For AFP manufacturers, the choice is no longer limited to laser, infrared or hot gas. Heraeus Noblelight’s new technology is a sophisticated pulsed light solution which delivers uniform, highly controllable heat to the nip point area, over a wide range of temperatures.
humm3® - Intelligent heat for Automated Fibre Placement (AFP)
humm3® is our breakthrough technology and represents a step change in heating Automated Fibre Placement (AFP):
A flexible, controllable heat solution for rapid lay-up thermosets, dry fibre and thermoplastics, with three programmable parameters.
Benefits
- Enhanced safety – no laser enclosure required (operators can remain close to lay-up)
- Rapid heat/cool with no residual lamp heat
- Small agile head, ideal for complex curvatures
- Three way control
humm3® controls the heat profile using three programmable pulse parameters:- Energy
- Duration
- Frequency
- Lay-up of AFP
- Thermosets
- Dry fibre
- Thermoplastics
- Dry fiber pre-forming
- Thermoforming
Technical data
- Heat time/temperature equivalent to laser
- High level 3 parameter thermal control
- Control system that response to AFP head speed
- Scalable heat zone size
- Surface temps in excess of 400°C
- This allows dry fiber lay-up speeds in excess of 1m per second
