THE FABRICATION AND PERFORMANCE OF FLAT SKIN STRINGER AND HONEYCOMB PANELS MANUFACTURED BY A THERMOPLASTIC AUTOMATED TAPE PLACEMENT PROCESS

摘要

An automated thermoplastic tape placement head and process have been demonstrated via successful fabrication of flat laminates and skin stringer and honeycomb built-up structure. The process uses a third-generation heated head on a modified gantry tape placement machine. Tape material included AS-4/PEKK, AS-4/PEEK, JM-6/PEEK, IM-7/PEEK, M-7/PIXA, IM-7/PIXA-M, and IM-7/PETI-5. Tooling, processes, and property data are described that demonstrate the potential benefits of thermoplastic automated tape placement (ATP).