On‐line consolidation of thermoplastic towpreg composites in filament winding

Abstract A study of the use of thermoplastic powder coated towpregs in filament winding was conducted. A suitable technique for manufacturing parts with adequate on‐line consolidation was identified through an experimental investigation that compared several techniques. This process utilized a single compaction roller on‐line consolidation head with hot air guns to obtain consolidation at the lay‐down point on the mandrel. The addition of a heated pultrusion die between the creel system and the filament winder was found to produce the best process. Nylon 11/E‐glass towpreg was used in this study. The effect of winding speed and compaction force on the quality of the resulting parts was determined in order to optimize the process. Only the speed was found to have a significant effect, with better quality parts being made at higher speed. Observations were also made on parts manufactured with polypropylene and E‐glass towpreg, as well as on parts wound with helical patterns.