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The automation of the manufacturing processes of thermoplastic composite laminates has become dependent on open mold processes such as automated tape placement (ATP), which couples tape layering with in situ consolidation. The manufacturing parameters of ATP open mold processes, which comprise processing time, consolidation pressure and temperature, affect the bond strength between the plies and the quality of the laminates produced. Therefore, the effect of the manufacturing parameters should be characterized. This work experimentally evaluates the feasibility of fabricating thermoplastic laminates using an open mold process that reasonably models that of ATP. Glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene laminates are fabricated from unidirectional tapes under different consolidation periods, pressures, and temperatures. The bond quality in the produced laminates is assessed by measuring their interlaminar shear strength, which is measured using a short beam standardized shear test in conjunction with digital image correlation. Results show that consolidation can occur at temperatures slightly below the composite tapes' complete melting temperature, and consolidation times between 7 and 13 min can result in acceptable bond strengths. The results confirmed the feasibility of the process and highlighted its limitations. Analysis of variance and machine learning showed that the effect of process parameters on interlaminar shear strength is nonlinear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The automation of the manufacturing processes of thermoplastic composite laminates has become dependent on open mold processes such as automated tape placement (ATP), which couples tape layering with in situ consolidation. The manufacturing parameters of ATP open mold processes, which comprise processing time, consolidation pressure and temperature, affect the bond strength between the plies and the quality of the laminates produced. Therefore, the effect of the manufacturing parameters should be characterized. This work experimentally evaluates the feasibility of fabricating thermoplastic laminates using an open mold process that reasonably models that of ATP. Glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene laminates are fabricated from unidirectional tapes under different consolidation periods, pressures, and temperatures. The bond quality in the produced laminates is assessed by measuring their interlaminar shear strength, which is measured using a short beam standardized shear test in conjunction with digital image correlation. Results show that consolidation can occur at temperatures slightly below the composite tapes’ complete melting temperature, and consolidation times between 7 and 13 min can result in acceptable bond strengths. The results confirmed the feasibility of the process and highlighted its limitations. Analysis of variance and machine learning showed that the effect of process parameters on interlaminar shear strength is nonlinear.

Abstract: The low velocity impact behavior of three layer thermoplastic laminates consisting of woven glass fiber and polypropylene has been investigated for two different fiber volume configurations. Panels with configurations of 50/50 and 20/80 in the warp and fill directions were subjected to low velocity impact energies between 4 and 16J using an instrumented dropping weight impact tower. Load vs. displacement plots showed the excellent energy absorbing capabilities exhibited by the woven composites. Both configurations dissipated approximately 75% of the 16J incident impact energy. An energy-balance model was used to successfully predict the impact response of the woven thermoplastic composites. The impact damaged plates were tested under four point bend (4PB) loading conditions. Results showed a reduction in flexural strength and modulus as the impact energy increased. A simple compression molding damage repair process was applied to the 16J impacted composite plates. 4PB testing of the repaired samples revealed a significant recovery in the flexural strength and modulus of the thermoplastic woven composite with both fiber configurations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]