Winding process of fibre-reinforced thermoplastic tubes with integrated tape production through in-situ roving impregnation and infrared consolidation

Abstract This paper introduces a novel method for producing fibre-reinforced thermoplastic tubes by integrating tape production and consolidation into a single operation. This innovation diverges from conventional methods by combining processes to reduce costs by using raw materials instead of organotapes, allowing customised material combinations and utilising residual heat from tape production. The new process uses carbon roving and molten low-viscosity PA6 granulates, processed through a new direct impregnation setup in siphon design. Key advancements include a high-speed impregnation module capable of up to 1 m/s with high-performance extruders, cost-effective infrared emitters for winding, and a powered consolidation unit with adjustable winding angles between ± 65° and ± 90°. Experiments demonstrate operational speeds of approximately 471 mm/min, with an optimal cross-winding speed of 354 mm/min due to the technical limitations of the laboratory extruder and IR emitter used. Based on the technical limitations of the current system, future improvements and methodological changes will be discussed.