Product Code: ICAL05_907

High Power Diode Laser-Assisted Fiber Placement of Composite Structure
Authors:
John Haake, Nuvonyx, Inc; Bridgeton MO USA
Presented at ICALEO 2005

The hot-gas heating systems used on today's production automated fiber/tape placement machines provide limited heating efficiency and poor process control response that prevents placement machines from achieving the full production rates. We have has demonstrated high power diode laser-based heating system, that provides photons for the most efficient heating method radiative. This yields higher processing rates, high control bandwidth, and lower maintenance cost than existing heating technologies. The standard high power direct diode laser integrated with an infrared pyrometer for nit-point temperature control, was demonstrated placing epoxy prepreg materials on production fiber placement machines. The precise and rapid control of the laser energy through a feedback loop maintained a constant material temperature at the nit-point during high machine speeds, rapid process changes, thereby improving tack quality, ply adhesion and process control.