Sensorized mold design for composite lamination process using additive manufacturing principles

This thesis work is based on the possibility to implement sensors inside molds adopted during lamination process, produced through the advantageous Additive Manufacturing technology. The entire work has been conducted in collaboration and coordination with the company Accenture S.p.a. based in Turin (TO), which provides the necessary know-how. In particular, the study is based on the selection of a component conventionally made of Carbon Fiber Composite (CFC), in the aerospace sector, and consequently design the mold to be printed through AM technologies like Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) or Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). The two study objectives are: firstly, the possibility to embed sensors during the printing process, with the aim of monitoring and control composite lamination process parameters, positioning them in strategic location according to what are the indicator to be monitored; secondly, the feasibility to introduce the use of high-performance materials different from traditional, enhancing the coupling of their mechanical properties with the advantages of Additive Manufacturing. The analysis starts with an evaluation of the suitable material and technologies according to lamination process technical requirements (for instance temperature, pressure, sizes, etc.), evaluation of parameters to be monitored for choosing the suitable sensor, continuing with the study of the different production phases needed to introduce sensors during printing operation once the design of the mold has been identified and reproduced through CAD, last step concerns the software analysis of the tool which aims to identify critical aspect, weakness and opportunities for future application. For instance, the study aims on one hand to open the window for future study of monitoring and control the process of composite lamination production, ranging from aerospace to automotive and racing application, and on the other to introduce the possibility to embed sensor inside component produced with AM, enhancing the opportunity to implement “smart” object on all Industry 4.0 context, dominated by real time communication and localization, where is possible to effectively gather information and offer immediate response in manufacturing facilities.