CompositesWorld

FEB 2018

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NEWS 47 CompositesWorld.com to eliminate ply-to-ply slippage, such as spot welding. Automation may be one area where ther- moplastic tapes' boardiness is not neces- sarily a problem, however. "People used to complain that it was stiff and boardy for hand layup," says Solvay's Pratte, "but in automated equipment, stiff and boardy is an asset." David Leach, director of business devel- opment at aerospace thermoplastics composites fabricator ATC Manufacturing (Post Falls, ID, US), admits that thermo- plastic tapes are "typically not as consis- tent as thermoset materials, and that is certainly an area where we would like to see improvement." Leach also notes that uneven resin application can produce regions of resin richness, which can be both helpful and detrimental. He also echoes Web's point that the lengths between defects in thermoplastic tapes is relatively short and that slit tape width is less consis- tent. at consistency, says Leach, will be mandatory as automation increases. TenCate's Unger says high tape integrity is paramount to facilitate increased ther- moplastics use and to make up for limita- tions in manufacturing processes. In partic- ular, Unger points to AFP/ATL, which, because of its layer-by-layer processing, introduces potential for interply porosity. As proof of tape integrity, Unger references a micrograph of TenCate thermoplastic tape (Fig. 5, above), which shows uniform ply thickness and resin homogeneity. He says the key point is that high-quality tapes, with low void content, are an enabler of fast, automated processing of high-quality composites. Tapes with high levels of voids will require longer consolidation cycles to produce high-quality parts. Thermoplastic Composites FIG. 5 Processing truism: Quality begets quality This micrograph of a TenCate thermo- plastic tape demonstrates the uniformity and homogeneity possible in tape products. The higher quality the tape, the easier it is for manufacturers to produce high-quality parts. Use of lower quality tape, however, depends on a more robust and possibly time-consuming process to achieve good consolidation. Source | TenCate Advanced Composites WANTED: your toughest composite challenges We make composite parts no one else can.

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