Manufacturing characteristics of the continuous tow shearing method for manufacturing of variable angle tow composites

Automated fibre placement (AFP) is well-known as a cutting-edge technology for manufacturing variable angle tow (VAT) composites with tailored fibre paths. However, its process-induced defects prevent the wide application of VAT composite structures. As an alternative manufacturing method, the continuous tow shearing (CTS) technique, utilising the ability to shear dry tows, has been developed. It was shown that CTS could significantly reduce process-induced defects such as fibre wrinkling, resin rich areas and fibre discontinuities. In this paper, its manufacturing characteristics such as material characteristics, layup accuracy, and thickness variation are investigated experimentally.