An Automated Tape Laying System Employing a Uniaxial Force Control Device

TL;DR

This paper presents a cost-effective automated tape laying system with integrated force and temperature control, enabling precise application of composite materials onto complex shapes using a fixed device and robotic movement.

Contribution

It introduces a novel fixed-position tape laying system with a robotic control approach for handling complex geometries, enhancing precision and flexibility.

Findings

Successful experimental validation with carbon fiber reinforced HDPE tape.

Effective force and temperature control for optimal tape consolidation.

Robust handling of complex shapes with fixed tape device and robot movement.

Abstract

This paper deals with the design of a cost effective automated tape laying system (ATL system) with integrated uniaxial force control to ensure the necessary compaction forces as well as with an accurate temperature control to guarantee the used tape being melted appropriate. It is crucial to control the substrate and the oncoming tape onto a specific temperature level to ensure an optimal consolidation between the different layers of the product. Therefore, it takes several process steps from the spooled tape on the coil until it is finally tacked onto the desired mold. The different modules are divided into the tape storage spool, a tape-guiding roller, a tape processing unit, a heating zone and the consolidation unit. Moreover, a special robot control concept for testing the ATL system is presented. In contrast to many other systems, with this approach, the tape laying device is spatially fixed and the shape is moved accordingly by the robot, which allows for handling of rather compact and complex shapes. The functionality of the subsystems and the taping process itself was finally approved in experimental results using a carbon fiber reinforced HDPE tape.