The three-year ambliFibre Project, focussed on developing new technologies for an enhanced, automated and quality-assured production of tubular composite components, concluded on October 11, 2018 in a live demonstration of the Laser-Assisted Fibre-Reinforced Tape Winding process.
The project has been hailed a success, and the technology and feasibility declared robust by the head of Research and Development. The team is now in discussions to continue the joint development after the EU funded project ends.
Laser-Assisted Fibre-Reinforced Tape Winding is a major breakthrough for industrial sectors, especially for those dealing with energy, and this technology – where it is possible to have a cell with both a continuous and discontinuous system – will enable a move towards greener energy systems overall.
In the final workshop composite pipes and tanks were produced in a live demonstration of the laser-assisted tape winding process. You can watch the ambliFibre Laser-Assisted Fibre-Reinforced Tape Winding video here.
ambliFibre Project Overview
The ambliFibre (Adaptive Model Based Control For Fibre Reinforced Tape Winding) project took the tape winding process, which is already automated, and aimed to enhance the process for mass production – for example for the automotive industry. The project used model-based control and developed certain features such as quality control, adaptive human/machine interfacing, and lifecycle modelling to achieve this.
Laser-Assisted Fibre-Reinforced Tape Winding
- Uses an inline monitoring device that can detect the degree of consolidation within the tape directly after the tapes are welded together.
- A smart machine interface based on data mining algorithms give the operator feedback on the process itself.
- Adaptive laser optics and high-speed camera obtain thermographic images.
- It is a holistic system for both continuous production, for example for pipes that may be many km long, and for discontinuous production, used for tanks.
You can read more about this technology and how it will affect manufacturing in the future in our blog Laser Assisted Tape Winding and The Future of Composite Manufacture.
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