Tape laying head

A tape laying system including:

• a controller for use in a tension control system of the tape laying system, and
• a shearing mechanism including a compaction shoe or roller and a gripping shoe or roller, the shearing mechanism configured to receive tow material from a tow supply and to steer the tow material with respect to a mould by applying shear deformation to the tow material between a pair of shear boundaries defined by the shearing mechanism, wherein at least a first of the pair of shear boundaries is defined by the compaction shoe or roller and a second of the pair of shear boundaries is defined by the gripping shoe or roller, the shearing mechanism including a force generator configured to apply a driving force to the tow material, the driving force having a longitudinal component and a transverse component with respect to the tow material during steering of the tow material,
• wherein the controller is configured to receive a first sensor signal from a first sensor, the first sensor signal being representative of a tension of the tow material between the tow supply and the shearing mechanism, and to control, using the first sensor signal, the transverse component of the driving force acting on the tow material to be equal to or less than a maximum transverse frictional force associated with the shearing mechanism, during steering of the tow material with respect to the mould using the shearing mechanism to apply shear deformation to the tow material with the compaction shoe or roller pressing the tow material onto the mould, by causing variation in a tensioning force applied to the tow material and monitoring the driving force.

A control method for use in a tension control system of a tape laying system, the tape laying system including a shearing mechanism including a compaction shoe or roller and a gripping shoe or roller, the shearing mechanism configured to receive tow material from a tow supply and to steer the tow material with respect to a mould by applying shear deformation to the tow material between a pair of shear boundaries defined by the shearing mechanism, wherein at least a first of the pair of shear boundaries is defined by the compaction shoe or roller and a second of the pair of shear boundaries is defined by the gripping shoe or roller, the shearing mechanism being further configured to apply a driving force to the tow material, the driving force having a longitudinal component and a transverse component with respect to the tow material during steering of the tow material, the method including:

• providing tow material from the tow supply to the shearing mechanism;
• pressing the tow material onto the mould using the compaction shoe or roller;
• steering the tow material with respect to the mould using the shearing mechanism to apply shear deformation to the tow material with the compaction shoe or roller pressing the tow material onto the mould;
• receiving a first sensor signal from a first sensor, the first sensor signal being representative of a tension of the tow material between the tow supply and the shearing mechanism, and
• controlling, using the first sensor signal, the transverse component of the driving force acting on the tow material to be equal to or less than a maximum transverse frictional force associated with the shearing mechanism, during steering of the tow material using the shearing mechanism, by causing variation in a tensioning force applied to the tow material and monitoring the driving force.