Fibersplaced

Fibersplaced is a term used in composite manufacturing to describe the automated placement of continuous reinforcement fibers onto a mold or tool to form laminates. The process is performed with a fiber placement head that follows a programmed toolpath, laying prepregs or dry tows in precise orientations to achieve desired fiber architectures.

In typical implementations, fiber tows or prepregs are supplied from a creel and fed into a placement head which deposits material in specified orientations and thicknesses. The laid fibers are then consolidated through heat, resin transfer molding, autoclave curing, or other consolidation methods depending on the resin system and laminate design. This enables the production of complex geometries and near-net-shape parts with running lengths and fiber orientations tailored to structural requirements.

Materials used in fibersplaced work include carbon fiber, glass fiber, and aramid tows, often paired with epoxy, thermoplastic, or other resins. Both prepregs and dry-to-wet (resin-infused) configurations are employed, with process parameters adjusted to achieve desired fiber volume fraction, void content, and laminate stiffness.

Applications span aerospace, automotive, wind energy, and sports equipment, where high strength-to-weight ratios and repeatable manufacturing are important. The technique supports large parts such as wings, fuselages, or structural panels, as well as smaller, highly customized components.

Advantages of fibersplaced include improved repeatability, higher fiber content, potential for automated lay-up of complex geometries, and reduced scrap compared with manual lay-up. Limitations involve high capital cost, specialized programming and tooling, potential for porosity if consolidation is inadequate, and challenges in repair and inspection of automated fiber architectures. Related concepts include automated fiber placement and automated tape laying, as well as broader composite manufacturing methods.