Width deformation of thermoplastic prepreg tapes during in-situ Automated Fiber Placement: An experimental investigation into the width deformation mechanism and influence of processing parameters

Increasing demands for composite structures and sustainability goals have resulted in the growth of thermoplastic polymer matrix composites and automated manufacturing technologies. The in-situ Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) manufacturing of thermoplastic prepreg tapes has the potential to provide a fast and cost-effective manufacturing...

Deconsolidation of thermoplastic prepreg tapes during the heating phase of LAFP: An experimental investigation into the effect of a resin-rich surface and tape pre-tension

Laser-assisted automated fiber placement (LAFP) is a promising additive manufacturing technique for the production of large aerospace components. Thermoplastic prepreg tapes will be placed ply-by-ply on top of a mould and in-situ consolidated. This is beneficial for higher production rates. The mechanical performance of thermoplastic composite...

Design of a crash energy absorber for a composite aircraft fuselage using a combined analytical-numerical approach

This thesis aims to provide more insight into the crashworthiness behaviour of a composite aircraft fuselage. This is achieved by studying both analytically and numerically the crushing behaviour of composite energy absorbers. The analytical model, which is based on energy dissipation rates, generalises previously derived analytical models to...

Induction welded unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic L-joints: Joint performance and testing methodology

Induction welding is an effective technique for joining unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites and L-joints can be produced through quick and cost-effective processing steps. However, due to high localized stresses in the skin-stiffener interface, these L-joints are often avoided in primary aircraft structures. Also, no...

Thermal deconsolidation of thermoplastic prepreg tapes during Laser-Assisted Fiber Placement

The automation of thermoplastic composite production and the drive towards out-of-autoclave processes, is of great relevance in the aerospace and lightweight composite structures industry. Hence, there is a crucial need for developing the current state of material and process understanding, in order to increase the technology readiness levels of...

Low cost thermoplastic composites: An empirical approach

In this report, the possibility of replacing high performance thermoplastic polymers with alternative low-cost ones is investigated. Since thermoplastics offer fast processing times and the opportunity to use efficient production processes which are not suitable for thermosets, they are an attractive material<br/>system for the aerospace...

Ultrasonic Plastic Welding of Dissimilar Materials: Experimental investigation of metal/carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic joints

Due to EU regulations on fuel consumption, reducing the weight of vehicles has become one of the most important goals of car manufacturers in Europe. Among them, Toyota Motor Europe is one of the worldwide leaders in the research for a sustainable future. Materials like fiber-reinforced plastics and aluminum play a significant role in the...