CHASE Annual Report 10/2020 - 09/2021 MFP 1.2 SMART CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION OF MULTI-LAYER AND MULTICOMPONENT WEBS

In WP2, experimental tests were carried out to identify the usefulness of various measurement systems for the defect detection in the continuous production of unidirectional fiber reinforced thermoplastic tapes. Two specific measurement techniques were shown to fulfill most requirements determined including (i) optical coherence tomography (OCT) and (ii) active thermography. While the first is particularly useful for glass fibers, the second can be used for carbon fibers. To further test the inline capability of these systems, a motorized test bench was constructed, simulating the take-off speed of the UD-tape in the real production process. In WP3 and WP5, first experimental tests on the UD-tape production line were carried out using different fiber/matrix combinations. Selected subprocesses such as fiber guidance, fiber spreading and melt impregnation were optimized based on the findings of WP3. In WP4, numerical CFD simulations were carried out to analyze the flow characteristics in the impregnation die. First design optimizations were carried out based on the results of the simulations.