a well-known forming method for use with polymers and polymer based materials. This paper will discuss the monitoring methods and results used in a typical thermoforming process based on experimental results from a composite material during Thermal Roll Forming (TRF). The focus of this testing is to characterise the effect of temperature and dynamic contact forces on the composite against the real-time development of defects such as wrinkles during TRF forming.