Weaving

Engineering

Classification of discontinuities

Waviness

Automation

Statistics

Materials science

Filament winding

Computer science

Protein filament

Mechanical engineering

Finite element method

Mathematics

Mathematical analysis

Composite material

Structural engineering

Flexibility (engineering)

Composites Part A Applied Science and Manufacturing

Automated Fibre Placement (AFP) and Filament Winding (FW) provide flexibility to tailor not only fibre angles but the distribution of fibres and orientations within the structure, with huge potential for laminate performance optimization. These advanced technologies, however, create intrinsic defects that result in potentially critical geometric discontinuities (tow gaps/overlaps, tow weaving, etc.). This paper presents a high-fidelity geometric modelling tool of tow-wise manufactured laminates that will serve as the foundation of finite element analysis for more accurate prediction of local and global structural performance. The main feature of this tool is the capability of modelling each tow individually to offer an opportunity of depicting the gaps /overlaps, tow drops, and out-of-plane waviness explicitly. In this study, the modelling technique and algorithms implemented in this tool are thoroughly elaborated and the functionalities able to capture the complex 3D architectures of AFP composites are demonstrated through several case studies.

Automation of tow wise modelling for automated fibre placement and filament wound composites