Cost-effective Out-of-Autoclave Manufacturing of Thermoplastic Panels for Aerospace Structures

Abstract

The process of converting thermoplastic composite material to aerospace structures enjoys a high degree of flexibility, with the correct selection of heating, consolidation, and component integration methods enabling cost-effective manufacturing solutions for a number of aerospace applications. At the Institute for Structures and Design within the German Aerospace Center (DLR), a particular focus has been placed on Out-of-Autoclave (OoA) manufacturing technologies, with one such promising technology being oven consolidation. This paper presents results from an investigation into the influence of prepreg tape and auxiliary materials for an oven consolidation process and their influence on the laminate and surface quality. In addition to the production of individual laminates, thermoplastic welding and brazing technologies enable the integration of additional elements at different stages of the manufacturing process. The integration of stiffening elements into skin structures using these technologies is of particular interest, with amorphous materials such as PEKK6000 being shown to reduce the process temperature by nearly 60°C and provide a wider process window. Through combining these various technological developments, thermoplastic components can hence be produced at a competitive cost, increasing the use in the modern aerospace industry.