Low cost forming for ACM in air crafts. III. Low cost forming technology of thermoplastic resin composites and textile technology, research and definition

• Published in: Nihon Fukugō Zairyō Gakkaishi Vol. 24; no. 2; pp. 41 - 48
• Main Authors: Taki, T, Amaoka, K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: 01.01.1998
• ISSN: 0385-2563

During later part of 1980s Lockheed Company had shown lots of interest in thermoplastic resin composites and significant amount of such materials were used in the experimentally developed Advanced Technical Fighter (ATF). Later on in the structure of then officially named ATF plane (F-22) this amount has decreased to just 1% of total weight. Among the forming topics the aircraft structural materials shall have a molten temperature above 350 deg C thus high temperature forming machines are required for high viscosity and pressure materials. In case of vacuum bag materials it is necessary to use heat resistant and expensive additives to sealing materials among others as described. In Direct Consolidate technology which greatly reduces number of processes filament winding and fiber placement methods are utilized. Delaware University had developed a fiber placement head with 300 mm/sec target layering speed as illustrated. Automated Dynamic Corporation on the other hand during developmental works on its "Thick Composite Technology" for ARPA had experimentally produced a support circular disc of 1.22 m in diameter. Also in 1995 NASA Langley Research Center implemented a fiber placement device using gas torch for heating purpose and had reported the lamination experiments results for APC-2 (AS4/PEEK) etc. Other topics being discussed here include powder coat tow pregnation technology although due to high cost NASA is the focus of its application. Additionally Thermoplastic Engineered Preforms (TEPEX) system and Long Discontinuous Fibers (LDF) are introduced with illustrations and performance graphs.