IMPLEMENTING MACHINING OF FIBER REINFORCED POLYMER COMPOSITES TO MANUFACTURING COURSES IN 2 YEAR AND 4 YEAR PROGRAMS

摘要

Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites offer very high strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratios. As a result, the aerospace industry is making a major effort to incorporate an increasing number of composite materials into various components and structures. However, machining of FRP composites is one of the most difficult and least understood areas in manufacturing technology. Thus, it is necessary to include machining and tool regimes of FRP composites into manufacturing curricula, especially at schools in regions of the country where significant aerospace industry exist. This new topic has been applied into various programs such as Machine Manufacturing Technology Program at Portland Community College (PCC) and Mechanical Engineering Program at Washington State University Vancouver (WSUV). This report focuses on all aspects of these newly developed course materials including course content and student feedback.