Die-less Forming of Thermoplastic-Matrix Continuous Fiber Composite Materials—Process and Demonstration

Abstract

Conventionally, large components made of thermoplastic matrices and continuous fibers are manufactured in autoclaves using dies. As the applications of composite materials increase, there is a need to reduce costs and increase manufacturing flexibility. This need has led to the development of a new concept called “die-less forming”. The concept of “kinematically admissible bending” is central to the concept of die-less forming. The concepts behind die-less forming have been tested in preliminary experiments on a two-roller demonstration machine. Induction heating was used to locally heat the composite as it moved into the forming zone, where it was bent using a specially designed cluster roller. Induction heating combined with a variable velocity profile was successful in establishing a uniform heating profile. Experiments were conducted for multidirectional APC-2 carbon/PEEK fiber composites and the composite bending behavior was explained using energy methods.