Abstract: A drum is rotatably mounted next to a tool. Resin-preimpregnated filament tows are independently fed to the drum, through several collimating guides positioned along the drum. The drum operates reciprocally: when it rotates in one direction, segments of the tows are gathered or wound up onto the drum and preheated; upon counterrotation in the outer direction the gathered segments are unwound and forcibly compacted against the tool, or against previously laid filaments. In the gathering part of the operating cycle the drum does not translate with respect to the tool, but rather spins in place at a dwell point. In the depositing part of the cycle, however, the drum effectively rolls along the tool (or filament-pack) surface. Heat from the drum penetrates deeply into the pack of already laid filaments, when present, to facilitate generalized consolidation of the workpiece--enough in many cases to make autoclave postconsolidation unnecessary.

Abstract: A drum is rotatably mounted next to a tool. Resin-preimpregnated filament tows are independently fed to the drum, through several collimating guides positioned along the drum. The drum operates reciprocally: when it rotates in one direction, segments of the tows are gathered or wound up onto the drum and preheated; upon counterrotation in the other direction the gathered segments are unwound and forcibly compacted against the tool, or against previously laid filaments. In the gathering part of the operating cycle the drum does not translate with respect to the tool, but rather spins in place at a dwell point. In the depositing part of the cycle, however, the drum effectively rolls along the tool (or filament-pack) surface. Heat from the drum penetrates deeply into the pack of already laid filaments, when present, to facilitate generalized consolidation of the workpiece--enough in many cases to make autoclave postconsolidation unnecessary.