The additive manufacturing of high-performance thermoplastics, including high-temperature materials and continuous fiber reinforcement, are extensively being developed worldwide. In this work, we combined laser-assisted in situ consolidation tape laying and fused filament fabrication to manufacture a 100% thermoplastic stiffened panel in three stages with innovative designs using LMPAEK-PEKK carbon fiber-reinforced polymers. The overprinting of gyroid structures on top of ATL laminates assisted by lasers have shown very good adhesion. Mechanical characterization by flatwise and four-point bending tests have shown tensile strength in the range of 10 MPa (flatwise) and 889 MPa (four-point bending). Tomography analysis shows the optimization roadmap to enhance mechanical properties by improving temperature management during manufacturing.

Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) enables precise deposition of thermoplastic tapes on complex geometries, however variations in temperature, compaction pressure, deposition speed, and tooling conditions can affect the final laminate quality. This study presents an integrated real-time monitoring system and a systematic methodology for process/product data analysis linking process parameters to mechanical and microstructural performance. Mechanical testing evaluation by interlaminar shear strength (ILSS), thermal analysis, and microscopy studies identified both the consolidation and mold temperatures as the critical parameters for optimized mechanical properties. Results showed ILSS above 45 MPa, crystallinity up to 37.9%, and minimal porosity (~1%). Digital tools developed provided full traceability, early instability detection, and continuous optimization, enhancing reliability and repeatability in high-performance thermoplastic composite manufacturing, which paves the way towards zero-defect manufacturing.

This research work is aimed at developing and manufacturing thermoplastic-composite parts for a Type V hydrogen storage tank based on a patented design. A 57% fibre volume fraction of a carbon fibre and polyamide 11 (PA11) thermoplastic matrix was used in an automated tape layup (ATL) process to manufacture a laser-assisted in situ-consolidated composite part for a hydrogen storage vessel. A series of mechanical and thermal tests were performed to optimize the process parameters for composite manufacturing. Based on the optimized process parameters, a scaled-up demonstrator composite part was manufactured and demoulded using pressurized air.