I-fiber implantation robot for composite parts

Abstract

I-fiber implantation is a new stitching technology that can effectively enhance the interlayer performance of laminated composites. This paper presents and evaluates the design and implementation of the I-fiber robot implantation system integrated for producing high-performance fiber preforms for advanced composites. The system was constructed and validated through I-fiber robot implantation experimentation. It was demonstrated that automated I-fiber implantation could be achieved by use of an industrial robot. The programming method and computer-aided manufacturing software of the I-fiber implantation robot were feasible and effective. The double-cantilever-beam (DCB) experiments showed that the implantation of I-fiber significantly improved the interlaminar fracture toughness of the laminated composite, where the maximum load value increased by up to 106%. The DCB load–displacement curve presented a zigzag shape, where the peaks and valleys were the location points of the I-fiber break. It was also found that for the reinforced laminated composite without an I-fiber head, the delamination failure was manifested as resin cracking and I-fiber pullout, while for the I-fiber with a certain head length, the I-fiber failure mechanism was brittle fracture. I-fiber with a certain head length could significantly improve the interlayer performance of the composite. In addition, DCB experiments also revealed that the implantation matrix had little effect on the interlayer performance of I-fiber reinforced composites, and the failure load value and the I-fiber implantation volume showed an obvious proportional relationship.