Path planning algorithm for fiber placement based on non-equidistant offsets

Due to their high strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratios, ablative resistance and corrosion resistance, composite materials are widely used in aeronautics, astronautics and automation industries. Fiber placement is a key method for fabricating composite structures, which is also the fastest growing and most efficient composite manufacturing technique. To manufacture composites, especially complex structures, the materials must be placed on the mold precisely. To address this problem, a path planning algorithm for complex surface is proposed using the differential geometry. With the determined roller location and orientation, the initial path is constructed on the basis of surface-plane intersection strategy. Then, the roller paths, covering the whole mold, are formulated by offsetting surface curves non-equidistantly. The generated paths have a good performance in that not only are the tows placed on the mold completely, but also the tow-number information is included. Namely, the precise modeling of composite part is achieved in theory. By conducting path simulations in MATLAB, the validity of the path planning algorithm is verified.