Mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced plastic obtained by the automatic deposition of an innovative towpreg

Abstract In the present work, the lay-up process of carbon fiber thermoset towpregs was investigated by means of a numerically controlled fiber placement machine developed by Comec Innovative. The effect of both the compaction pressure by the roller and the resin weight fraction prior to cure on the mechanical properties of composite laminate, in terms of ultimate tensile strength and elastic modulus, was studied. Finally, samples were observed by means of the scanning electron microscopy in order to achieve high resolution observation of the three-dimensional topography of microstructure.