3D-consolidation process for direct manufacture of advanced continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite components

In the production of advanced thermoplastic composite parts using conventional automated processing routes, critical issues can arise, such as the uniform heating of blanks of varying thickness, inhomogeneous temperature loss of hot preforms during transport, or challenges in handling and accurate positioning of them prior to the forming step. This work presents an alternative manufacturing approach in which infrared (IR) heating and the transport process of a hot preform are eliminated. In this method, a geometrically calibrated composite part is manufactured directly from a spot-welded tailored ply stack by combining heating, forming, and consolidation within a single processing unit. The manufacturing concept, referred to as 3D-consolidation, was implemented on a force-controlled consolidation production cell using a specially developed tooling solution. Instrumented experimental production trials were performed on an aerodynamic, aviation-specific component geometry produced with a tailored laminate architecture using a carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic unidirectional (UD) tape material based on a low-melt polyaryletherketone polymer matrix (CF/LMPAEK). The potential of the manufacturing approach was demonstrated through process data analysis and visual inspection of the fabricated composite parts. As the results show, near-net-shape manufacturing is provided, including a proper representation of the part’s filigree edge sections and a regular internal laminate structure.