On the prediction of residual stresses in automated tape placement

Thermoplastic automated tape placement process allows the manufacture of large composite parts. This method is based on the continuous welding by fusion bonding of a thermoplastic matrix composite ply on a substrate. It has received an increasing interest in recent years due to its ability to produce parts out of autoclave. In order to control and optimize the quality of the part, accurate predictions of the thermo-mechanical history applied during the manufacturing of the laminate are needed, usually through the numerical solution of the involved thermo-mechanical models. In a former work a parametric thermal modeling was successfully accomplished. The present work focusses on the thermo-mechanical modeling able to predict the residual stresses installed in the part during the forming process. An efficient (fast and accurate) thermo-mechanical solver for predicting residual stresses is compulsory for optimizing the process.