The effects of local fibre steering: Reducing gaps and overlaps by compensating for tow width fluctuation in automated fibre placement

The aerospace industry increasingly uses fibre-reinforced plastics that are manufactured using automated fibre placement (AFP). A common problem in AFP is the occurrence of gaps and overlaps that affect the structural perfromance of laminates. Tow width fluctuation is an important cause of gaps and overlaps. Two developments in manufacturing are...