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    • Mar 26
    • 9 min read

Optimizing Manufacturing Processes: AFP and Filament Winding Techniques for Thermoplastic Composites

Updated: Mar 29

This article provides an overview of the manufacturing process of fiber-reinforced thermoplastic polymer (FRTP) composites, including traditional manufacturing processes and their limitations. The article then introduces automated fiber placement (AFP) and filament winding (FW) with in situ consolidation (ISC) and compares it with traditional manufacturing processes, highlighting the advantages of AFP and FW, including better precision in fiber orientation and reduced production times. The article also delves into the details of the AFP and FW processes, including their advantages, limitations, and improvements in technology. The in situ consolidation (ISC) process is discussed, along with factors that affect its quality, such as surface treatment, consolidation pressure, and temperature. Finally, the article explains modeling crystallization and other aspects of FRTP composite manufacturing and concludes with a summary of the key points. This article is based on a research paper titled "Review: Filament Winding and Automated Fiber Placement with In Situ Consolidation for Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Polymer Composites".


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  • Introduction

  • Explanation of FRTP composites and their importance

  • Brief overview of traditional manufacturing processes and their limitations

  • Introduction to automated fiber placement and filament winding with in situ consolidation

  • Manufacturing Processes

  • Explanation of the heating, consolidation, and cooling stages involved in manufacturing FRTP components

  • Comparison of traditional manufacturing processes (compression molding and autoclave process) with computer-aided manufacturing processes (AFP and FW)

  • Advantages of AFP and FW, including better precision in fiber orientation and ISC that enables the fabrication in a single step, reducing production times

  • Automated Fiber Placement (AFP)

  • Detailed explanation of AFP process, including its advantages, limitations and improvements in technology

  • Discussion of heat sources for ISC, including pulsed light technology

  • Filament Winding (FW)

  • Detailed explanation of FW process, including its advantages, limitations and improvements in technology

  • AFP-XS: the advanced Filament Winding

  • In Situ Consolidation (ISC)

  • Factors affecting the quality of ISC, such as surface treatment, consolidation pressure, and temperature