AUTHOR=Lionetto Francesca , Dell’Anna Riccardo , Montagna Francesco , Maffezzoli Alfonso TITLE=Ultrasonic Assisted Consolidation of Commingled Thermoplastic/Glass Fiber Rovings JOURNAL=Frontiers in Materials VOLUME=2 YEAR=2015 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/materials/articles/10.3389/fmats.2015.00032 DOI=10.3389/fmats.2015.00032 ISSN=2296-8016 ABSTRACT=
Thermoplastic matrix composites are finding new applications in different industrial area, thanks to their intrinsic advantages related to environmental compatibility and processability. The approach presented in this work consists in the development of a technology for the simultaneous deposition and consolidation of commingled thermoplastic rovings through to the application of high energy ultrasound. An experimental equipment, integrating both fiber impregnation and ply consolidation in a single process, has been designed and tested. It is made of an ultrasonic welder, whose titanium sonotrode is integrated on a filament winding machine. During winding, the commingled roving is at the same time in contact with the mandrel and the horn. The intermolecular friction generated by ultrasound is able to melt the thermoplastic matrix and impregnate the reinforcement fibers. The heat transfer phenomena occurring during the