Heat transfer modelling of flashlamp heating for automated tape placement of thermoplastic composites

Flashlamp systems introduce pulsed and broadband heating to automated tape placement (ATP) offering greater control and optimisation potential. A thorough understanding of the role of operation parameters on the process is necessary to unlock these capabilities. A 2D finite element model of the heat conduction, able to analyse the temperature field evolution in the time scales of short high-energy pulses was developed and combined with ray tracing analysis in this work. The model was validated against experimental data from ATP trials of AS4/PEEK composites. Parametric studies showed that pulse duration and frequency influence significantly both the surface and bulk temperature profiles. Longer pulses lead to higher irradiation temperatures, whilst the profiles converge to the behaviour of a continuous source of equivalent power at high frequency. The versatility of flashlamp heating enhances the processing envelope through expanding the feasible combinations of maximum temperature and depth of penetration achievable in ATP processing