ADVANTAGES AND LIMITS OF NON-CRIMP-FABRIC-MATERIAL IN AUTOMATED PREFORMING FACILITIES WITH A NEW ROLL-FORMING PROCESS

Abstract

The direct operating costs of aircraft are highly driven by the structural weight. To achieve lower structural weight the material of selected structures is changed from aluminum to lighter Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRP). To fulfill the high demand for new aircraft and thus high production rates, rapid processes for curved CFRP-frames are needed. The Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM) process has a high potential for fast and cost effective manufacturing of CFRP frames. Within the RTM-Process the preforming is one essential step for high quality components. A new preforming line developed at DLR using roll-forming techniques and Non-Crimp-Fabrics (NCF) provides a highly accurate fiber orientation along the complete length of the preform. This automated and continuous manufacturing process is characterized by draping NCF material with two roller stands rotating at different speeds. To use the full potential of the automation a thorough understanding of the material behavior is essential for an efficient and appropriate process. Within this paper the material parameters are further characterized by a newly developed draping test emulating the forming process. Parameters of different NCF-Materials were defined and compared to the automated manufacturing behavior. These parameters allow a higher feed rate thus leading to higher production rates.