Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
Duc H. Nguyen, Xiaochuan Sun, Iryna Tretiak, Mario A. Valverde, James Kratz
Summary: Deposition defects in automated fibre placement (AFP) can be reduced by identifying and reacting to defects in real-time during deposition. This study augmented an AFP process with profilometry sensors and software control to demonstrate the concept. The experiment revealed that the observe-think-react concept in AFP is feasible and can lead to improvements in material microstructure and waviness in the final cured laminate.
COMPOSITES PART A-APPLIED SCIENCE AND MANUFACTURING
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Manufacturing
Matthew J. Donough, Shafaq, Nigel A. St John, Andrew W. Philips, B. Gangadhara Prusty
Summary: Thermoplastic composites offer advantages in terms of mechanical performance, thermoformability, and recyclability compared to thermoset composites. There is growing interest in these materials due to advancements in automated fibre placement and out-of-autoclave in-situ consolidation. However, concerns remain regarding manufacturing defects, such as voids and poor interlaminar bonding, which have hindered wider adoption of in-situ consolidated thermoplastic composites. Process modelling is a valuable tool for understanding and predicting defect development during in-situ consolidation, and this review paper discusses different approaches and material models used by researchers. The current limitations and future directions of process modelling for in-situ consolidation are also explored.
COMPOSITES PART A-APPLIED SCIENCE AND MANUFACTURING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
Yi Wang, Sarthak Mahapatra, Jonathan P. -H. Belnoue, Dmitry S. Ivanov, Stephen R. Hallett
Summary: This paper discusses how recent advancements in Finite Element (FE) simulation of steering-induced defects in automated fibre placement (AFP) can enable virtual optimization of the process. Experimental characterization of the material and development of appropriate constitutive models are reviewed, and the proposed virtual AFP platform is shown to have good predictive capabilities and the ability to capture the influence of processing conditions on layup quality.
COMPOSITES PART A-APPLIED SCIENCE AND MANUFACTURING
(2023)
Article
Mechanics
Ebrahim Oromiehie, Asit Kumar Gain, B. Gangadhara Prusty
Summary: This study investigates the capability of HGT-based AFP for manufacturing high-quality thermoplastic composite laminates and its parametric optimisation. The results show that the choice of processing parameters has a critical impact on the mechanical strength and overall quality of the laminate.
COMPOSITE STRUCTURES
(2021)
Article
Mechanics
L. Raps, A. R. Chadwick, I. Schiel, I. Schmidt
Summary: This paper investigates the process parameters of Automated Fibre Placement for a novel carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastic material. The study focuses on in-situ consolidation and uses mechanical and thermal testing to analyze the selected parameter sets. The results show high shear strength and crystallinity in the in-situ consolidation process, which can be further improved by tempering. Additionally, the layup speed has little effect on the material performance.
COMPOSITE STRUCTURES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
D. S. -C. Liu, P. Hubert
Summary: This study examined how two impregnations during cure affect the laminate thickness of carbon fiber composites, leading to changes in air permeability and thickness deviations around corners. By using a noncontact eddy current thickness sensor to monitor the laminate thickness during debulking and curing processes, some methods were found to reduce cycle time.
COMPOSITES PART B-ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
Navid Niknafs Kermani, Verena Gargitter, Pavel Simacek, Suresh G. Advani
Summary: Automated Tape Placement (ATP) is an attractive automated composite manufacturing process that reduces labor cost, increases production rate, and improves repeatability by building parts with unidirectional prepreg tapes. However, inevitable defects such as gaps between neighboring tapes during lay up present challenges in this method. This paper presents a model to simulate the gap-filling process and proposes predictions for resin flow and gap thickness, which are validated by experimental results and micrographs.
COMPOSITES PART A-APPLIED SCIENCE AND MANUFACTURING
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Florence Saffar, Pierre Beauchene, Camille Sonnenfeld, Chung Hae Park
Summary: This study investigates the influence of prepreg parameters, such as surface roughness, fibers/matrix distribution, and initial matrix crystallinity, on the intimate contact phenomenon in unidirectional laminate fabrication. The results highlight the high influence of matrix crystallinity and surface roughness on the intimate contact.
FRONTIERS IN MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Tamer A. Sebaey, Mohamed Bouhrara, Noel O'Dowd
Summary: In this study, laser-assisted ATP technology was used to manufacture two thermoplastic composites, which showed a higher amount of voids compared to thermoset composites but improvement in fiber distribution and misalignment.
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
C. Netzel, D. Hoffmann, M. Battley, P. Hubert, S. Bickerton
Summary: The study focuses on defect formation in autoclave prepreg processing, specifically on concave female corners. It shows that humidity exposure affects uncured prepreg characteristics and consolidation quality, with defects already occurring during layup and debulking processes.
COMPOSITES PART A-APPLIED SCIENCE AND MANUFACTURING
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Cheng Chen, Luyang Gong, Wei Jiang, Zhikun Chen, Wenlong Chen, Xusheng Du, Helezi Zhou, Zhigao Huang, Huamin Zhou
Summary: By using carbon nanotube forest technology, the photothermal conversion efficiency of the poly-ether-ether-ketone/glass fiber prepregs during the laser-assisted automated fiber placement process is enhanced, resulting in increased placement speed and reduced energy consumption.
COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
Jiping Chen, Kunkun Fu, Yan Li
Summary: This study investigated the effects of laser-assisted automated fibre placement (AFP) on the mechanical properties of carbon fibre (CF)/polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) composites, with results indicating that interlaminar void content plays a significant role in determining the mechanical properties of the composites.
COMPOSITES PART A-APPLIED SCIENCE AND MANUFACTURING
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Dacheng Zhao, Weiping Liu, Guangquan Yue, Qinghua Song, Jiping Chen, Lijian Pan
Summary: This study investigated the thermal degradation behaviors of continuous carbon fiber-reinforced polyphenylene sulfide composites during in situ consolidation by laser-assisted AFP. A kinetic model of the resin matrix's thermal degradation was obtained and verified, allowing for the prediction of composite degradation under different placement conditions. Processing parameters such as laser irradiation temperature and placement speed can be adjusted and optimized based on the results, with confirmation by characterization techniques.
HIGH PERFORMANCE POLYMERS
(2022)
Article
Mechanics
Muhsan Belhaj, Ali Dodangeh, Mehdi Hojjati
Summary: The study measures prepreg tackiness at different AFP processing conditions, optimizing parameters through the Taguchi method for high resultant tackiness levels. Results show the interaction effect of process parameters on prepreg tack rather than individual effects, with the Taguchi method proving suitable for solving the problem effectively with minimu.
COMPOSITE STRUCTURES
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Ajay Kumar Kadiyala, Thomas O'Shaughnessy, Stephen Lee, Alexandre Portela, Anthony Comer
Summary: This research explores the use of dry fibre placement and vacuum assisted liquid resin infusion to fabricate thermoplastic acrylic resin composites, and investigates the influence of water immersion on their performance. The study examines the thermomechanical behavior of aged and unaged samples, as well as changes in flexural strength and interlaminar shear strength.
COMPOSITES COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Jinzhao Huang, V. B. C. Tan, Enquan Chew, K. J. Chan, T. E. Tay, Licheng Guo, J. L. Liu
Summary: This study introduces a partially-infused Kevlar fiber reinforced thermoplastic laminate that exhibits significantly improved impact resistance. By controlling the infusion process, the core fibers of each yarn are able to dissipate energy freely during impact, resulting in enhanced performance. The partially-infused laminate demonstrates higher energy absorption in ballistic penetration tests.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF IMPACT ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Mechanics
R. Higuchi, R. Aoki, S. Onodera, X. Lu, J. Zhi, K. H. Leong, T. Yokozeki, T. Okabe, T. E. Tay
Summary: In this study, a multi-fidelity fracture simulation scheme is developed for composite laminates. The scheme combines smeared crack models (SCMs) and discrete crack models (DCMs) to achieve a seamless transition and reduce computational cost while maintaining prediction accuracy. The proposed scheme is validated through simulation of open-hole tensile tests and comparison with experimental results.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOLIDS AND STRUCTURES
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Mohammad S. Rouhi, J. L. Liu, M. Ridhwan Bin Hamzah, Vincent B. C. Tan, Tong-Earn Tay
Summary: This work focuses on developing a seamlessly integrated modeling platform for manufacturing, designing, and analyzing fiber-reinforced composite structures. The unique integration of two commercial software with physics-based micromechanics enables the direct embedding of variabilities during the manufacturing into the structural analysis, allowing for seamless transfer of process effects and properties variability to the final structural analysis.
JOURNAL OF REINFORCED PLASTICS AND COMPOSITES
(2023)
Article
Mechanics
K. H. Leong, J. Zhi, H. P. Lee, V. B. C. Tan, T. E. Tay
Summary: In this paper, an adaptive multi-fidelity (AMF) approach is proposed to model progressive damage in composite laminates under bending load. The AMF method has been previously validated in the analysis of open hole tensile problems. This study extends the application of AMF to predict delamination migration and demonstrates its accuracy in different loading conditions.
COMPOSITE STRUCTURES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Hernan Casakin, Georgios Koronis, Arlindo Silva
Summary: The study examined the use of analogical reasoning in design briefs to enhance creativity. A controlled experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of visual and text analogies on design outcomes. The results showed that design briefs with specific instructions to use these analogies led to highly novel and useful design solutions, particularly when negative statements about the problem were included. Additionally, there were significant correlations between self-perceived creativity and the novelty of design outcomes. It is suggested that both visual and text analogies be utilized as effective teaching tools to promote creativity in design studios.
JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL DESIGN
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Chijioke C. Obieke, Jelena Milisavljevic-Syed, Arlindo Silva, Ji Han
Summary: Identifying new problems and providing solutions are necessary tasks for design engineers at early-stage product design and development. However, studies suggest that the process of engineering design problem-exploring (EDPE) has received less attention compared to engineering design problem-solving (EDPS). This paper aims to investigate the EDPE process and explore how emerging technologies could support it.
JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL DESIGN
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Congjian Lin, Yuan-Fang Zhang, Dingjie Lu, Arlindo Silva, Zhuangjian Liu, Hui Ying Yang
Summary: Recently, stretchable micro-supercapacitors (MSCs) with 3D-printed octet-truss electrode (OTE) design have been developed using a rapid digital light processing (DLP) process. These MSCs demonstrate high capacitance and good performance even under mechanical deformation and low temperatures. The OTE structure provides a larger contact area per unit volume at the electrode-electrolyte interface compared to traditional interdigital electrodes (IDEs), as confirmed by finite element analysis (FEA). This work combines structural design and 3D printing techniques to advance the development of highly stretchable MSCs for next-generation electronic devices.
Article
Mechanics
Chadurvedi Venkatesan, Faiz Zulkifli, Arlindo Silva
Summary: This study investigates the influence of processing parameters of infrared-assisted automated fiber placement (AFP) on the mechanical and thermal properties of carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites. The study analyzed the compaction force, tool temperature, and compaction roller types to determine the optimum process parameters. The results showed that a higher tool temperature significantly increased the flexural strength and that using an elastomeric compaction roller led to higher crystallinity and bonding strengths compared to a steel roller.
COMPOSITE STRUCTURES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Jie Zhi, Karh Heng Leong, Kirk Ming Yeoh, Tong -Earn Tay, Vincent Beng Chye Tan
Summary: A multiscale method is proposed in this study to model thin-walled fiber reinforced composite laminates using Mindlin-Reissner shell theory and Direct FE2. The method employs a first-order homogenization framework to handle the scale transitions and considers in-plane and through-thickness periodicity. It avoids the upscaling of macroscopic stresses and tangents in the conventional nested FE2 scheme, making it useful for modeling damage propagation in composite structures.
COMPUTER METHODS IN APPLIED MECHANICS AND ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Kirk Ming Yeoh, Leong Hien Poh, Tong-Earn Tay, Vincent Beng Chye Tan
Summary: In finite element analyses, composite laminates are often homogenised and modelled using beam and plate elements. However, these structural elements are inaccurate for laminates with distinct in-plane stiffnesses, such as sandwich structured composites. To address this issue, a multiscale layerwise beam model based on the Timoshenko-Ehrenfest beam theory is proposed, which captures the key deformation modes of bending and transverse shear. The model is implemented using Direct FE2, a versatile computational homogenisation scheme that also captures deformation mechanisms at the mesoscale. The proposed approach provides accurate macroscale responses and resolution to mesoscale deformations in significantly less computation time.
COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Hardware & Architecture
Rajib Ranjan Maiti, Cheah Huei Yoong, Venkata Reddy Palleti, Arlindo Silva, Christopher M. M. Poskitt
Summary: The use of invariants in developing security mechanisms in Cyber-Physical Systems has gained attention due to their potential in preventing and detecting attacks. Invariants are properties expressed using design parameters and Boolean operators, which hold true during normal operation of a system. Invariants can be derived from operational data or system requirements/design documents, both approaches showing potential in detecting and preventing cyber-attacks. This paper highlights the limitations of data-driven invariants and proposes a solution strategy by complementing them with design-driven invariants, demonstrating accurate attack detection on a water treatment testbed.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON DEPENDABLE AND SECURE COMPUTING
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yongfeng Ding, P. P. Camanho, Arlindo Silva
Summary: This article proposes a new quantitative method, the D-index, to evaluate the departure of a given fibre arrangement from the completely spatial randomness pattern. An explicit model is created to investigate the correlation between the D-index and the degree of randomness. The derivation of the D-index with respect to the degree of randomness is analyzed under different fibre volume fractions.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY-JMR&T
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Matt Chiu, Siska Lim, Arlindo Silva
Summary: Design has always been considered as a human activity that is difficult to automate. Assessing design progress, especially in an educational context, is challenging. Natural Language Processing (NLP) has been used to analyze written documentation from design classes to quantify and visualize design progress. This paper explores various methods of using NLP to assess design progress, analyzes its advantages and limitations, and presents a case study to demonstrate its application. The paper concludes with guidelines and recommendations for future development.
AI EDAM-ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR ENGINEERING DESIGN ANALYSIS AND MANUFACTURING
(2023)
Proceedings Paper
Behavioral Sciences
Matt Chiu, Arlindo Silva, Siska Lim
Summary: This study aims to improve the understanding of the design process through both quantitative and qualitative analysis. The Design Progress Dashboard (DPD) framework, which uses NLP-assisted tools and models like Word2Vec and t-SNE, is introduced to capture and visualize the design progress in a measurable way. Data gathering and analysis methods are described, involving converting text information into numerical data to study the thought processes of student designers. A case study is presented to demonstrate the usefulness, limitations, and potential future work of the research framework.
DESIGN COMPUTING AND COGNITION'22
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Manufacturing
Mohit Teacher, Rajkumar Velu
Summary: This article provides a comprehensive overview of functionally graded materials (FGMs), including their conventional fabrication techniques and a detailed analysis of their fabrication through additive manufacturing (AM). The relationship between materials composition, manufacturing techniques, and modeling of FGMs is discussed, along with the challenges in fabrication, modeling, and processing strategies for FGMs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PRECISION ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING
(2023)