Effect of fiber orientation on temperature history during laser-assisted thermoplastic fiber placement

Abstract

In this study, the effect of fiber orientation on the temperature history during the layup process is comprehensively investigated experimentally and numerically. Specimens with three different fiber orientations (i.e. [0°/0°/0°], [0°/45°/0°], and [0°/90°/0°]) are manufactured at two layup speeds and characterized for determining the degree of intimate contact and then calculating the thermal contact resistance. Then, an improved thermal model with thermal contact resistance is developed and validated to predict the temperature history accurately. The experimental results indicate that the degree of intimate contact decreases by increasing the difference in fiber orientation between the interfaces of successive plies, revealing a relationship between substrate fiber orientations and cooling rates. The effect of cooling rate on the degree of crystallinity is studied for all stacking configurations at two layup speeds and found that as the angle between the subsequent plies decreases, the cooling increases, leading to a drop in the degree of crystallinity. The outcomes of this study address the need for an improved thermal model approach for accurately predicting the thermal history of the manufactured composite by the laser-assisted fiber placement process.