NON-AUTOCLAVE INFUSION TECHNOLOGY CONCEPTS FOR HIGH QUALITY CFRP-SANDWICH PANELS

摘要

This paper presents the investigation results of manufacturing feasibility for a complex, foam core sandwich panel with CFRP skins. The sandwich panel is produced in a one shot liquid resin infusion (LRI) technology. A quick introduction into LRI technology is followed by the description of the basic LRI approach for the foam core sandwich panel under investigation. The authors describe the step by step manufacturing of the test component. Given a proper infusion strategy the presented LRI process runs smooth and stable. Destructive quality investigations of the test component show high quality laminate properties. With respect to automation of the presented process there are large potentials for automated lay up with pick and place technology. An implementation of a low cost and high, quality production process for structures, comparable to the test component, in an industrial environment seems possible. However, besides the manufacturing approach topics, several foam core sandwich specific challenges in the classical engineering domains need to be overcome, in order to transfer the proposed sandwich technology into highly loaded commercial aviation structures.