Automorphing composites structures by 4D printing – CompoMorph

Coriolis Composite's activities concern the development of automated manufacturing tools for composite structures by depositing composite tapes. The “custom” placement of ribbons/reinforcements allows you to benefit from the advantages of composite materials, namely the optimized performance of laminates following the directions of mechanical loading. However, the presence of residual stresses of thermal origin generated during manufacturing constitutes a barrier to their development and by extension to the company's activity.
The objectives of the CompoMorph laboratory between the Dupuy Research Institute of Lome – IRDL UMR 6027 of the University of South Brittany and the company Coriolis Composites are justified by the complementarity and synergy of the respective skills: composite materials for one and the design and marketing of manufacturing equipment for the other. The objectives of the CompoMorph joint laboratory are defined as follows:

1-A better understanding and optimization of the process for depositing thermoplastic strips reinforced by AFP by rethinking the design rules and the manufacturing phases via fine instrumentation of the temperature fields and residual stresses generated as well as a predictive digital tool. This will allow an improvement in part manufacturing productivity of 30% through optimization, process coupling and the development of new design methods. This could lead to a reduction in mass of up to 20% of certain parts and thus broaden the application of additive manufacturing towards parts with higher added value.
2- The transformation of a major current industrial bottleneck, i.e. the generation of residual stresses during the robotic manufacturing of composite materials, into a new paradigm of self-forming composite structures without the use of molds. Thus, the potential for using Coriolis composites' know-how and products will be increased, allowing the company to expand their offering and engage in a strategy to reduce environmental impacts to contribute to the decarbonization of maritime transport. , land and air while guaranteeing strategic sovereignty.

The CompoMorph LabCom will propose a campaign to characterize relevant processes at IRDL and at Coriolis Composites. This will result in a better understanding of the origin of residual stresses and their consequences on thermomechanical properties. Then, these experimental data will be used to create a predictive tool for the state of stress and self-forming via the use of multiphysics simulation tools. The tool will be implemented as a plug-in in software marketed by Coriolis Composites for short-term benefits favoring the optimization of production and compliance with specifications with regard to dimensional/geometric tolerances.
The combination of acquired knowledge and predictive tools will allow in the short term the transformation of residual stresses into an autoforming process for the development of structural composites and then to understand the effects of the environment. The proposed proofs of concepts will be qualified according to the specifications proposed among the clients of Coriolis Composites supporting LabCom.

The sustainability of the LabCom will be considered by the continuity of investment by the company, income from technology transfer, the creation of a user club of the company's customers, the possible creation of a spin-off DeepTech to exploit strategic applications and finally the response to local, regional and national calls for projects.