FEBRUARY 2016

OUT OF

OOA Processing:

TAKING OFF
DOWNLOAD this issue of
CompositesWorld
in a low-res PDF format
CLICK HERE

A Supplement to:

At Composites One, we
make it our business to
know your business.
Gary Yoder, Driver, Goshen, IN

People | Product | Process | Performance

Working with Composites One gives you access to a unique

partnership that starts with our PEOPLE, from regional customer service
reps and technical sales teams to local support teams at over 35 distribution
centers throughout North America. As your partner, well help you find everything
you need, make sure you receive it when you need it and do what it takes to help
grow your business including offering you emerging market expertise and
process application know-how. And well provide you with the
unmatched service and support that you should expect from the nations
leading composites distributor.
Thats the power of Partnership. The Power of One Composites One.

800.621.8003 | www.compositesone.com | www.b2bcomposites.com

Let our Advanced Composites Specialists help with your out-of-autoclave
and prepreg needs. Submit your questions at compositesone.com/product/prepreg.

OUT OF AUTOCLAVE SUPPLEMENT

OOA overview:
Market &
opportunities
CW looks at where aero-OEMs
and their suppliers are finding
out-of-autoclave alternatives.
By Jef Sloan / Editor-in-Chief

Although out-of-autoclave (OOA) processing

in aerospace applications has been employed for
decades in the manufacture of thermoset composite
parts for unmanned spacecraft and, more recently,
in the manufacture of substructures for commercial
passenger aircraft, the autoclave remains the curing
technology of choice for the worlds large aircraft
OEMs, primarily because of its brute strength its
ability to defnitively consolidate composite parts
and remove the voids that can compromise structural performance. Such robust consolidation,
however <1% void content comes at a high
price in terms of capital expense, operational costs
and time. As composites move further into aircraft,
its clear the autoclave cannot be the only process
available to aerocomposites fabricators. Today,
OOA alternatives include vacuum bag-only (VBO)
prepregs, dry fber placement, infusion processes
(which rely on oven cure), resin transfer molding
(RTM) and thermoplastic composites.
From a technical viewpoint the question is
simple: Can OOA options be matured sufciently
to yield parts with <1% void content? Te answer,
based in part on the reports in this supplement,
is yes, but there is a larger question: Can OOA
processes match this parameter and demonstrate
enough overall savings in capital expense and time
to justify the process development/recertifcation
eforts that a move to OOA will require?
We may have that answer sooner than later. As
the stories in this OOA Supplement demonstrate,
the activity level in OOA process development is
substantial, involving structures on fying aircraft.
And the composites professionals involved with
each, as youll fnd, are strongly invested in making
OOA not only feasible, but successful.

HiTape reinforcements
earned the JEC Europe
2015 Innovation Award
in Aeronautics.

Award-winning
out of autoclave
solutions for next
generation aircraft
primary structures
Hexcels HiTape advanced dry carbon ber
reinforcements are designed for the automated
manufacture of preforms at very high deposition
rates, which are then infused with Hexcels RTM6
resin in a cost-efcient out of autoclave process.
Parts produced with HiTape reinforcements
and Hexcels HexFlow infusion resins can be
up to 30mm thick with a 58 to 60% ber volume
content, resulting in mechanical properties that
are as high as those achieved with primary
structure prepregs.
To nd out more on these and Hexcels other
innovative out of autoclave solutions, visit us at
JEC Europe in Paris, France, March 8-10 at
booth G45 in Hall 5A or online at
www.hexcel.com

CompositesWorld.com

OUT OF AUTOCLAVE SUPPLEMENT

VBO prepregs: The Vision SF50

OOA vacuum-bag-only process makes carbon fiber
structures a reality for a unique personal jet.
By Jef Sloan / Editor-in-Chief

VBO prepreg payoff

This fve-plus passenger, single-engine, V-tailed personal
jet will sport an OOA-composites-enabled low maximum
takeof weight of 2,722 kg. Source (all photos) | Cirrus Aircraft

Cirrus Aircrafts (Duluth, MN, US) Vision SF50,

when it enters the market in 2016, will be the newest
entrant in general aviations personal jet segment.
Tis fve-plus passenger, single-engine, V-tailed
aircraft is 9.4m long, has a wingspan of 11.7m, a
maximum takeof weight of 2,722 kg and features a
maximum cruise speed of 300 KTAS. Te piggybackmounted Williams International engine ofers 1,800 lb
of thrust and helps put jet-aircraft performance within
reach of private fying enthusiasts.
Te SF50 airframe features 350 parts including
stabilizer, fuselage and wing structure manufactured primarily using carbon fber composites fabricated with out-of-autoclave (OOA) processes that help
make this craft mechanically robust and durable.
Tony Snyder, engineering manager of manufacturing operations at Cirrus, says the company chose
OOA for the SF50 after it was successfully used to
make structures for its SR2X series of piston and
propeller-based single-engine personal aircraft.
Snyder says of the decision to use OOA processes,
Te capital avoidance savings are signifcant, as
well as the reduction in operational costs. High on
the list of the latter is the cost of autoclave nitrogen
consumption.
2

FEBRUARY 2016

Te material used in the SF50 is TC275, a carbon

fber/epoxy prepreg supplied by TenCate Advanced
Composites (Morgan Hill, CA, US). It is hand-layed
and ranges in thicknesses from 1 mm to 127 mm.
Parts are vacuum bagged and then cured in an oven
at 135C for about 10 hours. Ticker parts are run
through an additional debulking cycle as well. Ovens
are supplied by Gehnrich (now Wisconsin Oven, E.
Troy, WI, US) and Rapid Engineering (Comstock Park,
MI, US).
Cirrus has done a great deal of process development in order to optimize OOA operations for
the myriad parts made, says Eric Olson, materials
engineer for airframe engineering. Tis included
development of cure profles specifc to part size,
tool type and part geometry, which built fexibility
into the system. Lots of investigation was done to
better understand how resin was fowing within the
fber bed during cure, he says. Tis included fowindicating layers on test parts, image analysis, micro
CT and DOEs [designs of experiments]. Much of the
trial-and-error work was aimed at quantifcation of
the variables impacting laminate quality and getting a
better understanding of resin fow.
Post-mold fnishing, routing and drilling is
performed using the companys 5-axis CNC machine
supplied by Diversifed Machining Systems (Colorado
Springs, CO, US). Te fuselage, as the photos show,
is fabricated in sections and then assembled via
bonding and fasteners. Bonding is done with
Huntsman Advanced Materials (Te Woodlands, TX,
US) Epibond two-part structural adhesive.
Many fnished parts are assessed via nondestructive testing (NDT) using ultrasonic pulse/echo

CompositesWorld

Case History: VBO Prepreg

Personal jet wing structure

SF50 fuselage

The SF50s full-span carbon fber/epoxy wing structure, seen from

the perspective of the underside of the right wing.

The in-process fuselage structure features TC275, a carbon fber/

epoxy prepreg supplied by TenCate Advanced Composites (Morgan
Hill, CA, US).

technology. Larger structures, such as the fuselage,

are evaluated by one of two automated ultrasonic
inspection systems supplied by Matec Instrument
Cos. (Northborough, MA, US). When it comes to
quality control, Olson says Cirrus obviously considers
porosity, but thats not the only parameter the
company measures. Part criticality, damage tolerance substantiation and inspection methods also
factor in, he says.

Cirrus ultimate production targets a build rate of

2.5 jets per week, 125 aircraft per year. Te Vision SF50
is currently undergoing fnal fight testing and its FAA
certifcation is expected in the frst half of 2016, with
customer deliveries beginning shortly thereafter.

Read this article online | short.compositesworld.com/SF50

All Compasses Point North

Out of Autoclave processing requires
real conversation and solid experience.
Based on our 40 year history,
we can guide you through the entire journey.
With a complete spectrum of services
from design assistance,
to tooling,
to part production
well get you to your destination.

www.northcoast.us
216-398-8550
CompositesWorld.com

OUT OF AUTOCLAVE SUPPLEMENT

VBO prepreg on
wing structure
GE Aviation scores frst use
of OOA wing trailing edge
on large commercial aircraft.
By David Inston / Contributing Writer

GE Aviations aircraft manufacturing facilities at

Hamble-le-Rice, UK, acquired in 2007 as part of GEs
acquisition of Smiths Aerospace, had a long history
of aviation innovation dating back to Britains WWII
fghter, the Spitfre, and was the production site over
the past two decades for composite parts destined for
numerous aircraft platforms, including Airbus and
Boeing commercial and military programs.
In 2008, a year after it acquired the site, GE won
the largest contract in the Hamble plants history: to
design and manufacture the entire wing fxed trailing
edge, including the trailing edge secondary structure, for both versions of the new Airbus A350 XWB.
Te composites challenge that this package gives GE
shouldnt be underestimated: It includes all the upper
and lower panels that make up the trailing edge aft of
the wing rear spar and the leg fairing door and hinge
panels for the aircrafts main landing gear.
Given the facilitys history, it also was ftting that
GE Aviation elected to form the composite secondary
structure from out-of-autoclave (OOA), vacuum bag
only (VBO) prepreg a commercial aviation frst
using a technique that GE Aviation Hamble has
carefully matured over a period of almost 15 years.
Te OOA technology was originally developed in
a UK-funded R&D program and then industrialized for the high-performance automotive industry.
GE Aviation transitioned the technology, making it
suitable for aerospace use. Te new A350 XWB has
become the stage for its production debut.
Te fxed trailing edge part package comprises
about 90 panels per aircraft. Two-thirds of the panels
were made from Cytecs (Heanor, Derbyshire, UK)
Airbus-qualifed MTM44-1 OOA prepreg using a 6K
4

FEBRUARY 2016

FIG. 1 VBO prepreg layup

The trailing edge Upper Panel 12 is layed up under cleanroom
conditions on the mold tool. Source | GE Aviation

2X2 twill Tenax HTA carbon fabric supplied by Toho

Tenax Europe GmbH (Wuppertal, Germany). Interestingly, the use of OOA material, which can be cured
at lower pressures, gave GE some additional design
benefts. As is conventional for such aircraft parts, a
sandwich construction was used, with aramid paper
honeycomb core placed between composite faceskins. GE designers have used a mixture of the wellknown Nomex honeycomb and the more recently
qualifed and lighter-weight N636. Additionally, with
a carbon fber wingbox and higher loads on the A350
fxed trailing edge structure, thicker honeycomb
islands with steep ramp angles were required. One of
the challenges to overcome was that the honeycomb
might collapse during the conventional autoclave
process. Apart from throughput and cost advantages
the GE OOA process is expected to bring, their process
for the most part has eliminated this technical risk.
Early in the project a decision was made to design
the largest, most heavily loaded panels using in-autoclave materials to reduce risk. However, in light of
the positive experiences with the OOA process, these

CompositesWorld

YOUR PARTNER IN...

COMPOSITE CURING

OVENS
We havent gone to space, but as a leading supplier to some
of the biggest names in the aerospace industry, its safe to say
LEWCO can handle the most advanced process heating
applications in the world. Time and time again, the biggest
names in the aerospace industry count on LEWCO to meet
the strictest application requirements, within stringent time
frames, and at competitive prices. Our customers know that a
LEWCO Oven will yield the best results for their composite
curing needs.

Questions? Dont hesitate to call or email us.

Wed be happy to help and we welcome your inquiry!
ISO 9001: 2008
Registered Company

We want to hear from you

(419) 502-2780
ovensales@lewcoinc.com
www.lewcoinc.com

Performance thats Built to Last!

OUT OF AUTOCLAVE SUPPLEMENT

FIG. 2 Bagged and

ready for oven cure
The vacuum bagged Upper Panel 12 in oven,
ready for cure, with thermocouples (mounted
on the underside of the toolface) wired for curetemperature control. Source | GE Aviation

types of parts could also potentially be

designed for OOA manufacturing.
Typical VBO prepreg panels, such
as the trailing edge Upper Panel 12 (in
Fig. 1, p. 4) were layed up under cleanroom conditions on the mold tool, then
vacuum bagged and moved to the oven
for cure. Fig. 2 shows Upper Panel 12
in the oven (note that thermocouples are installed on
the underside of the mold tool). During cure, cycle
times and temperatures for the OOA MTM44-1 system
are comparable to those for conventional 350F/177C
autoclave-cure materials but the cure cycle is without
the complexities of control of positive pressure. Full
vacuum only is maintained throughout the cycle.
Following cure, the upper panel was vacuum-secured
to a machining fxture within a CMS (Caledonia, MI,
US) machine for fnal machining and drilling. Tat
fxture also is the fnal buy-of fxture for the panels
to prove that the product is correct to model. Fully
machined upper panels, drilled and countersunk,
require a pin check and deburring before transport to
the NDT facility, where they are reviewed using ultrasonics for possible faults and defects during layup.
After successful completion of this process, the panels
are moved to paint, prior to assembly. Panel quality
is comparable with conventional autoclave-cured
honeycomb sandwich panels, with porosity levels that
reportedly meet all customer requirements.
Its all about cost and rate nowadays, explains
John Savage, technical authority composites. OOA
[prepreg] is well positioned to tackle both these
requirements, while it also provides a simpler production system compared to in-autoclave usage for
certain applications.
GE Hamble has proven the throughput and cost
principles of this process in its high-performance
automotive programs. As the new A350 XWB has
become the stage for its production debut in an aerospace environment, validation of the advantages is
anticipated when stable and mature production has
been reached.
6

FEBRUARY 2016

Te current package requires GE to deliver about

14,000 composite parts per annum, which will rise
with the projected demand for more aircraft. To meet
the projected demand, GE, as part of a fve-year,
US$50 million-plus investment at the Hamble site,
has developed a new 9000m2 composites production
facility. Both in-autoclave and OOA operations will be
housed in the new center.
Te new facility reportedly will incorporate the very
latest factory automation technology to improve the
efciency of the long established hand lay-up manufacturing technique: Tool movement and tracking will
use advanced technology, driven through the Manufacturing Execution System (MES). Layup tools and
product will be tracked through the factory, using
wireless technology. Control systems have been
integrated into the layup stations to automate the
services and the projection lasers, both of which are
automatically driven through the MES. Automation
and advanced material handling is a theme carried
throughout the new composite facility, in line with the
principles of Industry 4.0.
Building on this success in OOA technology, GE
Aviation is focusing R&D eforts on creation of other
materials and manufacturing processes, both in- and
out-of-autoclave, together with optimizing composite
design methods through a number of UK government
and EU-funded research and technology programs.
GE Aviation Hamble is set for a busy future.

Read this article online | short.compositesworld.com/VBOA350

CompositesWorld

Your Composite Curing Oven Specialists

Interior Supply and Return

Ducts with Interior Lighting

Vacuum Lines for Composite

Bag Applications

Interior Thermocouple
Jack Panel & Vacuum Stubs

Pressure Transducer Monitoring Lines and

Data Acquisition Control System

Vacuum Piping System w/Pressure

Transducer & Thermocouple Jack Panel

2675 Main Street P.O. Box 873 East Troy, WI 53120 USA
www.wisoven.com sales@wisoven.com 262-642-3938
Wisconsin Oven is a brand of Thermal Product Solutions, LLC

OUT OF AUTOCLAVE SUPPLEMENT

Resin Infusion:
Taking off?
Boeing Aerostructures
Australia leads largescale development of
resin infusion as an
industrial process.
By Ginger Gardiner / Senior Editor

Resin infusion is not yet widely used

in aerospace applications, but where it is, it provides
great economic advantage on highly loaded, critical
components. Premium Aerotec (Augsburg, Germany)
is producing the rear pressure bulkheads for Te
Boeing Co.s (Chicago, IL., US) 787 Dreamliner and the
Airbus (Toulouse, France) A350 XWB, and is using the
Airbus-patented Vacuum Assisted Process (VAP) to
build the Airbus A400M cargo door. A similar process
has been demonstrated by FACC (Ried im Innkreis,
Austria) in the DAEDALUS program for an integrated
A350 spoiler, and one is being certifed by Aerocomposit (Moscow, Russia) for the wing and wingbox of the
Irkut (Moscow, Russia) MS-21 single-aisle jet (for more
on all, see Learn More, p. 9). Te Mitsubishi Regional
Jet (MRJ) program also has developed the advanced
vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (A-VaRTM)
process for the aircrafts vertical tail, citing not only
productivity improvements but also weight reduction
in primary structures. Specifcally, dry fabrics are said
to be easier to ft into 3D geometries with ply dropofs, reducing the risk of wrinkles commonly seen
with prepreg. Proponents of A-VaRTM and several
other liquid molding processes are developing a hot
compaction process step to densify the preform while
shaping it and melting any thermoplastic binder in the
dry fabrics to achieve fber volume fractions on par
with conventional prepreg processing.
Boeing Aerostructures Australia (BAA, previously
Hawker de Havilland, Melbourne, Victoria) produces
the only other resin-infused structure currently fying
on a commercial aircraft, the movable trailing edge
(MTE) on the Boeing 787. Te MTE is actually an
8

FEBRUARY 2016

assortment of separately molded parts that includes

the aileron, faperon, inboard and outboard faps,
seven spoilers and all of the fairings. Te largest of
these parts is the 10m-long by 4m-wide outboard fap.
A Boeing subsidiary since 2000, BAA began collaborating with the Australian government-funded Cooperative Research Centre for Advanced Composite
Structures (CRC-ACS, Melbourne) in the 1990s to
modify the marine industrys VARTM process for
aerospace use. Central to its 2003 win of the US$5
billion, 20-year, sole-supplier contract for the B787
MTE, the public/private research efort demonstrated
full-scale, resin-infused structures that meet aerospace-quality requirements while integrating multiple
components into single, unitized parts, thus reducing
assembly labor, time and cost. Computer modeling
and process simulation enabled designers to address
production issues early and reduce testing, resulting
in signifcant cost savings.
In 2008, Boeing invested further in infusion by
establishing its largest R&D facility outside the US
in Port Melbourne, Victoria. Boeing Research and
Technology Australia (BR&T-A) now focuses on
resin infusion and advanced robotics and automation.
Resin infusion technology enables use of lower cost
materials ... without the need for expensive autoclaves, said David Pook, Melbourne Tech Centre
manager for BR&T-Australia.
Using Hexcels (Stamford, CT, US) HexRTM6 epoxy
resin and a specially developed HexForce 12K spreadtow carbon fber fabric, BAA uses a modifed form of
VARTM, Boeings patented Controlled Atmospheric
Pressure Resin Infusion (CAPRI). Tis reportedly

CompositesWorld

Case Study: Resin Infusion

Resin infusion: 787 wings

movable trailing edge
BAA uses resin infusion to manufacture an assortment of
parts which are then assembled (see automated drilling/
riveting machine here) to form the movable trailing edge
for each Boeing 787 wing. Source | Boeing Aerostructures Australia

resolves the lack of compaction pressure on the

preform after resin infltration by placing the resin
reservoir under partial vacuum so that its pressure is
below 1 atm. Boeing has used CAPRI to demonstrate
parts with fber volume fractions and performance
equivalent to autoclave-cured prepreg parts. CAPRI
also has been used in conjunction with stitched
preforms to make landing gear doors for the C-17
Globemaster III transport aircraft for the US Air Force.
BAA cures MTE parts in 15 large ovens supplied
by Furnace Engineering (Victoria) which provide air
recirculation rates and heating power to match an
autoclaves efciency in delivering heat to both the
tool and part, while still reducing the overall process
cost. At frst glance, the fans on these aerospace
infusion ovens may seem disproportionately large for
the oven, says Furnace Engineering director Brian
Gooden, but he explains, Tis is in order to ensure
rapid but uniform heat-up rates are achieved.
BAA currently ships 10 MTE sets per month to the
B787 fnal assembly line, and aims for 12 per month
by 2016 and 14 per month by 2020. It will continue
working hand-in-hand with BR&T-A to develop the
next generation of resin-infused composites to meet
targets for improved performance, rapid processing
and reduced environmental impact.

Read this article online |

short.compositesworld.com/RI-Takeoff
Read more about semi-permeable membranes in
Semipermeables: Next trend in infusion? online |
short.compositesworld.com/semiperm
Read more online about FACCs membrane-assisted
resin infusion (MARI) process:
FACC AG: Aerocomposites Powerhouse |
short.compositesworld.com/FACCTour
707 Fulton Ave.
Rockford, IL 61103 USA
815-987-6000
afpm@ingersoll.com

FACC: Aerospace infusion pioneer |

short.compositesworld.com/FACC-RI
Read more online about the MS-21 in Resin-infused
MS-21 wings and wingbox |
short.compositesworld.com/MS-21wings
CompositesWorld.com

OUT OF AUTOCLAVE SUPPLEMENT

Resin transfer
molding: An update
Fulfilling the promise of
OOA composites without
sacrificing pressure.
By Ginger Gardiner / Senior Editor

Glass fber lining

Interior
edge
buildup
Selective
stitching
Vertical
structural
stitching

Interior edge
buildup

10

FEBRUARY 2016

Although the origins of resin transfer molding

(RTM) reach back to post-World War II marine vessel
development in the 1950s, the process was not applied
to aerospace composites until the 1980s. RTM has
two primary advantages over resin infusion. One is its
application of high pressure typically up to 100 psi,
vs. 14.7 psi with vacuum only although RTM equipment can generate pressures above 300 psi. Te other
is its use of matched metal molds, which enable tight
tolerances, complex geometries and a high-quality
fnish on all visible molded surfaces. Its disadvantages include mold and injection equipment cost and
process complexity, but with continuing advances in
simulation tools, the latter is being addressed while
the equipment, costly though it might be, ofers a route
to automation and holds a defnite edge over infusion
in terms of part repeatability.
Advanced Composite Engineering GmbH (ACE,
Immenstaad, Germany), for example, is manufacturing
the Airbus (Toulouse, France) A350 XWBs carbon fber
composite window frames, using an automated RTM
production line supplied by mold
manufacturer BBG GmbH & Co.
FIG. 1 A350
XWB window
KG (Mindelheim, Germany).
frames
BBG reports that the line installed
The A350 XWB
at ACEs facility in Hagnau,
window frame
Germany, can produce up to
preforms use vertical
8,000 composite window frames
structural stitching
per year using the current twin
and selective
stitching to achieve
BFT-C mold carrier systems (see
an L-cross-sectioned
Learn More on p. 11). Addition
oval without any
of four more BFT-C systems is
wrinkles and a glass
planned, presumably for producfber lining to prevent
tion rate increase.
galvanic corrosion in
contact with metal.
Originally developed for the
Airbus A380, the frames met a
Source | Hightex
challenge to reduce weight while
meeting precise geometry and
primary fuselage loads as well as cost targets. Te
A350 frames use a complex 3D preform developed
by Hightex Verstrkungsstrukturen (Klipphausen,
Germany) and Airbus Operations in Hamburg,
Germany. Tailored Fiber Placement (TFP, see Learn
More, p. 11) is used to create a 2D preform with both
selective stitching (stitches in some areas and not
in others) and structural stitching (straight up-anddown stitches), as well as a glass fber interior lining to
prevent galvanic corrosion with aluminum interfaces

CompositesWorld

RTM Update

FIG. 2 RTMd spoiler main fittings

FACC replaced this costly forged aluminum main ftting (left) in the A330/
A340 and, now, A350 spoilers with RTMd CFRP, cutting CTE issues and
30% of the fttings weight (right). Source | FACC AG

(see Fig. 1, p. 10). As the fat TFP preforms are shaped

into a wrinkle-free oval with an L-shaped crosssection, selective stitching allows the fbers to conform
while maintaining straight alignment to carry loads,
while structural stitching assists in handling the high
loads around the frames circumference.
Elsewhere, Aernnova Aerospace (Madrid, Spain) is
using RTM to produce the leading edge and its loadbearing rib for the A350 XWBs horizontal tail plane
(HTP, or horizontal stabilizer). Reportedly the only Tier
1 supplier to include RTM in its bid for the design, validation, manufacture and assembly of the A350 HTP,
Aernnova used ESI Groups (Paris, France) PAM-FORM
software to simulate preforming, including fber angles
that afect permeability, and PAM-RTM software to
simulate resin injection and flling of the preform.
Together, the programs helped Aernnova eliminate
preform wrinkles, add new vent points to eliminate dry
spots and modify the RTM mold to ensure part quality
and process reproducibility.
Airbus Helicopters Donauworth, Germany, facility
is also molding RTM structures for the A350 XWB, i.e.,
the inner structural grid for each aircrafts four pairs
of passenger doors (see Learn More). A WICKERT
(Landau in Pfalz, Germany) W WKP 2500 S press with
a 2500-kN closing pressure and automatic shuttle
transport is used to cure preconsolidated preforms
made from 3C-Carbon Composite Co. (Landsberg am
Lech, Germany) carbon fber fabrics injected with
Hexcels (Stamford, CT, US) HexFlow RTM6 epoxy.
WICKERT reports a six-hour cure cycle per door.

Other parts using RTM (see Learn More) include

the main ftting (see Fig. 2) for spoilers used on the
Airbus A330/A340 and now, refned for the A350 XWB
by FACC (Ried im Innkreis, Austria); fan blades and
the fan case for CFM Internationals (Cincinnati, OH,
US) LEAP jet engine; the main landing gear braces
for the Boeing 787 (now reverted to metal) made by
Aircelles Le Havre, France, facility for Messier-Dowty
(Velizy, France) using Albany Engineered Composites
(AEC, Rochester, NH, US) 3D textile preforms; and a
variety of structures on the F-35 Lightning II fghter
built by Lockheed Martin (Ft. Worth, TX, US), GKN
Aerospace (Redditch, UK) and others.

Read this article online |

short.compositesworld.com/RTM-Update
Read more online about BBGs automated line for
composite window frames in Airbus A350 to use CFRP
window frames |
short.compositesworld.com/A350frames
Read Tailored Fiber Placement: Besting metal in volume
production online |
short.compositesworld.com/7QEhsvZ0
Read more online about Airbus Helicopter Donauworths
RTM doors for the A350 in Donauwrth as composites
pioneer | short.compositesworld.com/DonauRTM
Read more about other RTM aircraft structures online |
short.compositesworld.com/FACCTour
short.compositesworld.com/Albany3D
short.compositesworld.com/kMtZ7sBm
short.compositesworld.com/RMCVRTM

CompositesWorld.com

11

OUT OF AUTOCLAVE SUPPLEMENT

OOA: Thermoplastic alternative

targets performance spec
CF/PEEK helicopter driveshafts toughness trumps traditional metric.
By Jef Sloan / Editor-in-Chief

A strong advocate of thermoplastic

composites, David Hauber, VP of Engineering at Automated Dynamics (Schenectady, NY, US), is working diligently
to dispel what he calls the myth of
the necessity for <1% porosity (void
content) in composite aerostructures.
Te key is not porosity, he contends.
Thermoplastic composites: Toughness triumphs
Its performance. Tough thermoplastic
Development of this helicopter driveshaft helped dispel the notion that porosity is
materials are much less sensitive to
paramount when it comes to thermoplastic composites performance. It ofered a 35%
porosity than their more brittle therweight reduction compared to its aluminum predecessor, with 150% post-ballistic
torque to failure with thermoset-unacceptable 4% porosity. Source | Automated Dynamics
moset counterparts.
For proof of this, Hauber points to
work Automated Dynamics has done
developing a thermoplastic driveshaft for helicopter
Hauber, is what led the customer to thermoplastics in
use that ofers a 35% weight reduction compared to
the frst place. Te initial impetus for going to therits aluminum predecessor, with 150% post-ballistic
moplastics for this shaft was for better operational
torque to failure all with 4% porosity. Te project
durability, he points out.
was funded by a Navy Small Business Innovation
To assess the ballistic response, SURVICE simulates
Research (SBIR) Phase II grant that partnered ADC
what Hauber says is considered the worst possible
with SURVICE Engineering (Belcamp, MD, US) and
damage a shaft might endure: a glancing blow from
UTC Aerospace Systems (UTAS, Rome, NY, US).
a high-speed projectile. Te shaft is then tested to
Te driveshaft is composed of a carbon fber/
failure in a damaged state; the Automated Dynamics
polyetheretherketone (PEEK) prepreg that features
shaft, reports Hauber, failed at 150% of the required
HexTow IM7 fber, from Hexcel (Stamford, CT, US).
value. Feedback has been very positive; the next step
Te prepreg is in-situ placed via an automated fber
will be testing the shaft in an operational environplacement (AFP) system developed by Automated
ment, with a goal of TRL 6.
Dynamics, on a cylindrical aluminum mandrel. Te
Hauber acknowledges that thermoplastic compossystems short heat-afected zone and high pressure
ites advocates have a long row to hoe convincing the
applied at laydown produces a shaft that is immediaerospace industry that product performance trumps
ately and fully consolidated, with, says Hauber, no
porosity values. Tis is particularly challenging given
post-process work required to fnish cure.
the long qualifcation cycles a material must endure
After consolidation, the shaft is removed from the
before it is approved for commercial use: Its very
mandrel, trimmed and sent to UTC Aerospace Systems,
expensive to characterize and qualify a new material,
where end-fttings are added and testing begins.
he says. Te challenge is to overcome the perceived
Te shafts key performance metric is how it
risk by demonstrating improved performance in a
responds in a ballistic environment, and this, says
demanding operating environment.
12

OUT OF AUTOCLAVE SUPPLEMENT

Dry fiber placement: Surpassing limits

Coriolis Composites automated aerostructures manufacturing using
dry materials moves from development projects to production.
By Ginger Gardiner / Senior Editor

Automated dry fber placement (DFP)

and out-of-autoclave processes are listed
as the key parameters that will afect the
cost of future aerospace composites in
the 2015 report, Carbon composites are
becoming competitive and cost efective,
produced by Infosys (Bangalore, India).
Dry fber placement removes from the
manufacturing equation the additional
cost of prepregging, frozen storage and
autoclave processing. It also facilitates
production of large unitized structures
because there are no out-time limitations for complex layups as there are with
prepreg. Te current maximum out-time
for OOA prepreg is 21 days. Tis could
present difculties for large, integrated
wing structures, like those developed
for the Irkut (Moscow, Russia) MS-21.
Conversely, without this limit, it is now
possible to develop unitized primary
structures even further, including the use
of novel materials and elements for inteThe dry fiber advantage
gration of additional functions (see Learn
More, p. 14).
Dry fber placement frees part manufacturers from the necessity to refrigerate
Because the dry fbers are infused or
prepreg and lay up todays OOA prepregs within the current best 21-day
out-time window, permitting designers to more thoroughly integrate structures,
injected with liquid resin after layup,
reducing the need for fasteners, joints and assembly steps/labor.
the dry fber tows must be coated with a
Source (top photo) | Coriolis Composites / (bottom photo) | Hexcel
binder to prevent displacement during
automated layup.
How does automated fber placethan with thermoset materials and that accuracy
ment (AFP) with dry fber difer from traditional
of fber placement is also demanding. You must
epoxy prepreg tows? It is less stif, so you must keep
optimize the fber placement to achieve permeability
the fber tension in the machine very low, replies
in the preform so that it can be infused reliably,
Coriolis Composites (Queven, France) chief techHamlyn adds. However, he notes that early indicanology ofcer Alexandre Hamlyn. He notes this
tions from development work, to date, show dry
makes laying fber at high speeds more challenging
CompositesWorld.com

13

OUT OF AUTOCLAVE SUPPLEMENT

fber-placed/liquid resin-infused structures have

improved mechanical properties. Why? Although
work is still ongoing, Hamlyn says the thermoplastic
binder on the fbers improves toughness, which then
impacts the failure mode for other properties.
Coriolis refned its robotic dry-fber placement
machines to make laser heating standard during the
2009-2013 ADVITAC project, which sought to produce

SIDE STORY

Automated dry fber

placement: A growing trend
Among the many collaboratives and individual
companies that have pursued or are currently pursuing
initiatives in dry fber placement and OOA process
development are the following:
AUTOW project (2007-2009) led by National Aerospace Laboratory (NLR, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
and including Dassault (Paris, France) and Israel
Aerospace Industries (IAI, Tel Aviv, Israel).
Cytec PRISM develops TX1100 dry tape for resin
infusion preforms via AFP.
Ingersoll Machine Tools (Rockford, IL, US) and
University of South Carolina McNair Center (Columbia,
SC, US) collaborate with Hexcel HiTape for aerospace
production using dry fber AFP.
DYNAFIB project for local reinforcements in antivibration automotive systems using injection molding
Coriolis Composites (Queven, France), Cooper Standard.
FIABILIN project for bio-matrix infused fax structures
Coriolis, Arkema (Colombes, France).
German Aerospace Center (DLR) Center for
Lightweight-Production-Technology (Stade, Germany)
full-scale WingCover DFP for resin infusion.
MG Aerospace (Augsburg, Germany) Fiber-reinforced
Optimized Rocket Case (FORC), a solid rocket motor
case, using dry fber and resin infusion.
The D3D dry fber preform manufacturing method for
automated aerospace production, from Composite
Alliance Corp. (Dallas, TX, US), developed originally by
Shikibo Ltd. (Osaka, Japan).
Infusion Resins for Automated Dry Fiber Placement
NASA SBIR via Marshall Space Flight Center (Huntsville,
AL, US).
14

FEBRUARY 2016

a smart composite aircraft tailcone via a fastener-free,

integrated structure, using dry fber placement and
liquid resin molding. It also worked with composite
parts manufacturer Aerocomposit (Moscow, Russia)
to adapt this technology for the resin-infused wing on
the MS-21 single-aisle jetliner (see Learn More).
A robot-based Coriolis machine is now producing
wing spar and stringer preforms at Aerocomposit,
while a gantry-based machine by MTorres (Torres
de Elorz, Spain) is laying up the wingskin preforms.
Te robot is well-adapted for complicated shapes,
explains Hamlyn. It is also very dynamic, which is
important because it must interpolate up to eight
axes of movement at a time, including that of the tool
supporting the structures. Tis is part of the software
we have developed to optimize the machines
performance.
Hamlyn notes that the Coriolis machines can place
dry fber at the same speed as conventional AFP, but
this is partly because all of our machines have been
developed to handle dry fber as well as thermoset
and thermoplastic prepreg materials. He explains
that when Coriolis was founded in 2000, its initial
targets were wind blades and automotive parts, applications that require low-cost materials, such as dry
fber. Coriolis switched to thermoset tapes only when
it began working with Airbus (Toulouse, France),
because the OEM wanted to use already qualifed
materials. But we realized that one day the aerospace industry would want to use dry fber as well,
says Hamlyn.
Indeed, many projects and players are pursuing
dry fber placement for both aerospace and automotive/transportation applications (see the Side Story
at left).

Read this article online |

short.compositesworld.com/DryLay
Read more about the MS-21 in Resin-infused MS-21
wings and wingbox online |
short.compositesworld.com/MS-21wings
Read more about multifunctional structures in
Aerocomposites: The move to multifunctionality
compositesworld.com/articles/aerocomposites-themove-to-multifunctionality

CompositesWorld

OUT OF AUTOCLAVE SUPPLEMENT

Research on OOA processing continues

Much work has been done to make OOA processing practical
for aerospace applications, but much work still remains if it is
to become the compelling option.
By Sara Black / Technical Editor

Trapped air
pockets

Air channel
along fber
plane

VBO prepreg:
air evacuation
This scanning electron microscope
(SEM) image shows an unconsolidated and uncured VBO prepreg, with
air channels along the plane of the
fbers, as well as trapped air pockets
between plies, clearly visible.
Source | USC/Lessa Grunenfelder

Much is at stake with regard to out-of-autoclave

processing. Although OOA methods use less energy,
energy consumption is actually a small portion of total
composite part cost, and if a company changes how
a part is manufactured, re-qualifcation costs must
be considered in the cost equation. But, if volumes
are high enough, OOA is worth pursuing because it
can shorten cycle times and signifcantly cut capital
and tooling investments, which ultimately will make
composite parts more cost efective.
But much work remains to be done to improve
processing and address issues that include surface
porosity and pitting, debulk time and void entrapment. Dr. Lessa Grunenfelder, a member of the
teaching faculty at the University of Southern California (USC) Viterbi School of Engineering (Los
Angeles, CA, US), together with Professor Steve Nutt,
the director of the M.C. Gill Composites Center in

USCs Department of Chemical Engineering and

Materials Science, has presented research on better
ways to evacuate entrapped air and moisture from
vacuum bag only (VBO) prepregs.
Breathable edge dams, says Grunenfelder of a
popular current solution, are great for simple parts,
but what about complex parts with ply drops? We
must have some degree of in-plane and throughthickness permeability. USC has actually developed
a woven fabric prepreg product, called USCpreg, a
vacuum-bag only (VBO) semi-preg system made
in a roll-coating process. Resin impregnation of the
USCpreg is uneven and irregular, which leaves dry
areas that create pathways for air escape without the
need for complex edge-breathing bagging setups, and
eliminates long vacuum hold times. Tis system will
make larger, more complex parts possible with OOA
prepregs, she says. However, VBO prepregs greater

CompositesWorld.com

15

OUT OF AUTOCLAVE SUPPLEMENT

comparable bulk, wrinkling issues and how to translate

USCs material concept to unidirectional prepreg plies
are still challenges: Work is continuing on visualization
studies that track air removal in prepregs, co-cure of
OOA sandwich structure facesheets and adhesives, and
VBO processing of complex parts with corner angles.
Mikhail Grigoriev, a senior process engineer at Aerospace Materials Processing (Redondo Beach, CA, US), has
investigated ways to reduce surface porosity and pitting
on the tool side of OOA parts, with funding from the Air
Force Research Laboratory (AFRL, Dayton, Ohio). Our
motivations were to achieve equal properties with autoclaved composites, at reduced part cost, and with no limit
in part size, says Grigoriev.
To avoid having to use unwieldy release flms that are
tough to apply on complex shapes, Grigorievs team has
investigated etching micro-structured patterns onto tools.
Te research has shown that the height of the etched
features was the key element. Etched patterns between
12 and 14 microns high reportedly provide adequate
pathways for gas escape, reducing surface pitting and
overall porosity. Work is continuing on larger tools and
proprietary etchings, he says.

20
A N NIVE

RS

AR

HPC

Charter
Advertiser

Although autoclave-cured prepregs are wellmodeled and characterized, OOA prepregs can have
diferent tool/part interaction and thermal profles.
AFRLs Gregory Ehlert has presented information
on the use of gold nanorods, 40 to 60 nm in length,
mixed with epoxy prepreg resin, that change shape
gradually, and irreversibly, with heat. Using Raven
simulation software from Convergent Manufacturing
Technologies Inc. (Vancouver, BC, Canada), Ehlerts
group was able to model degree of cure out of the
autoclave as a function of temperature and time,
confrmed as nanorods change from rods to small
spheres: Its a passive technique that has utility for
monitoring cure for OOA processing, says Ehlert.
Te University of Delawares Center for Composite
Materials (CCM, Newark, DE, US) post-doctoral
researcher Tomas Cender has studied the physics of
air bubble formation and migration during vacuum
application, and the conditions under which the
air bubbles within the resin can fow faster than
the average resin velocity, and be evacuated with
the applied vacuum. Te CCM group is developing
models to characterize the way that bubbles (which
form voids in the cured part) can be eliminated. We
want to establish how the pressure gradient, fabric
permeability and fuid properties can be optimized
to increase bubble mobility so that they can be
removed during the process, says Cender.
NASA has investigated the issue of out-time of
OOA prepregs, compared to autoclave-curable
prepregs, from the standpoint of their impact on
the ability to fabricate very large structures within
the time window aforded by the prepreg itself. Past
research has shown that while OOA composite test
parts have comparable mechanical and thermal
performance to autoclaved parts, when both are
made with fresh prepreg, OOA prepregs thermal
and mechanical performance and tack was signifcantly reduced when out-life exceeded 21 days. A
current NASA project, the Long Out-time, Out-ofAutoclave Cure Composites Project, is committed
to developing a prepreg matrix system for OOA
parts with an out-time of one year, during which
produced parts uniformly exhibit good part properties and damage tolerance.

Read this article online |

short.compositesworld.com/OOA-RandD

16

FEBRUARY 2016

CompositesWorld

TenCate Advanced Composites

Delivering results with out-of-autoclave composites.

Cirrus SF50 Vision Personal Jet

TenCate Advanced Composites is the recognized leader in the development and production of out of
autoclave, vacuum bag only composite materials for flight critical applications. Our products are found
on the nations leading unmanned aerial vehicle program, the latest generation of launch vehicles, the
newest manned spacecraft and the most successful general aviation program in the world. Backed
by award winning customer service and technical support and the industrys shortest lead times,
TenCate is ideally positioned to help you succeed.

TCAC_CWComposites_OOA_CirrusJet_Full Feb2016

Download our white paper at www.tencate.com/ooa

Visit us at JEC Paris 2016, Booth T44, Hall 5

www.tencateadvancedcomposites.com

Chadderton, England

Tianjin, China

Springfeld, TN U.S.A.
Differdange, Luxembourg
Huntington Beach, CA U.S.A.
Chino, CA U.S.A.

Beta Prepreg
Composite tooling prepreg
manufactured by AIRTECH using
Henkel Loctite Benzoxazine
resin technology

Benefts
Exceptionally long out-life
& excellent tack
Allows a minimum of 6 months storage
at room temperature while maintaining
superior tack level.

Outstanding toughness and Tg

Tough, high Tg (484F / 251C)
Benzoxazine resin ensures stability
at high temperature and a long tool
service life.

Excellent post machining quality

Allows machining of complex geometry
& accurate details.

th
Scan

is
Watch an exciting
video about our
Beta Prepreg!

www.airtechonline.com

INTERNATIONAL INC.

EUROPE Sarl

ADVANCED MATERIALS LTD

ASIA LTD