After the collection of initial system and demonstrator specifications based on industrial requirements, a modular concept was pursued throughout the ambliFibre project.
Production experiments were systematically conducted and accompanied by mechanical testing of the manufactured components for generating process and quality data. This data pool formed the basis for the creation of a relational database and data-mining engine. The corresponding algorithms were continuously modified and trained to obtain the best results for offline process optimisation.
The development of dedicated simulation models was separated into a local model for online application and feedback with short computational times and a global model for offline process evaluation. The creation of the simulation models accounted for various process parameters and variables including reflectance, geometry changes and material crystallinity.
The quality monitoring approach consisted of the detection and evaluation of standardised embossments within the composite tape. For this purpose, an Ultrasonic Hot Embossing process was developed and automated. A thermographic camera was placed directly behind the nip point, where incoming tape and previously wound substrate are consolidated. A machine-learning algorithm was trained to detect the embossed features and determine the level of consolidation based on their state.
New optical components developed within ambliFibre include an adaptive laser optics and a high-speed infrared thermographic camera. The laser optics features a new concept for the combined zoom and shaping of the laser spot, so that a gradient is introduced to the intensity distribution. The camera is used to capture the temperature distribution during the process in real-time with frequencies up to 1000 Hz. The novel HMI was utilised to incorporate all data feeds, including the thermographic images by the camera, the simulation model and data-mining results and the quality feedback by the monitoring device.
All components were integrated into the ambliFibre prototype system and validated by the manufacturing of pipe and tank demonstrators. The modular approach was translated to the development of conceptual models for production systems for continuous, discontinuous and combined processing. The system design was accompanied by reliability and maintenance models determining the life cycle cost of tape winding machines down to the component level. The environmental potential of the new processing route with respect to benchmarked processing (e.g. with thermoset composite materials) was highlighted by thorough life cycle assessments.
The project results were frequently disseminated in major industrial trade fairs and exhibitions, scientific and industrial conferences, in front of customers and stakeholders as well as by a range of publications. Exploitation was carried out individually by all partners and jointly after the identification of key exploitable results.
