A Tape Laying Head

A system including:

• a tape laying head having a shearing mechanism, the tape laying head being configured to lay a tow material on a mould in the construction of a composite structure, the shearing mechanism being configured to receive tow material from a tow supply and to steer the tow material by applying shear deformation to the tow material between a pair of shear boundaries defined by the shearing mechanism, the shearing mechanism including a compaction shoe configured to press the tow material onto a mould, wherein the system is configured to:
• provide tow material from the tow supply such that a width of the tow material extends across a length of the compaction shoe;
• press the tow material onto the mould using the compaction shoe;
• and
• move the tape laying head relative to the mould such that the length of the compaction shoe remains substantially parallel to a line defined by a centre of radius of a curve of the mould as the tape laying head traverses the curve of the mould.

A system including:

• a tape laying head having a shearing mechanism, the tape laying head being configured to lay a tow material on a mould in the construction of a composite structure, the shearing mechanism being configured to receive tow material from a tow supply and to steer the tow material by applying shear deformation to the tow material between a pair of shear boundaries defined by the shearing mechanism, the shearing mechanism including a compaction shoe configured to press the tow material onto a mould, wherein the system is configured to:
• provide tow material from the tow supply such that a width of the tow material extends across a length of the compaction shoe;
• press the tow material onto the mould using the compaction shoe;
• and
• rotate the compaction shoe relative to the tow material in a slewing movement as the tow material is pressed onto the mould, such that the compaction shoe rotationally slides over laid tow material and a laid width of the tape decreases with the slewing movement.