ANALYTICAL MODELS FOR LOW-COST MANUFACTURING OF COMPOSITE COMPONENTS BY FILAMENT WINDING .2. INVERSE KINEMATICS

There are no available techniques for the prediction of fiber angle di stribution for various mandrel shapes under different conditions of ma ndrel's rotations and delivery point motions. In the present paper a n ovel approach based on the geometric and trigonometric relations is de veloped for predicting the fiber laydown path for a given equation of motion for the delivery point. This is important during the start-up a nd reversal periods of the filament winding operation. During the star t-up period, the delivery point accelerates from a velocity of zero to a final value in some interval of time, whereas during the reversal p eriod the delivery point decelerates to zero velocity and then acceler ates to a final velocity. Equations of motion for the delivery point a re presented to have smooth start-up and reversal periods. Closed form solution are developed to compute the fiber winding angle distributio n on various types of cylindrical mandrels with axisymmetric and nonax isymmetric cross-sections, whereas numerical solutions are presented f or noncylindrical mandrels. Fiber slackening phenomena during a revers al period is discussed. Based on the current approach, an interactive computer program INVERSEKIN is developed to determine fiber winding an gle distributions for a given equation of motion, mandrel shape geomet ry and experimental set-up conditions. Effects of winding parameters o n fiber position and fiber winding angle distributions are discussed. Experimental verification of the model is done on a McClean Anderson f ilament winding machine for a conical mandrel for various equations of delivery point motion.