Effect of in situ treatment on the quality of flat thermoplastic composite plates made by automated fiber placement (AFP)

Abstract

Composite structures used as aerosurfaces in aerodynamic applications are required to have a certain surface finish quality. In manufacturing of thermoplastic composites using automated fiber placement (AFP) for aerodynamic applications, it is not only desirable to achieve good consolidation by using AFP alone and avoiding secondary treatment in an autoclave, but also to achieve acceptable surface smoothness required for aerosurfaces. In this study, an in situ treatment called “repass” was implemented to achieve surface finish quality required for aerodynamic applications. Moreover, the effect of this in situ treatment on the quality of the thermoplastic laminates, including void content and crystallinity was investigated. Autoclave-treated samples were used as references for comparing surface quality and other quality indicators.

Keywords

• In situ treatment
• repass
• automated fiber placement (AFP)
• thermoplastic composites
• in situ consolidation
• surface quality
• roughness