A study on heat transfer during thermoplastic composite tape lay-up process

A study on heat transfer during thermoplastic composite tape lay-up process was done. To investigate the relation between major process variables, experiments as well as numerical simulations were performed. A small-scale tape lay-up system was built. A hot nitrogen torch was used to heat the prepreg tape. Right after the torch, a compaction roller was located to bond the prepreg plies. Temperatures inside the composite at four different locations through the thickness were measured, using thermocouples. Experiments were done for different process conditions. Numerical simulations also were performed, using the finite element code developed in this study. A numerical code was run for the same conditions as the experiment. Close agreement was observed between the numerical results and the experimental data.