Automated fiber placement assembly with pressure roller

An automated fiber placement assembly for forming a component by application of a strip of fiber tows, the automated fiber placement assembly comprising:

• a substrate having a non-uniform surface;
• and
• a pressure roller for forming the component by application of the strip of fiber tows to the substrate having the non-uniform surface, the pressure roller including:
• a body that extends along a rotational axis between a first end and a second end, the body having an exterior surface configured to apply pressure to the strip of fiber tows against the non-uniform surface of the substrate when the pressure roller is rotated about the rotational axis, the body being divided into a plurality of sections defined by one or more planes perpendicular to the rotational axis,
• wherein the pressure roller includes one or more apertures, located in at least one of the plurality of sections, that extend at least partially through the body from at least one of the first end or the second end,
• wherein both an arrangement of the one or more apertures within the body and an aperture geometry of each of the one or more apertures enable the pressure roller to vary the pressure applied by the exterior surface complementary to the non-uniform surface of the substrate such that the pressure is applied uniformly across the strip of fiber tows.