Method and apparatus for controlling contact of composite tows

1. A method, comprising:

directing an infrared camera aft of a compaction roller of a composite laying head;

applying heat to a substrate by a heater, wherein the heater is mounted forward of the compaction roller;

using the infrared camera, capturing an infrared image of composite tows that are laid on the substrate by the compaction roller, wherein the infrared image comprises pixels; and

determining, using the infrared image, a degree of contact between the composite tows and the substrate, wherein the degree of the contact is a quantified value of the contact between the composite tows and the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of determining, using the infrared image, whether the contact between the composite tows and the substrate is sufficient.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

modifying, when the contact between the composite tows and the substrate is determined to be insufficient, at least one of the heat applied to the substrate by the heater, a compaction speed of the compaction roller, or a compaction pressure applied by the compaction roller,

wherein the step of determining, using the infrared image, whether the contact between the composite tows and the substrate is sufficient is performed in real-time.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of determining, using the infrared image, whether the contact between the composite tows and the substrate is sufficient comprises:

sampling intensities of the pixels of the infrared image across a width of the composite tows to define a group of sampled intensities, which has an intensity range, having a value; and

determining if the value of the intensity range of the group of the sampled intensities is greater than a threshold, wherein the value of the intensity range is a difference between a highest intensity and a lowest intensity in the group of the sampled intensities.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of determining, using the infrared image, whether the contact between the composite tows and the substrate is sufficient comprises:

sampling intensities of the pixels of the infrared image across a width of the composite tows to define a group of sampled intensities; and

determining if any one of the sampled intensities of the group of the sampled intensities is above or below a set intensity range.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of determining, using the infrared image, whether the contact between the composite tows and the substrate is sufficient comprises:

identifying edges for at least one of the composite tows.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a level of tack of the composite tows using at least one of the infrared image, the degree of the contact between the composite tows and the substrate, or a metric, relating the level of tack to intensities of pixels of the infrared image.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

modifying, based on the level of tack determined, at least one of the heat applied to the substrate, a compaction speed of the compaction roller, or a compaction pressure applied by the compaction roller.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein:

a uniformity of material temperature in the composite tows behind the compaction roller is indicative of the degree of the contact between the composite tows and the substrate, and an actual temperature of each of the composite tows, determined using the infrared image, is indicative of a value of tack of each of the composite tows.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of capturing the infrared image of the composite tows that are laid down on the substrate by the compaction roller is performed by the infrared camera, wherein the infrared camera is mounted aft of the compaction roller.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying an area for rework when it is determined that the contact between the composite tows and the substrate is not sufficient.

12. A method, comprising steps of:

laying down composite tows on a substrate using a composite laying head with a compaction roller and a heater, wherein the heater is mounted forward of the compaction roller;

capturing an infrared image of the composite tows on the substrate, after laying down the composite tows on the substrate, using an infrared camera mounted aft of the compaction roller; and

determining a level of tack of the composite tows using the infrared image, wherein the tack is a measure of a strength of a bond between the composite tows and the substrate, and wherein the level of tack is a quantified value of the tack of the composite tows.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the substrate is a test substrate, wherein the step of laying down the composite tows on the substrate comprises laying down the composite tows on the test substrate, and wherein the step of capturing the infrared image of the composite tows on the substrate comprises capturing the infrared image of the composite tows on the test substrate, the method further comprising:

laying down the composite tows on a production substrate using parameters, selected based on the level of tack of the composite tows, wherein the parameters comprise at least one of an amount of heat applied to the production substrate by the heater, a compaction speed of the compaction roller, or a compaction pressure applied by the compaction roller.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

capturing an infrared image of the composite tows on the production substrate, after laying down the composite tows on the production substrate, using the infrared camera; and

determining, using the infrared image of the composite tows on the production substrate, whether contact between the composite tows and the production substrate is sufficient.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

modifying, based on the level of tack of the composite tows, determined using the infrared image, at least one of a heat applied to a production substrate, a compaction speed of the compaction roller, or a compaction pressure applied by the compaction roller.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of determining the level of tack of the composite tows comprises determining the level of tack of the composite tows using the infrared image, a degree of contact between the composite tows and a production substrate, or a metric, relating the level of tack to intensities of pixels of the infrared image.

17. A system, comprising:

a composite laying head with a compaction roller;

a heater, mounted forward of the compaction roller;

an infrared camera, mounted aft of the compaction roller, wherein the infrared camera is configured to capture an infrared image of composite tows that are laid down on a substrate by the compaction roller; and

a composite analyzer, configured to determine, using the infrared image, a degree of contact between the composite tows and the substrate, wherein the degree of the contact is a quantified value of the contact between the composite tows and the substrate.

18. The system of claim 17 , further comprising:

a controller configured to modify, when the contact between the composite tows and the substrate is determined to be insufficient, at least one of an amount of heat applied by the heater to the substrate, a compaction speed of the composite laying head, or a compaction pressure of the composite laying head.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the composite analyzer is configured to determine, in real time, whether the contact between the composite tows and the substrate is sufficient.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the composite analyzer is further configured to determine a level of tack of the composite tows using at least one of the infrared image, the degree of the contact between the composite tows and the substrate or a metric, relating the level of tack to intensities of pixels of the infrared image.