Numerical simulation of process-induced defects in thermosetting Automated Fibre Placement (AFP): A review

Automated Fibre Placement (AFP) is an important manufacturing process to improve production rate of composite components through automation. Since the mid-2010’s physics based simulations of AFP have been gaining traction to support its deployment in industry. This review explores material–process interactions during AFP layup, with a focus on how numerical simulations can accurately capture process behaviour to support exploration of the full processing window and assess part quality and conformity. It addresses the various challenges of the AFP manufacturing process and examines the use of characterised material models in combination with numerical platforms to provide further insights into the process. Through this review, the reader will gain a better understanding of the current state-of-the-art in this field, the challenges faced and the potential future directions of research. Several modelling strategies from the literature are reviewed and evaluated for their suitability for AFP layup. This includes a newly developed sequentially coupled thermo-mechanical model that accounts for the dynamic nature of the AFP process and constituent interactions, which is used to highlight current gaps in the field and to discuss potential future applications as a design tool.