Pressure distribution for automated fiber placement and design optimization of compaction rollers

During automated fiber placement, insufficient compaction pressure leads to low bond strength between layers and may cause defects like bridging. The compaction roller contacts the prepreg and affects the pressure distribution directly. In this article, a model for analyzing the adaptability of rollers to molds is established. Then, compaction pressure distribution on prepreg tows is analyzed by finite element simulation and verified by pressure sensitive film experiment. Based on the simulation results, a calculation method of pressure uniformity is proposed. Moreover, the design parameters of the roller are optimized with an aim of improving pressure uniformity. The results show that the pressure uniformity can be improved significantly by design optimization of the roller, which indicated that higher bond quality between layers is achieved.