TAILOR-MADE THERMOPLASTICS: PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY AND QUALITY ASSURANCE OF A THERMOPLASTIC AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE SKIN SEGMENT

Abstract

The production of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) parts for aircrafts is very time and cost intensive. To be able to compete with metal based technologies both the area of application as well as the production of CFRPs must be reconsidered. For this reason the Center for Lightweight Production Technology (ZLP) at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Augsburg analyses the whole process chain along the production of CFRPs, starting from the choice of the material to the final assembly, on optimization potentials. Process automation and optimization is demonstrated on the basis of an aircraft skin segment demonstrator produced out of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) material. This material class offers alternative processing technologies compared to their thermoset counterparts. Technology solutions for each process step are developed like automated preforming, Out-of-Autoclave vacuum consolidation, combined laser and milling processing as well as automated dustless assembly. An alternative production process for structural parts of aircrafts could be demonstrated using the advantages of thermoplastics.