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Variable-stiffness composite panels: Defect tolerance under in-plane tensile loading

Automated Fiber Placement is being extensively used in the production of major composite components for the aircraft industry. This technology enables the production of tow-steered panels, which have been proven to greatly improve the structural efficiency of composites by means of in-plane stiffness variation and load redistribution. However, traditional straight-fiber architectures are still preferred. One of the reasons behind this is related to the uncertainties, as a result of process-induced defects, in the mechanical performance of the laminates. This experimental work investigates the effect of the fiber angle discontinuities between different tow courses in a ply on the un-notched and open-hole tensile strength of the laminate. The influence of several manufacturing parameters are studied in detail. The results reveal that ’ply staggering’ and ’0% gap coverage’ is an effective combination in reducing the influence of defects in these laminates

© Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 2014, vol. 63, p. 21-31

Elsevier

Author: Falcó Salcines, Olben
Mayugo Majó, Joan Andreu
Lopes, Cláudio Saúl
Gascons i Clarió, Narcís
Costa i Balanzat, Josep
Date: 2014 August
Abstract: Automated Fiber Placement is being extensively used in the production of major composite components for the aircraft industry. This technology enables the production of tow-steered panels, which have been proven to greatly improve the structural efficiency of composites by means of in-plane stiffness variation and load redistribution. However, traditional straight-fiber architectures are still preferred. One of the reasons behind this is related to the uncertainties, as a result of process-induced defects, in the mechanical performance of the laminates. This experimental work investigates the effect of the fiber angle discontinuities between different tow courses in a ply on the un-notched and open-hole tensile strength of the laminate. The influence of several manufacturing parameters are studied in detail. The results reveal that ’ply staggering’ and ’0% gap coverage’ is an effective combination in reducing the influence of defects in these laminates
Format: application/pdf
ISSN: 1359-835X
Document access: http://hdl.handle.net/10256/9753
Language: eng
Publisher: Elsevier
Collection: Versió preprint del document publicat a: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2014.03.022
Articles publicats (D-EMCI)
Is part of: © Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 2014, vol. 63, p. 21-31
Rights: Tots els drets reservats
Subject: Materials compostos
Composite materials
Fibres
Fibers
Indústria aeronàutica
Aircraft industry
Title: Variable-stiffness composite panels: Defect tolerance under in-plane tensile loading
Type: info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Repository: DUGiDocs

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