Thermoplastic composite laminates are attractive because of their recyclability, indefinite shelflife,and superior fracture toughness. Progressive thermoforming of thermoplastic compositeslaminates is a post-manufacturing process used to create parts of three dimensional shapes from aplanar sheet of composite material, similar to that of sheet metal forming. Forming induces awide array of mechanical and rheological changes in the sheet. It is crucial to fully understandthese changes so that part characterization and mechanical predications can be made andverified. Because of significant fiber tow reorientation associated with forming, it is common towitness buckling, wrinkling, interply slip, intraply shear, thickness changes, and delamination.This process is attractive for expanding the potential usage of composite materials in nextgeneration transportation, infrastructure, marine, and military sectors for part replacement andstructural applications. This paper presents the manufacturing parameters that are beingestablished, and the physics of the process based on lab-scale experiments and finite elementanalysis (FEA) for progressively formed thermoplastic laminates.
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