New publication: Reflectivity characterization of TPC tapes for AFP; a rapid measurement technique
PhD researcher Tom Asijee has published a new study on the reflectivity characterization of thermoplastic composite (TPC) tapes for automated fiber placement (AFP). The paper, titled "Reflectivity characterization of thermoplastic composite tapes for automated fiber placement: A rapid measurement technique", presents an innovative approach for fast and accurate characterization of fiber-reinforced TPC tapes, a critical step for optimizing automated fiber placement (AFP) processes.
The study proposes a fast camera-based measurement technique designed to characterize the directional reflectivity of fiber-reinforced TPC tapes. This method offers rapid reflectivity measurements that can be used to monitor within-batch and batch-to-batch material variations of the optical behavior. By using a bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) to parameterize the reflectivity patterns, the study provides a clear and efficient way to assess the optical properties of the tapes.
The technique was applied to both as-received and in-situ consolidated specimens produced using laser-assisted AFP, providing insights into the changes in surface roughness and reflectivity that occur during the AFP process. The findings show that the AFP process results in a smoother surface, which is reflected in the higher specularity values in the transverse direction, as measured by the BRDF model. This aligns with surface roughness measurements obtained through confocal microscopy, validating the proposed method's ability to capture changes in material properties accurately.
This work is important for improving process control and optimization in the laser-assisted AFP process of thermoplastic composites, potentially enhancing the quality and efficiency of manufacturing high-performance materials.
The research was conducted with the support the University of Twente, and it was co-authored by Joran Geschiere (TPRC), M.I. Abdul Rasheed (UT), Wouter Grouve (TPRC/UT), and Remko Akkerman (TPRC/UT).
The full paper is available for download.
