Comparative Study of Compaction and Voids Development During the Out-of-Autoclave Curing Followed by CT-Scan: Effects Upon ILSS

Abstract

The main challenges with composite parts manufacturing are related to the curing means, mainly autoclaves, the length of their cycles and their operating costs. In order to decrease this dependency, out of autoclave materials have been considered a solution for high production rate parts such as spars, flaps, etc. However, most out-of-autoclave process do not possess the same maturity as their counterpart, especially concerning achievable part quality. The absence of external pressure during cure has an impact on the part quality if the parameters such as the temperature and vacuum are not set correctly. In this work, the behaviour of 2 prepreg materials developed for out-of-autoclave curing is analysed by CT-Scan during precompaction under vacuum and during curing steps, with a focus on the manufactured laminates void content. The way mechanical properties are affected by void content is then studied by measuring the interlaminar shear stress of VBO processed parts.