Joining of Thermoplastic Tapes with Metal Alloys Utilizing Novel Laser Sources and Enhanced Process Control in a Tape Placement Process

Automated laser assisted tape placement is an additive manufacturing technology for the production of composite parts. Composite parts are common in various markets. Especially the automotive sector has a demand for lighter and stronger materials. The combination of standard sheet metal materials and fiber reinforced plastics promises to deliver enhanced properties and performances over the separate materials themselves. This multi-material combination is classically done with mechanical connections. This paper addresses a direct in-situ approach of putting carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic tapes directly onto pre-structured sheet metal parts and shows the prerequisites needed for achieving a consolidation between both materials.