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The aim of this paper is to leverage the main surface topological descriptors to classify tape surface profiles, through the modelling of the evolution of the degree of intimate contact along the consolidation of pre-impregnated preforms associated to a composite forming process. It is well-known at an experimental level that the consolidation degree strongly depends on the surface characteristics (roughness). In particular, same process parameters applied to different surfaces produce very different degrees of intimate contact. It allows us to think that the surface topology plays an important role along this process. However, solving the physics-based models for simulating the roughness squeezing occurring at the tapes interface represents a computational effort incompatible with online process control purposes. An alternative approach consists of taking a population of different tapes, with different surfaces, and simulating the consolidation for evaluating for each one the progression of the degree of intimate contact –DIC– while compressing the heated tapes, until reaching its final value at the end of the compression. The final goal is creating a regression able to assign a final value of the DIC to any surface, enabling online process control. The main issue of such an approach is the rough surface description, that is, the most precise and compact way of describing it from some appropriate parameters easy to extract experimentally, to be included in the just referred regression. In the present paper we consider a novel, powerful and very promising technique based on the topological data analysis –TDA– that considers an adequate metrics to describe, compare and classify rough surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many composite forming processes are based on the consolidation of preimpregnated preforms of different types, e.g., sheets, tapes, .... Composite plies are put in contact using different technologies and consolidation is performed by supplying heat and pressure, the first to promote molecular diffusion at the plies interface and both (heat and pressure) to facilitate the intimate contact by squeezing surface asperities. Optimal processing requires an intimate contact as large as possible between the surfaces put in contact, for different reasons: (i) first, a perfect contact becomes compulsory to make possible molecular diffusion at the interface level in order to ensure bulk properties at interfaces; (ii) second, imperfect contact conditions result in micro and meso pores located at the interface, weakening it from the mechanical point of view, where macro defects (cracks, plies delamination, etc.) are susceptible of appearing. As just indicated, the main process parameters are the applied heat and pressure, as well as the process time (associated with the laying head velocity). These parameters should be adjusted to ensure optimal consolidation, avoiding imperfect bonding or thermal degradation. However, experiments evidence that the consolidation degree is strongly dependent on the surface characteristics (roughness). The same process parameters applied to different surfaces produce very different degrees of intimate contact. The present study aims at identifying the main surface descriptors able to describe the evolution of the degree of intimate contact during processing. That knowledge is crucial for online process control in order to maximize both productivity and part quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]