Executive Summary : | Advanced polymers and composites have enriched the functionality, form and protection of vehicles while decreasing mass and providing better benefit to consumers. However, composite structures with thermoset matrix vulnerable to fatigue, low fracture and impact toughness, restricted to few materials and restricted design autonomy. Production complications comprise low production rates, handling issues, restricted shelf life, storage requirements, material incompatibilities, poor recyclability and high production costs. Further, thermoset composite parts cannot be reshaped, remolded or welded. Although, great amount of integration is not found in thermoplastic composites because of production limitations, recent advancements in the usage of high performance thermoplastic matrix materials and in-situ methods of consolidation are quite promising. Further, the capacity to make complex parts by co-consolidation reduces the number of parts, eliminates mechanical fasteners and decreases cost of assembly. Industry needs high production rates for composite products. Automation of tape placement and/or winding not only enhances the production rate, it also improves reproducibility and minimizes the labor cost. However, it is currently a two-step manufacturing process i.e., first one is manufacturing of unidirectional thermoplastic composite tapes and the second one is tape lay-up and/or winding. A conjoined manufacturing set-up with matrix impregnation and tape consolidation leads to tailored design solutions and cost-effectiveness. Therefore, development of this new set-up to manufacture lightweight continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite structural products helps to fulfill new regulations and shifts in consumer preferences necessitates in automotive sector. The continuity of the fiber while winding gives excellent strength and stiffness, and reduces interlaminar shear failures greatly. The sandwich composite structures with continuous fiber thermoplastic face sheets and selectively reinforced thermoplastic core can also be manufactured with tape winding effectively to reduce the weight [of parts] and number of parts significantly without compromising structural strength and stiffness. Most important achievement is recyclability along with enhanced physical properties such as stiffness, strength and toughness can be obtained. The thermoplastic film and fiber strands pass through guideways are heated and pressed to achieve highest possible matrix impregnation and then fiber reinforced tape pass through the set of guide rolls and tool head where the heat source and a roller to apply the pressure are placed. The temperature heat source is either infrared or laser based. The mandrel or a skeleton is placed to a rotating table that has four degrees of freedom (three translations and one rotation). The feed rolls are rotated by a stepper motor which is controlled by a PLC. The cooling or heating mechanism may be placed as per specific requirement. |