Cevotec dry-fiber bindered tape available for automated placement

Cevotec (Taufkirchen, Germany), manufacturer of the SAMBA Series systems for automated fiber layup/preforming based on Fiber Patch Placement (FPP), has now introduced cevoTape, individually manufactured and tailored carbon fiber tape for automated tape laying (ATL) and automated fiber placement (AFP) systems.

“Automated fiber placement processes require superior tape quality to minimize downtime and ensure high precision and repeatability”, explains Cevotec CTO Felix Michl. “Because the right fiber is crucial for the quality of a composite part, Cevotec has developed cevoTape, a dry-fiber bindered spread tow made from high-quality carbon fiber rovings and a copolyamide adhesive.” The tape is not only compatible with Cevotec’s SAMBA Series manufacturing systems, but because it is high-quality with tight tolerance control, it allows manufacturers to attain the high placement and operating precision they desire as well as the economic application of AFP and ATL processes in non-aerospace applications.

Michl says cevoTape offers an alternative to expensive aeronautic-certified tapes. “It is suited for non-aeronautic applications, including the automotive industry,” adds Cevotec managing director Thorsten Groene. “We’ve already received solid interest from manufacturers of AFP / ATL equipment who are looking for tape material for their customers. Initial tests of cevoTape with their robotic layup heads have been performed successfully.”

Cevotec processes the unidirectional, spread tow carbon fiber tape in the SAMBA FPP systems. “But cevoTape is also perfectly tailored for matching the requirements of AFP and ATL,” says Groene, “creating high-quality laminates for a variety of different applications.” He notes that cevoTape has a customized width within minimal tolerances and thanks to an integrated quality monitoring, it features a homogeneous filament distribution. The single-sided, uniformly distributed polyamide binder (Spunfab PA1541, PA1300, and further materials on request) is activated at temperatures from 90 to 160°C. Thus, cevoTape can be easily adhered during processing, and - another benefit - stored at room temperature.

“Customers may approach us with roving material of their choice and have us manufacture their individual tape”, says Michl. “We process any high-quality fiber.” Alternatively, there are pre-configured tapes using Tenax-E HTS45 fibers on stock, featuring 20 or 30-mm width and 80–107 g/m² areal weight, separated with paper film, stored on Häfner spools (250 m length standard, and custom lengths on request).