Development of a CFRTP manufacturing method to improve low velocity impact resistance of aerospace structures.

Abstract

A continuous carbon fiber reinforced Polymer was manufactured using a Fused Deposition Modelling method. Current Fused Deposition Modelling machine are not able to manufacture Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Polymer composite therefore modification and novel designs needed to be made and integrated to the Fused Deposition Modelling machine to achieve a final product. To investigate the benefits of our composite a comparison with available composites on the market composed of similar materials needed to be performed. We investigated the different aspect of the requirements needed to manufacture test samples. We focused on manufacturing method able to integrate continuous Carbon Fiber simultaneously to a thermoplastic. In the slicing software a custom g code sequence has been developed to forward the continuous Carbon Fiber through the Bowden tube to the hotend. This procedure allowed the hotend to move freely between the layup of the printed part. Also C code library has been developed to analyse the geometry of the part to recognise the amount of Carbon Fiber, which needs to be pushed through the Bowden tube connected to the hotend. We investigated the mechanical properties as well as the process parameters of the individual materials used to manufacture our Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Polymer samples. In addition Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic low velocity impact samples have been produced to investigate the potential of our composite in comparison to available products on the marker like Short Carbon Fiber Polyamide filaments. The low velocity performances of the Continuous Carbon Fiber Thermoplastic Polymer samples have been promising compared to conventional Short Carbon Fiber Polyamide samples. The advantages of using an Fused Deposition Modelling machine to manufacture composites is the ease to choose between numerous fiber orientations, which a significantly important feature for impact applications. In addition a potential case study for aerospace structure applications of our Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Polymer will be investigated and discussed. The novelty behind this is research is in the coding sequence allowing the fiber cutting system to trigger a the a specific moment in order to integrate the necessary amount of fiber according to the distance of the hotend travelled on the heat bed. Another novelty is in the unique servo actuated fiber cutting system using a specific cutting mechanism. The contribution to the knowledge is the study of the behaviour of a thermoplastic composite under low velocity impact. To investigate the effect of process parameters on a thermoplastic composite. To develop a novel cutting system and code control. Vibration cancellation method for even and continuous integration of continuous carbon fiber cutting method for precise carbon fiber cutting and integration to thermoplastic via Bowden extrusion system. Coding for the motherboard firmware as well as G code for the slicer have been optimised in order to produce quality samples. The effect of hardware on process parameters have been investigated though tensile tests. Low velocity impact performance of continuous carbon fiber polyamide has been also investigated and tested.