An Experimental Investigation of the Fabric/Tool and Fabric/Fabric Friction during the Thermostamping Process

The thermostamping of quality composite parts using thermoplastic woven fabrics requires the use of in-plane forces to prevent fabric wrinkling for compound curvature surfaces. These in-plane forces are developed during the stamping process by the friction between the fabric and tool. For multilayer stampings, the in-plane force is a consequence of the interaction of the adjacent layers of fabric. If the in-plane forces are too low, then the stamped parts may wrinkle as the fabric deforms to assume the shape of the punch. If the in-plane forces are too high, then the fabric can become damaged by tearing and yarn separation. Thus, controlling the in-plane forces is critical to achieving a quality part.