3D Numerical Modeling of Laser Assisted Tape Winding Process of Composite Pressure Vessels and Pipes-Effect of Winding Angle, Mandrel Curvature and Tape Width.

Advanced thermoplastic composites manufacturing using laser assisted tape placement or winding (LATP/LATW) is a challenging task as monitoring and predicting nip point (bonding) temperature are difficult especially on curved surfaces. A comprehensive numerical analysis of the heat flux and temperature distribution near the nip point is carried out in this paper for helical winding of fiber reinforced thermoplastic tapes on a cylindrically shaped mandrel. An optical ray-tracing technique is coupled with a numerical heat transfer model in the process simulation tool.