Temperature profile of a fit tow passing a preheating chamber

Filament winding was applied to produce composite rings using Fiber-Impregnated Thermoplastic (FIT®) tows. Important steps in the processing are the infrared (IR) preheating of the tow and the subsequent heating by hot air at the consolidation point. IR thermography was used to measure the temperature profile within the preheating chamber. A one-dimensional model for the calculation of the two temperature is introduced. It allows one to make conclusions concerning the preheater length, IR power and temperature of the heating air at the consolidation point to ensure melting of the polymer matrix.