Laser Assisted Automated Fiber Placement Patents 2026
Laser Assisted Automated Fiber Placement Patents
LA-AFP uses laser energy to heat thermoplastic prepreg tapes at the nip point, enabling in-situ consolidation without autoclave curing. This dataset spans 2005–2024, with the most recent filings from 2023–2024.
LA-AFP: Laser Heating Meets In-Situ Composite Consolidation
Laser Assisted Automated Fiber Placement integrates three core pillars: a laser heating subsystem delivering precisely controlled thermal energy to the nip point, a robotic placement head compacting thermoplastic prepreg tapes onto a tool surface, and process monitoring systems ensuring thermal consistency and placement quality throughout deposition.
The AFP process in this dataset is characterized by a laser emitting device mounted on or upstream of the placement head, directing energy at the incoming fiber bundle or the deposited substrate surface. The thermoplastic resin is partially melted at the nip point to achieve in-situ consolidation, eliminating the need for autoclave post-processing in qualifying production workflows.
Laser heating optimization — particularly management of variable laser power distribution across tape width to achieve uniform nip-point temperature — is a documented research direction supported by inverse optical modeling approaches published in 2020. Infrared cameras integrated into AFP heads detect temperature anomalies and localize tow placement in real time, feeding closed-loop control approaches.
In this dataset, 3 named assignees account for all directly relevant LA-AFP patent filings in retrieved records: Ingersoll Machine Tools, Inc. (US), Tsudakoma Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Japan), and Electroimpact, Inc. (US). The timeline spans approximately 2005–2024, with active filings concentrated in the 2023–2024 window.
Filing Clusters, Technology Domains, and Temporal Trends
In this dataset, LA-AFP patents cluster into four technology domains spanning machine control, laser optics, process inspection, and process optimization. Filing activity concentrates in two distinct windows: 2005–2007 (foundational machine control IP from Ingersoll) and 2023–2024 (laser hardware IP from Tsudakoma and Electroimpact).
LA-AFP Patent Count by Technology Cluster — Dataset Snapshot
Motion control and inspection together account for five of seven patent filings in this dataset, reflecting Ingersoll Machine Tools’ early foundational IP position across machine operation logic.
↗ Click bars to exploreLA-AFP Patent Filing Activity by Year — Dataset Snapshot
In this dataset, patent filings appear in two concentrated windows — 2005–2007 (Ingersoll foundational IP) and 2023–2024 (Tsudakoma and Electroimpact laser hardware) — with no filings recorded in the intervening period.
↗ Click bars to exploreKey Application Areas for LA-AFP Technology
LA-AFP technology in this dataset spans four principal application domains, from primary aerospace structural fabrication to thermoplastic tube winding, hybrid AFP+additive manufacturing, and broader industrial thermoplastic composite production.
Aerospace Primary Structures
Aerospace is the primary AFP application domain identified in the 2021 review, covering fuselage skins, wing skins, and primary structural components for advanced air vehicles. Thermal monitoring (2017) and simulation-based optimization (2018) literature both cite aerospace production quality requirements as the principal driver. AFP enables lightweight, superior-mechanical-quality structures without autoclave curing.
Composite FabricationThermoplastic Tube and Vessel Winding
Laser-assisted tape winding (LATW) targets cylindrical and conical structures including pressure vessels, pipes, and drive shafts. The 2020 inverse optical modeling work addresses both tape winding and tape placement in a unified framework, using a variable-distribution laser source to maintain constant nip-point temperature as the quality criterion for tubular thermoplastic composite structures.
Tape WindingHybrid AFP and Additive Manufacturing
The 2018 AFP+ALM hybrid literature demonstrates application to complex double-curved surface structures where AFP alone produces unavoidable gap defects. Continuous-fiber 3D printing is used as a corrective process following AFP deposition, with gaps detected using profile sensors post-placement. This extends AFP applicability to geometrically complex aerospace and industrial parts.
Hybrid ManufacturingIndustrial Thermoplastic Composite Production
The Tsudakoma Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha fiber bundle placement patents (2023, US and EP) target industrial thermoplastic composite production more broadly than aerospace alone, suggesting applicability to automotive and industrial structural components. In-situ consolidation without autoclave curing is commercially attractive for high-volume thermoplastic composite manufacturing.
Industrial ManufacturingKey Patent Assignees in LA-AFP — Dataset Snapshot
In this dataset, three named assignees account for all directly relevant LA-AFP patent filings in retrieved records: Ingersoll Machine Tools, Inc. (4 filings, 2005–2007), Tsudakoma Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (2 filings, 2023), and Electroimpact, Inc. (1 filing, 2024). No CN or KR filings for LA-AFP core technology appear in this dataset.
LA-AFP Patent Filings by Assignee in Retrieved Records (Dataset Snapshot)
↗ Click bars to exploreIngersoll Machine Tools, Inc.
Ingersoll holds the earliest and broadest AFP patent position in this dataset with 4 filings from 2005–2007 spanning WO, EP, and CA jurisdictions. Patents cover time-based tool-path methodology for high-speed events (tow cut, clamp, restart, redirect) and visual inspection systems comparing placed tow images against theoretical ply profiles using a composite programming system. These filings establish foundational machine operation logic for AFP systems.
United StatesTsudakoma Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Tsudakoma filed 2 patents in 2023 (US and EP) covering an automated fiber bundle placement apparatus where the laser is directed toward the reverse surface of the thermoplastic fiber bundle between the guide roller and pressing roller. This reverse-side laser geometry is designed for direct thermal coupling to the bonding interface and may reduce thermal shadowing on curved surfaces. Tsudakoma is the only Japanese assignee filing specifically on LA-AFP hardware in this dataset.
JapanNext Frontiers in LA-AFP: Small-Tow Optics, Reverse-Side Heating, and Closed-Loop Control
The most recent filings and literature in this dataset (2021–2024) converge on three emerging directions: multi-collimator small-tow laser arrays, reverse-side tape heating geometry, and fully closed-loop AFP process control integrating sensor fusion and adaptive laser power.
Small-Tow Multi-Collimator Laser Arrays (2024)
The Electroimpact 2024 patent describes an AFP machine incorporating arrays of collimators in parallel rows at sub-0.5-inch pitch to selectively heat individual narrow tows. This architecture enables selective activation or deactivation of individual tows across the course width without thermally affecting adjacent tows — critical for complex contoured aerospace parts requiring tight-tolerance, thin-ply designs.
Reverse-Side Laser Heating Geometry (2023)
Tsudakoma’s dual US/EP 2023 filings describe a laser geometry in which energy is applied to the reverse (non-tool-facing) surface of the tape between the guide roller and pressing roller. This enables more direct thermal coupling to the bonding interface and may reduce thermal shadowing effects from substrate geometry — a known challenge in curved-surface LA-AFP. The placement die geometry and pressing roller mechanics are also covered in the EP filing.
Laser Heating Architectures: Electroimpact vs. Tsudakoma Approaches
Click any row to explore further.
| Dimension | Electroimpact, Inc. (2024) | Tsudakoma Kogyo (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Filing Year | 2024 | 2023 |
| Jurisdiction | US | US and EP (dual filing) |
| Laser Delivery Geometry | Arrays of collimators in parallel rows at sub-0.5-inch pitch; selective per-tow heating | Laser directed to reverse (non-tool-facing) surface of fiber bundle between guide roller and pressing roller |
| Target Tow Width | Sub-0.5-inch pitch (small/narrow tow) | Fiber bundle (width not specified to sub-0.5-inch in this dataset) |
| Key Innovation | Multi-collimator optical assembly enabling selective narrow-tow activation without thermal crosstalk | Reverse-side laser heating for direct thermal coupling to bonding interface; guide and pressing roller integration |
| Application Focus | Complex contoured aerospace parts; next-generation narrow-tow AFP systems | Industrial thermoplastic fiber bundle placement; automotive and aerospace structural components |
| Consolidation Method | In-situ laser heating preceding compaction roller consolidation on AFP head | Laser heats reverse surface then pressing roller consolidates; guide roller controls fiber path geometry |
Frequently Asked Questions: Laser Assisted Automated Fiber Placement
LA-AFP is an advanced composite manufacturing process in which laser energy heats thermoplastic fiber-reinforced prepreg tapes immediately before consolidation by a compaction roller, enabling in-situ bonding without autoclave curing. It integrates a laser heating subsystem, a robotic placement head, and process monitoring and feedback systems.
In this dataset, three assignees account for all directly relevant LA-AFP patent filings: Ingersoll Machine Tools, Inc. (US, 4 filings, 2005–2007), Tsudakoma Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Japan, 2 filings, 2023), and Electroimpact, Inc. (US, 1 filing, 2024).
The most recent patent filing in this dataset directly relevant to LA-AFP is from Electroimpact, Inc. (2024), covering a laser heating system for small-tow AFP heads using arrays of collimators at sub-0.5-inch pitch to selectively heat individual narrow tows.
Tsudakoma’s 2023 dual US and EP filings describe an apparatus where the laser is directed toward the reverse (non-tool-facing) surface of the thermoplastic fiber bundle between the guide roller and pressing roller, enabling direct thermal coupling to the bonding interface and potentially reducing thermal shadowing effects on curved surfaces.
The three emerging directions identified in this dataset are: (1) small-tow laser heating with multi-collimator arrays (Electroimpact, 2024); (2) reverse-side tape heating geometry (Tsudakoma, 2023); and (3) closed-loop AFP process control integrating real-time thermal feedback, visual inspection, and adaptive laser power control — identified as the field’s primary future direction in the 2021 AFP review.
No CN or KR filings for LA-AFP core technology appear in this dataset. The geographic footprint is concentrated in US, EP, CA, and WO. This may reflect either an early-stage IP position by Asian manufacturers or a gap in this particular dataset’s coverage.
Data and insights on this page are based on a limited patent and literature dataset and are for reference only. Figures may not represent the complete technology landscape.