Abstract
"Die-less forming" is a new concept, intended to manufacture long compo nents of continuous-fiber thermoplastic-matrix composites. The concepts behind die-less forming have been tested in experiments on a two-roller demonstration machine. The experiments focused on finding the effects of important forming parameters on the shape. Laminates with special lay-up were also made and formed to study the effect of lay-up on shape.
Quasi-isotropic laminates showed an unexpected "excess bending." An elastic/visco- plastic model has been developed to explain and predict this excess bending during die- less forming. The model is rate dependent and captures the shape dependency on strain rate, transverse feed magnitude and the lay-up. The model is based on the application of the principle of virtual displacements. The model predicts the net bend angle well for quasi-isotropic laminates.