Towpreg manufacturing and characterization for filament winding application

Abstract

AbstractIn the field of textile technology, this study centers on towpreg—an integral component utilized in production techniques like tape laying and filament winding. Here, fibers are pre‐coated with resin, typically epoxy but not exclusively. Notably, towpreg retains a partially cured state, maintaining tackiness throughout the processing stages. The ultimate quality of the product manufactured with this towpreg is highly dependent on this initial material. This research highlights the importance of considering various factors that impact product quality. While not exhaustive, a systematic analysis of diverse towpreg parameters, including tack, resin content, and width, is provided. The work encompasses findings, challenges, and insights derived from towpreg manufacturing, incorporating the investigation of various experimental methodologies. The study also evaluates methodologies for laminated coupon production with towpreg, assessing their applicability in characterizing filament‐wound components. Although the article seems like a review, the authors aim to give a clear and holistic picture in one work instead of spreading information across many articles.Highlights Techniques for the quantification of towpreg tack are presented. Resin content distribution along towpreg length is presented. Towpreg width variation was investigated, seen to be one of the major causes for the gaps and voids in a filament wound composite. Coupon‐level characterization of towpreg through filament winding approach is presented. Other filament winding parameters influencing the quality of the manufactured composite are discussed.