Modeling of Precise Tension with Passive Dancers for Automated Fiber Placement

This paper modeled the tension fluctuation during automated fiber placement (AFP), which depicted the tension variations under different operating conditions. The stability and validity of the model were demonstrated using Bode plots and experiments, respectively. According to the model, the tension fluctuations of AFP at different stages were obtained. Additionally, the passive dancer parameters with the better system performance were determined using the evaluation methodology presented in this paper. Moreover, it was discovered that the damping coefficient affects the tension variation more significantly than the elasticity coefficient. Finally, the placement experiments showed that the determined passive dancer parameters improved the laying quality significantly.