Independently depositing and in situ consolidating thermoplastic material

A method for forming a thermoplastic structure, comprising:

• depositing a first layer of thermoplastic material on a first thermoplastic object using a material deposition device comprising a deposition device press and a deposition device heater, the depositing of the first layer of thermoplastic material including
• feeding the first layer of thermoplastic material to the deposition device press, wherein the first layer of thermoplastic material fed to the deposition device press comprises a thermoplastic matrix and fiber reinforcement embedded within the thermoplastic matrix;
• heating at least a portion of the first layer of thermoplastic material to a deposition temperature using the deposition device heater;
• and
• tacking the first layer of thermoplastic material to the first thermoplastic object using the deposition device press, the tacking including the deposition device press following a contour of an exterior surface of the first thermoplastic object and pressing the first layer of thermoplastic material against the first thermoplastic object at a deposition pressure;
• consolidating the first layer of thermoplastic material with the first thermoplastic object using a material consolidation device comprising a consolidation device heater and a consolidation device press, to provide a second thermoplastic object, the consolidating comprising heating at least one of the first layer of the thermoplastic material or the first thermoplastic object to a consolidation temperature using the consolidation device heater, and pressing the first layer of thermoplastic material against the first thermoplastic object at a consolidation pressure to form the second thermoplastic object using the consolidation device press, wherein the consolidation device press follows the contour of the exterior surface of the first thermoplastic object and presses the first layer of thermoplastic material against the first thermoplastic object at the consolidation pressure to form the second thermoplastic object;
• depositing a second layer of thermoplastic material on the second thermoplastic object using the material deposition device, the second layer of thermoplastic material tacked to the second thermoplastic object during the depositing of the second layer of thermoplastic material;
• and
• consolidating the second layer of thermoplastic material with the second thermoplastic object using the material consolidation device to provide a third thermoplastic object,
• wherein the consolidation temperature is higher than the deposition temperature.