A modified bias-extension test method for the characterisation of intra-ply shear deformability of hybrid metal-composite laminates

The bias-extension test is one of the test methods to characterise the intra-ply shear behaviour of continuous fibre reinforced composites including fabrics and unidirectional (UD) materials. For the determination of the major mechanical properties of metals, often a uniaxial tensile test is used. Combination of these two methods for the...

Quantification of structural response and edge orientation of Chopped Tape Thermoplastic Composites in net-shaped specimens

Chopped Tape Thermoplastic Composites (CTTCs) offer high formability and performance for complex-shaped components in the aerospace and automotive industries. However, the mesoscopic discontinuity leads to spatial variabilities and correspondingly high scatter in the elastic properties of CTTCs due to the random orientations of chopped tapes...

Energy analysis of autoclave CFRP manufacturing using thermodynamics based models

Autoclave curing is one of the most energy consuming processes in manufacturing carbon fibre reinforced polymers. In order to improve the energy efficiency, one needs to understand energy usage in an autoclave and factors that influence it. This work presents two thermodynamic based models for estimating energy consumption in an autoclave....

Stochastic Modelling of Randomly Oriented Tapes Thermoplastic Composites in Net-Shaped Specimens

Discontinuous tape composites have considerable attention due to their high formability and tailorable structures. Despite their advantages, this discontinuity leads to complex structures and makes it difficult to predict their mechanical properties. On the other hand, they have high orientational and dimensional sensitivity, which causes...

Experimental and numerical validation of an inter-ply friction model for thermoset based fibre metal laminate under hot-pressing conditions

Hot-pressing can be an attractive fabrication method that enables the forming of hybrid materials like thermoset based fibre metal laminates. However, the process simulation on press forming requires accurate material characterization and boundary conditions to facilitate part design for a defect-free component. In order to improve the overall...

Comparative life cycle assessment of thermoplastic and thermosetting CFRP in aerospace applications

This work quantifies and compares the environmental impact of a thermoset CFRP aircraft skin panel to that of a thermoplastic CFRP panel. This comparison is done using a cradle to gate life cycle assessment including impacts from raw material extraction, manufacturing and end of life. In addition, a hotspot analysis was performed to identify...

An inter-ply friction model for thermoset based fibre metal laminate in a hot-pressing process

Forming process with pre-stacked and uncured thermoset fibre metal laminate offers improved deformability compared to full-cured laminate especially for the production of complex structural components. This work investigated the friction behaviour at the metal-prepreg interface of glass fibre reinforced aluminium laminate through an inter-ply...