Friction tester for TPC tape successfully finished and implemented at Toray Advanced Composites
A new friction tester for thermoplastic matrix composite (TPC) tape in melt has recently been finished and delivered to Toray Advanced Composites in Nijverdal, The Netherlands. The completion of the setup is a fantastic milestone that provides a better understanding of the friction behavior of thermoplastic composites in melt, to avoid the occurrence of defects during hot press forming of the material.
The development of the friction tester has been completed by Rens Pierik and Sam Benou (Researcher at UT) as part of the PERFECT (press forming without defects) project. The test setup measures the resistance against sliding of adjacent plies to simulate what happens during press forming of thermoplastic composites. Earlier research on ply-ply friction as part of the PERFECT project can be found here:
- Prediction of the peak and steady-state ply–ply friction response for UD C/PAEK tapes
- Modeling the effect of temperature and pressure on the peak and steady-state ply–ply friction response for UD C/PAEK tapes
A special word of thanks goes to NWO (Dutch Research Council) for supporting this research project. Next to that, we would like to thank Toray Advanced Composites for the help and warm welcome during delivery of the new equipment.
Keep an eye out for further developments in the project as more updates are on the way!
Photos ©Gijs van Ouwerkerk
