Automated fiber placement roller

An automated fiber placement machine comprising:

• a fiber placement head comprising a roller and a shaft extending through a central opening of the roller, the roller rotatable about the shaft and comprising:
• a metallic rim member concentric with the central opening about a central axis and having an inner side and an outer side, wherein the central axis is closer to the inner side than to the outer side, and wherein the inner side defines a plurality of grooves enabling elastic deformation of the metallic rim member responsive to a force applied to the outer side;
• a metallic hub member defining the central opening;
• and
• a plurality of curved metallic interconnect members extending between the metallic hub member and the metallic rim member, each of the plurality of curved metallic interconnect members elastically deformable responsive to the force applied to the outer side;
• and
• one or more actuators configured to adjust a relative position of the roller and a workpiece during addition of one or more fiber tows to the workpiece by the fiber placement head.

A method of automated composite layup, the method comprising:

• applying heat to a portion of a workpiece using a heat source coupled to a fiber placement head of an automated fiber placement machine;
• after applying the heat to the portion of the workpiece, moving a roller of the fiber placement head over the portion of the workpiece while the roller presses one or more tows into contact with the portion of the workpiece;
• and
• while moving the roller over the portion of the workpiece, cooling the roller to dissipate at least a portion of the heat, the roller cooled by airflow between a metallic rim member of the roller, a metallic hub member of the roller, and a plurality of curved metallic interconnect members of the roller, the plurality of curved metallic interconnect members extending between the metallic hub member and the metallic rim member, wherein an inner side of the metallic rim member defines a plurality of grooves, and wherein the plurality of grooves and the plurality of curved metallic interconnect members enable elastic deformation of the roller responsive to a force applied to press the one or more tows into contact with the portion of the workpiece.