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Session: Session 3: Thermoplastic Tapes
Session starts: Tuesday 14 April, 14:00
Presentation starts: 15:00
Room: Main

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Kasahun Niguse Asfew (Delft University of Technology)
Julie Teuwen (Delft University of Technology)
Daniël Peeters (Delft University of Technology)

Abstract:
Thermoplastic Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) requires rapid and reliable heating to achieve proper bonding during in-situ consolidation. While laser heating is commonly used, its safety and cost drawbacks motivate interest in alternative heat sources. The HUMM3 pulsed broadband flashlamp offers a relatively safer solution, yet its effectiveness in AFP remains insufficiently studied. This work investigates the thermal response and resulting physical changes in CF/LM-PAEK unidirectional tape subjected to HUMM3 heating. A static setup replicating AFP conditions was designed, with the HUMM3 head positioned at 34.5° and a thermal camera capturing temperature evolution of the composite tape. A full factorial Design of Experiments was used to explore three voltage levels (160, 170, and 180 V) and three pulse width–frequency combinations (3 ms–60 Hz, 2 ms–90 Hz, and 1.5 ms–120 Hz), each delivering the same energy over a heating time of 1.2 s. Results show that, contrary to trends reported in earlier studies, pulse width and frequency do not significantly influence the tape’s thermal response when total delivered energy is held constant. Voltage is the dominant parameter influencing the thermal response. Physical-state analysis revealed a strong correlation of surface roughness and waviness, thickness change, and void content with local temperature. These changes are believed to be driven by polymer softening, fiber decompaction, internal gas pressure buildup, and local thermal gradients across the tape width. Compared with laser heating, HUMM3 produces less severe deconsolidation, likely due to its broadband UV–VIS–NIR spectrum, which promotes partial matrix absorption and reduces temperature gradients across the tape width. This indicates that pulsed flashlamp heating may help maintain relatively smoother tape surfaces before compaction in AFP, potentially improving intimate contact and consolidation quality.