Analysis of thermoplastic composites and conduction welded joints

Thermoplastic composites enable new manufacturing techniques such as conduction welding to make the aviation industry more sustainable, while at the same time, provide great benefits to cost-efficient high-volume production. One of the benefits of welding is that it reduces the amount of mechanical fasteners required. Fastener-free joining also...

Thermal effects on thermoplastic composites welded joints: A physical and mechanical characterisation

The use of high performance thermoplastic composites (TPCs) in the aviation industry has increased over the last years. TPCs have significant advantages such as superior damage tolerance, excellent chemical resistance and the ability to be welded. To date, mechanical fastening, primarily, and adhesive bonding are the two traditional joining...

Ultrasonic Health Monitoring of Thermoplastic Composite Aircraft Primary Structures

The adoption of composites as aircraft primary structural material has created a real need for a new aircraft maintenance philosophy to enable almost real-time structural condition assessment. It is thus crucial to develop structural health monitoring (SHM) systems capable of performing damage diagnostic and remaining useful life prognostic. At...

Sequential ultrasonic spot welding of thermoplastic composites: An experimental study on the welding process and the mechanical behaviour of (multi-)spot welded joints

The popularity of thermoplastic composites (TPCs) has been growing steadily in the last decades in the aircraft industry. This is not only because of their excellent material properties, but also owing to their fast and cost-effective manufacturing process. Fusion bonding, or welding, is a typical joining method for TPCs due to the intrinsic...

Residual Strains in Thick Thermoplastic Composites: An Experimental Approach

Thermoplastic composites are currently investigated for application in windmill turbine blades for their recyclability. A suitable manufacturing technology for these thick structures is liquid resin infusion followed by in-situ polymerisation of Anionic Polyamide-6 (APA-6). During manufacturing of thick composite structures, temperature...