Low-velocity impact and compression-after-impact performance of non-conventional automated fibre placement composites

Abstract

Advanced Placed Ply (AP-Ply) laminates are novel semi-woven, non-conventional architectures which combine the benefits of Automated Fibre Placement (AFP) and textile composite technologies. They are fabricated using AFP by rearranging the tow placement sequence. The AP-Ply concept provides a huge design space for AFP and offers more opportunities to obtain lightweight composite structures while retaining damage tolerance and other desirable properties. This paper aims to experimentally investigate the benefits and limitations of AP-Ply with emphasis placed on the low-velocity impact and compression-after-impact performance. The internal impact damage is quantitatively assessed with X-ray computed tomography scans. The results indicate the damage within the AP-Ply is more concentrated while traditional AFP laminates tend to have fewer, but larger cracks and delaminations. A significant improvement is noted for AP-Ply relative to traditional AFP benchmarks in terms of the damage resistance and tolerance.