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FEATURES COLUMNS
24 Farnborough International 7 From the Editor
Airshow 2010 HPC editor-in-chief Jeff Sloan
Although uncertainties remain, air- comments on the impact that
craft OEMs see recovery in order military drawdowns in the Mid-
numbers. dle East might have on the U.S.
composites industry.
By Sara Black & Eddie Kania
8 Market Q&A
26 EAA AirVenture 2010
28
Investment banker Paul Weis-
Rain on Wittman Field runways can’t brich gauges the aerospace/
dampen Oshkosh Fly-In enthusiasm. defense M&A market in an ex-
By Sara Black clusive interview.
9 Testing Tech
28 The Private Space Race
NASA passes the development 38 Dr. Donald Adams appraises
existing methods for testing
torch to legacy contractors and the performance of fasteners
NewSpace entrepreneurs, igniting a loaded in transverse shear.
new competition in space transport.
By Karen Wood
64 Out of the Mold
HPC’s technical editor Sara
Black says recessionary scorn
38 Structural Armor or of private flight unnecessarily
Armored Structures? harmed the economically vital
Either way, antiballistics engineers general aviation industry.
seek structural integrity and ballistic
deterrence from a single design.
By Michael R. LeGault
DEPARTMENTS
13 News
44 SQRTM Enables
Net-shape Parts 44 51
52
Calendar
Applications
New out-of-autoclave process com-
bines resin transfer molding with 54 New Products
prepregs for a complex helicopter 57 Ad Index
part prototype.
58 Marketplace
By Sara Black 59 Showcase
SEPTEMBER
volume: eighteen
number: five 2010
SEPTEMBER 2010 | 1
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SEPTEMBER 2010 | 3
EDITOR
O ne of my job respon-
sibilities is to gather
composites industry
news each week for publica-
tion in our CompositesWorld
the U.S. has announced the de-
parture from Iraq of its last com-
bat brigade. Only 50,000 troops
remain to help keep the peace,
train Iraqi solders and continue
Weekly e-newsletter. I use rebuilding the country. In Af-
keyword searches on the ghanistan, a U.S. troop draw-
Internet to stay on top of down could begin as soon as
news and announcements next summer. As these conflicts
and have a stable of about jeff@compositesworld.com end their “hot” phases, demand
30 keywords I use, includ- for some composite parts and
ing company names, such as structures will wane as well. No
Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Air- surprise, then, that U.S. Department of Defense Secre-
bus, Sikorsky, etc. tary Robert Gates has proposed military spending cuts
One thing I’ve learned, poring over search results, totalling $100 billion (USD) over the next five years.
is that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been And that’s on top of the Pentagon’s decision in 2009 to
very lucrative for military contractors. I see, almost cut the F-22 fighter jet program. Will other high-profile
every day, announcements of federal defense con- projects also get the ax? The bottom line is that money
tracts, and a resulting increase in demand for com- will not flow to defense projects like it once did, and
posite parts and structures — unmanned aerial vehi- there will be consequences.
It would be helpful if there were other
Facing drawdowns in Iraq and Afghanistan emerging end markets to pick up the lost de-
mand. Wind energy, for one, shows promise to
that will reduce demand for military com- consume large quantities of composite ma-
posites, we must seek new opportunities. terials for many years, but it’s been hobbled
severely by the recession and accompanying
credit crunch. The auto industry, also laid low
cles, aircraft and helicopter components, naval patrol by the recession, is reorganizing itself to emphasize
boats, vehicle and personal armor, soldier housing electric drivetrain technology that may attract several
and more. (A good example of the armor R&D can be new uses of composites, but this looks to be a slow-
found on p. 38 of this issue, where contributor Mike evolving transition out of a very deep ditch.
LeGault explores the latest antiballistic composites We’ve become accustomed over the past nine years
technologies for battlefield application.) to tapping a full military funding pipeline for a variety
Setting aside for the moment the arguments for of products and projects and must now wean ourselves
and against our presence in these countries, the fact of this dependence as the war-funding flow slows to
that we have been in Afghanistan since 2001 and Iraq a trickle. We are faced with a classic challenge-vs.-op-
since 2003 has created a vigorous and well-funded portunity conundrum. It seems like an opportunity to
military economy that employs thousands of people me, and now is the time to think creatively about how
and consumes millions of pounds of composite ma- composites can be further adapted to replace metals
terials each year. It has spurred creativity and inno- and other legacy materials throughout the manufac-
vation in application of composite products that we turing world.
might otherwise not have seen. Use of military hard-
ware in combat has exposed many limitations, forc-
ing the military community to think more seriously
about composites as a means of lightweighting and
corrosion-prevention in its warfighting structures and
for protection of troops in harm’s way.
All of this has been wonderful for the composites Jeff Sloan
community, but like it or not, such gravy trains don’t
run forever. As I write this editorial in mid-August,
SEPTEMBER 2010 | 5
The Intelligence of Specialties
ocvreinforcements.com
MARKET Q&A
AEROSPACE & DEFENSE M&A ANALYSIS: IT’S A SELLERS’ MARKET
was a noticeable spring in the step of the With smaller deals, say, less than $5
Paul Weisbrich is Boeing suppliers who are involved in the million of EBITDA, lending is tight. That
the senior man- 787. And Airbus’ A350 XWB is certainly said, I think large strategic buyers would
aging director of
following closely behind. still do a small deal if there is a unique
McGladrey Capital
Markets LLC (Cos- The show demonstrated that com- customer or key strategic technology
ta Mesa, Calif.). A mercial aerospace is definitely on the involved. Further, it is a seller’s market,
20-year investment- upswing now, while the military aero- with significantly more interested buy-
banking veteran, he space side is becoming less attractive. ers than sellers in the composites space.
frequently lectures This shift is due to several factors: Global That makes it hard for buyers to find bar-
on that subject in
debt worries will result in military budget gains. Buyers continue to pay premiums
North America and
Europe, and he is an adjunct professor
cuts worldwide — I think cuts could be for composites companies. So if the
of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) at the from 10 to 20 percent — and the U.S.’s target company has design/build capa-
University of Southern California’s (USC) announced intention to pull back from bility on top of its fabrication expertise,
Marshall School of Business. He has a BA its military theaters will reduce up-tempo expect a scarcity premium on the overall
in business from Loyola Marymount Uni- spending. That is, there will be cutbacks composite space premium.
versity, an MA in business administration in consumable war materiel. So compa- HPC: What trends do you see that leaders of
from USC and holds Series 7, 24 and 63
nies that are heavily invested in military composites companies should be watching?
securities licenses.
programs right now are going to be less PW: Everyone is thinking, What is the
attractive as M&A targets and, logically, next game-changer technology? In my mind,
valuation here will moderate. it’s going to be something that facilitates
H
Composites continue to be a domi- a drop in the price of composite parts to
PC recently talked with investment nant theme right now in aerospace and further displace metals. It will likely be
banker Paul Weisbrich about the defense — and it’s not going away. There an out-of-autoclave process and could
financial health of the aerospace are a lot of composite parts that need to involve a technology marriage between a
and defense composites arena as well as be designed, fabricated and eventually resin manufacturer and a fiber supplier,
his take on the current M&A market and repaired — presently a largely ignored creating a new, faster process. There’s a
market trends worth watching. area — or replaced on a large aircraft like lot of discussion about automated tape
the 787 or the A350, so more and more laying [ATL], and it’s great for large parts,
HPC: You recently attended the Farnbor- but ATL isn’t optimized for smaller
ough Airshow in the U.K. What did you take parts [or] shorter runs, and its capital
away from that event, relevant to the com- Commercial aerospace is cost is very high. A new area for com-
posites market? posites to conquer should be compos-
definitely on the upswing now,
PW: Well, the most obvious thing ites for jet engine parts, in both the
was the magnitude of aircraft orders. while the military aerospace cold and hot sections.
Companies reported about $40 billion side is becoming less attractive. HPC: What is your advice to a composites
in orders, but that is half the orders of company that is looking for an investor part-
2008, when the show was last held, and ner or a sale?
equal to the orders in 2006. While it was companies are becoming involved in the PW: Know where you fit in the spec-
certainly a good event, it points out that composites stream. trum. Are you content with being a Tier
we are recovered only to 2006 levels. That HPC: Speaking of M&A activity, what is 3 or 4 supplier, or should you up-tier by
said, there was tremendous excitement your perspective relative to companies involved investing in R&D [research and develop-
generated by the appearance of the Boe- in composites? ment], new equipment and additional
ing 787 Dreamliner — it was very palpable. PW: Aerospace and defense compa- processes for larger parts and go after
To illustrate, on late Tuesday afternoon, nies are very desirable in the M&A space bigger contracts? Is commercial aero-
when the 787 departed the show, nearly right now, despite the fact that the capi- space your game, or are you willing to
all the visitors stayed to watch the fly- tal markets have experienced an increase pursue military work? Pick your spot and
over, despite the fact that they knew they in volatility. Large companies are look- optimize the technology and processes
would be caught in the notoriously bad ing for large deals — often the larger the that work for your targeted spot.
London traffic. The plane’s appearance better — in the range of $20 million or Editor’s Note: See HPC’s coverage of 2010
underscored the fact that its production more EBITDA [earnings before interest, Farnborough Airshow composites news in this is-
build cycle is imminent — finally. There taxes, depreciation and amortization]. sue, on p. 24.
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TURNING THE INDUSTRY UPSIDE DOWN...
TESTING TECH
TESTING TECH
FASTENER SHEAR TEST METHODS
M
an anvil and a blade. Although it provides Fig. 2 Disassembled fastener double-shear
echanical fasteners, such as additional stability, it is questionable ttestt fi
fixture
t (NASM 1312
1312-13).
13)
screws, bolts, pins and rivets, have what other function the base performs,
been used for hundreds of years so it could probably be eliminated. In
to assemble wood and metal structures. fact, it is missing in some fixture designs
As composites have replaced other ma- (e.g., the fixture in Boeing Corp. Specifi-
terials in structural applications, the cation D2-28602).
use of mechanical fastening systems of In the NASM Standard 1312-13 de-
various types has continued, and occa- sign, the fastener is placed across the
sionally these systems even employ fas- supporting anvil and sheared into three
teners made from composite materials. pieces by a compressive force applied to
Although one goal of the composite ma- the blade. The relative thicknesses of the
terials community is to use fewer fasten- anvil supports and the blade, as well as 0’’ 3’’ 6’’
ers and rely more on adhesive bonding the tolerances of various other critical
Fig. 3 Single-shear
Fi Si l h test fixture
fi
when assembling components, fasteners dimensions, are defined in the standard. (NASM 1312-20).
remain in widespread use and, therefore, This fixture has existed for many years
require testing. and performs well. One emerging prob-
In service, the typical fastener is lem, however, is that metallic fasteners,
loaded primarily in one of two ways: particularly some of those now used in
axial tension or transverse shear. Shear the aerospace industry, are being made
loading is much more common. Axial of progressively stronger materials. It
tensile testing of fasteners is relatively is increasingly difficult to find materi-
straightforward and requires minimal als from which to fabricate an anvil and
Source (all photos): Don Adams
specialized fixturing. This is not true for blade that are stronger and tougher than
shear testing; therefore, considerable the fastener material. Currently, fixtures
development work has been conducted are most commonly made from high-
over the years. Depending on the design hardness tool steel. 0’’ 3’’ 6’’
of the joint, the shear loading is single Less frequently used are double-shear Fig.
ig. 4 Example of a nonstandard
or double shear, as indicated in Fig. 1. designs in which the fastener passes single-shear
single shear test fixture
fixture.
SEPTEMBER 2010 | 9
TESTING TECH
through holes in the anvil and blade in- held very close to the specific fastener 2
Boeing Corp. Specification D2-2860, The Boe-
stead of resting in semicircular cutouts. diameters. ing Co. (Seattle, Wash).
This fixture configuration is specified in In addition to standardized designs, 3
ASTM Standard B 769, “Shear Testing of Alu-
ASTM Standard B 7693, sometimes referred such as that shown in Fig. 3, there are minum Alloys,” ASTM International (W. Consho-
to as the Amsler Shear Fixture, and in Brit- a number of other single-shear fixture hocken, Pa.), 2008 (originally published 1987).
ish Standard BS EN 28749 (ISO 8749).4 designs that have been developed for 4
British Standard BS EN 28749 (ISO 8749:1986),
Although single-shear testing of joints specific applications. A representative “Pins and Grooved Pins — Shear Test,” approved
by CEN Technical Committee 185, 1992.
is frequently conducted, single-shear example is shown in Fig. 4. In this case,
5
testing of the fastener itself is less com- the fastener specimen is clamped in the NASM 1312-20, “Method 20 — Single Shear,
National Aerospace Standard,” Aerospace Indus-
mon. In one method, NASM Standard base after insertion into the close-fitting
tries Assn. of America Inc. (Arlington, Va.), 1997.
1312-205, three single-shear test fixtures hole in the loading head. The box-shaped This standard supersedes MIL-STD-1312-20,
are described in detail. All three use the opening in the base constrains the load- but the test method designation remains MIL-
same shear plates, but two use a large ing head to keep the shearing edges in STD-1312-20.
number of ball bearings to minimize fric- close proximity. Although the fixture
tion between the moving parts. The third details differ, the basic test principle —
LEARN MORE
fixture is more practical, using a parallel- application of a single-shear load to the @
www.compositesworld.com
bars linkage to load the closely spaced fastener — is in operation. This is true of
shear plates without allowing them to most other ad hoc fixtures as well. To read Dr. Adams’ previous discussions of
come into contact with each other. This At the present time, the NASM Stan- fastener-related testing of composites, see the
fixture is shown in Fig. 3. There are no dard 1312-13 double-shear fixture shown following articles in the “Testing Tech” series:
sliding surfaces, only pivot rotations, in Fig. 2 is probably the best available
“Single-fastener, double-shear laminate
thus minimizing frictional effects. In all shear fixture for testing fasteners. bearing strength by tensile testing,” HPC
three of the fixture designs, the fastener January 2008 (p. 9) or visit http://short.
is inserted in the center hole of a pair of References compositesworld.com/zMzTkAlT.
1
shear plates, as indicated in Fig. 3. The NASM 1312-13, “Method 13-Double Shear,”
National Aerospace Standard, Aerospace Indus- “Multiple-fastener, single-shear laminate
overall dimensions of the shear plates bearing strength testing,” HPC March 2008 (p.
tries Association of America Inc. (Arlington, Va.),
are held constant so they fit in the fixture. 1997. This standard supersedes MIL-STD-1312- 11) or visit http://short.compositesworld.com/
The center holes vary to accommodate 13A, but the test method designation remains LyvILnfM.
the specific fastener. Hole diameters are MIL-STD-1312-13.
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SEPTEMBER 2010 | 11
Now, with a Ross Double Planetary Mixer
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NEWS
Spirit AeroSystems opens Kinston composite aerostructures plant
New facility to produce Airbus A350 fuselage panels, front wing spars
SEPTEMBER 2010 | 13
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BIZ BRIEFS
Automated Dynamics (Schenectady, N.Y.) has delivered
a new piece of high-performance composite processing
equipment to GKN Aerospace (Isle of Wight, U.K.). The
July 29 announcement notes that the machine was in-
stalled in GKN’s new preproduction facility, which will
support the Environmental Lightweight Fan (ELF) re-
search program. The program’s goal is to develop an all-
composite jet engine fan blade that will improve aircraft
performance and reduce emissions. Automated Dynam-
ics’ equipment reportedly will help GKN effectively manu-
facture the complex, often-curved jet engine structures.
LASER PROJECTION SYSTEMS FOR
OUTLINES, TEMPLATES, SHAPES
CGTech (Irvine, Calif.), the developer of VERICUT CNC
verification and simulation software, has formed a subsid- High precision laser template projection
iary in Brazil. Headquartered in São Paulo, CGTech-Brasil and laser measurement on flat and cur-
is responsible for marketing, sales, technical support ved surfaces. Red, green or multicolor.
and reseller support throughout South America. “There
is a growing demand for simulation of complex machine www.LAP - LASER.com
tools,” says company president Jon Prun. “CGTech is well
positioned to provide manufacturers with the skills and
technologies they need to be successful.” In conjunction
with the office opening, CGTech has launched a Web site
in Portuguese: http://vericut.com.br.
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SEPTEMBER 2010 | 15
Make a Connection...
Co-location
We’re excited to announce this year’s techni-
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Exhibition
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SEPTEMBER 2010 | 17
NEWS
M
Source: HPC/Photo: Scott Stephenson
aine Governor John
E. Baldacci and
BIZ BRIEF
Kestrel Aircraft At a ribbon cutting ceremony on
Co. (Brunswick Landing, July 28, officials at Lockheed Mar-
Maine) announced on tin’s Marietta, Ga., facility formally
July 23 the selection of announced the start of the plant’s
the soon-to-be decom- F-35 Lightning II center wing pro-
missioned Naval Air Sta- duction. Center wing assembly for
tion Brunswick (NASB) as the multirole fifth-generation air-
the company’s new head- craft began July 30 in a 320,000-ft2
quarters. Kestrel plans to (29,730m2) space in the Marietta
develop, certify and man- site’s B-1 aircraft building. The as-
ufacture its $2.5 million sembly activity could employ more
Kestrel JP10 at the site. The move report- chairman, Alan Klapmeier, is commit- than 600 workers by 2016 as the pro-
edly involves a more than $100 million ted to the JP10’s FAA certification, with gram ramps up to full-rate produc-
investment and is expected to support Farnborough as a partner. (Klapmeier, tion of one aircraft per workday. The
more than 300 jobs in full production. with his brother Dale, cofounded Duluth, program’s center wing assembly op-
The JP10, a carbon fiber composites- Minn.-based Cirrus Aircraft Co.) Kestrel’s eration was established in Marietta
intensive six- to eight-seat turboprop, development, certification and initial to alleviate capacity constraints at
is the latest embodiment of a concept production are scheduled to begin this the F-35’s final assembly site in Fort
originally developed by Richard Noble, fall with the aid of Farnborough Aircraft Worth, Texas, and to take advantage
whose Thrust SSC jet car once held the alumnus Anthony Galley. of available manufacturing capacity
world land speed record. Although No- Powered by a 1,000-shp Pratt & Whitney and existing fifth-generation aircraft
ble’s first air effort, at Farnborough Air- Canada PT6A-67B, the JP10 is expected to production expertise in Marietta,
craft in 1998, failed to make the concept deliver 350-knot speed, short-field takeoff says the company.
work as an air taxi, Kestrel’s CEO and capability, and a 1,500 nautical mile range.
18 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES
Goodrich announces initiatives
ROHACELL®
The Core for Sandwich Solutions
www.airtechonline.com
20 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES
Hanwha, the ninth largest conglomerate in Korea, with sales
of more than $25 billion, produces plastics and other chemical
products. The company made a major commitment to growth
WABASH
in the U.S. with its 2007 acquisition of AZDEL Inc. (Forest, Va.),
a manufacturer of thermoplastic composites for interior and 400 tons 120" x 60"
transportation applications. Hanwha reportedly will establish down-acting platens
a research facility near Detroit, Mich.
BIZ BRIEFS
HITCO Carbon Composites (Gardena, Calif.), a subsid-
iary of SGL Group (Weisbaden, Germany), announced on
July 19 a contract from Boeing Research & Technology
(BR&T), the R&D arm of The Boeing Co. (Seattle, Wash.).
BR&T is developing technology and processes for out-
of-autoclave manufacturing of composite structures for The leader in compression molding!
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SEPTEMBER 2010 | 21
NEWS
T
HH
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x BMI hree July announcements from carbon fiber producers
x Epoxy testified to renewed activity and post-recession growth
Mill Fixtures in the worldwide carbon fiber market.
SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers (Munich, Germany) — a
Pressure Intensifiers / Cauls joint venture of the Munich-based BMW Group and SGL
Group (Wiesbaden, Germany) — broke ground on July 7 for
Backup Structure Materials its $100 million (USD) carbon fiber manufacturing facility in
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(50K to 60K) carbon fiber in the second quarter of 2011. Origi-
nally the plant was intended to meet increased demand from
growing wind, pressure vessel and automotive segments, all
of which were expected to sustain long-term growth. MRC
suspended construction in March 2009 when many custom-
ers’ projects were delayed or sidelined in response to global
economic conditions. But demand from sports and leisure
applications increased significantly early this year. That and
the resumption of several large industrial projects prompted
MRC’s decision to restart construction.
The facility will have an annual production capacity of
2,700 metric tonnes (>5.95 million lb) — the company claims
it will be the largest carbon fiber plant in the world, with a
capital investment of ¥12 billion ($135.7 million USD). Pend-
ing startup of the new plant, MRC will manufacture P330 at
its U.S. company, Grafil Inc. (Sacramento, Calif.), for initial
customer evaluation and marketing.
Hürriyet Daily News and Economic Review, Turkey’s English-
language daily newspaper, reported on July 25 that acrylic
fiber manufacturer AKSA (Istanbul, Turkey) had opened the
country’s first carbon fiber production facility in the north-
western province of Yalova, during a ceremony attended by
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other top
officials. With an AKSA line now in full production, Turkey
has become one of only 10 countries where carbon fiber
is made. AKSA says it is aiming for a 10 percent share in
the global market. (See the interview with AKSA’s general
manager, Mustafa Yilmaz, in HPC January 2009, p. 20, or visit
http://short.compositesworld.com/WyGVjS3S.)
Precision
Steel
Invar
NVD Nickel
SEPTEMBER 2010 | 23
SHOW COVERAGE
FARNBOROUGH
INTERNATIONAL
AIRSHOW 2010
Although uncertainties remain,
aircraft OEMs see recovery in
order numbers.
24 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES
Emirates Airline’s (Dubai, U.A.E.) order opmental flaps will be delivered early in Israel), the manufacturer of the Watch-
for 32 additional A380 aircraft announced 2011. GKN Aerospace already has pro- keeper 450 UAV on display at the Thales
in June. “The recession is definitely over,” duction composite-assemblies contracts Group (Neuilly-sur-Seine, France) stand.
declared John Leahy, Airbus’ chief oper- for the rear spar and fixed trailing edge ACG’s MTM46 out-of-autoclave prepreg
ating officer, citing renewed liquidity in on the plane’s wings. permits fabrication on lower-cost tooling
the marketplace, increased air traffic and Among the composite material suppli- while producing parts that are still capa-
gross domestic product (GDP) growth as ers at the show, Advanced Composites ble of achieving the performance speci-
factors in “strong growth.” Group Ltd. (ACG, Heanor, Derbyshire, fications. EAST-4D Carbon Technology
As Airbus and Boeing basked in the U.K.) exhibited its epoxy, bismaleimide GmbH (Dresden, Germany) showcased
new-orders glow, Bombardier (Montreal, and phenolic prepregs for civil aircraft in- its expertise in carbon composite com-
Quebec, Canada), an aspiring competitor teriors and structural components. ACG ponents for aviation and other markets
in the 100- to 149-passenger commercial highlighted its status as a qualified epoxy via filament winding and resin transfer
aircraft niche, reportedly came away from prepreg supplier to Elbit Systems (Haifa, molding.
Farnborough without a single new order
for its composites-intensive CSeries jet.
Preshow expectations were high: Bom-
bardier had collected 90 firm orders and
an equal number of options, and had
reported ongoing conversations with 11
airlines. Various media reports focused
blame on the plane’s shorter-than-com-
mon range (2,200 nautical miles) and its
engines. Bombardier did not come up
empty-handed, however. Orders for 16
business jets came through in the week
preceding the event and during show
week, valued at ~$800 million USD.
SEPTEMBER 2010 | 25
SHOW COVERAGE
EAA
AIRVENTURE
2010 Source: HPC/Photo: Eddie Kania
Source: www.aopa.org
dampen Oshkosh Fly-In enthusiasm.
26 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES
for the first conforming flight test and the day/night cycle in August, in anticipation ite airframe has a very low empty weight
successful consolidation of fuselage and of a planned around-the-world flight of 561 lb/171.5 kg, half of which is its bat-
wing assemblies for the first static-test (see http://short.compositesworld.com/ tery pack. Its maximum take-off weight is
aircraft, which will enter structural test- HOgSOljn). not quite twice that figure. With a wing-
ing this month. Also on hand was the E430, a 54-hp span of 45.2 ft/13.8m, the 22.9-ft/7m long,
“The success of our power-on tests is two-seat electric plane from Yuneec In- V-tailed craft is capable of up to three
an important step in the completion of ternational of Potters Bar, U.K. Selected hours of flight on a charge, and recharges
the first conforming flight-test aircraft,” by the Symposium as this year’s Best in three hours for about $5 (USD). Re-
said Honda Aircraft president and CEO Electric Aircraft, its development has portedly already FAA-certified, the E430
Michimasa Fujino. “With this significant been financed personally by Yuneec CEO will be available in the U.S. in the LSA
milestone achieved, we are now focused Tian Yu and will be built in a recently fin- category, at a mere $89,000.
on the integration of avionics and other ished 260,000-ft2/25,000m2 factory near Next year’s EAA AirVenture show will
electrical systems in anticipation of first Shanghai, China. The craft’s all-compos- be held July 25-31, 2011.
flight later this year.”
Ongoing stress tests at Honda Aircraft’s
R&D facility in Greensboro employ a new
system that incorporates 61 hydraulic ac-
tuators and a 2,600-channel data acquisi-
tion system within a structural test fixture
designed exclusively for the HondaJet. This
system enables testing of the entire air-
craft simultaneously to prove static and
fatigue strength under various flight and EXCELLENCE IN
CORE SOLUTIONS
ground load conditions. Honda’s test fa-
cility includes an environmental chamber www.corematerials.3AComposites.com
that can simulate the hot-wet conditions
required for the validation of composite For today’s vacuum infusion, use
structures. Since U.S. HondaJet sales com- today’s choice cores.
menced in October 2006, the company
has accumulated orders for more than
100 of the $4.5 million planes, Honda’s
first-ever production aircraft. The HondaJet
is scheduled for first delivery in the third
quarter of 2012.
As HPC reported previously (HPC Janu-
ary 2006, p. 34 or visit http://short.com-
positesworld.com/EpI7s5qY), the Honda-
Jet has a composite fuselage, with metal
wings and tail. Left and right fuselage
halves feature a carbon/toughened epoxy
solid laminate, likely made from prepreg
supplied by Cytec Engineered Materials
(Tempe, Ariz.) with Toho Tenax (Tokyo,
Japan) intermediate-modulus fiber. Fuse-
lage skins are cocured with press-formed
stringers and frames. The cockpit and ta- Innovative building methods infusion applications. The result:
pered tail section will be cored compos- contribute to a cleaner environment, No voids and highly-efficient use of
ites, with aramid honeycomb core and higher-quality laminates and faster materials.
production. Our advanced GPS-type For detailed information on resin
carbon/epoxy skins. AIREX® foams and BALTEK® balsa infusion methods and compatible cores
At the event’s day-long Electric Aircraft cores, as well as Lantor SORIC® and as well as technical support, contact
Symposium, keynoted by general aviation FINISHMAT® materials have been the experts at 3A Composites Core
specifically designed to enhance all Materials.
pioneer and Scaled Composites (Mojave,
Calif) helmsman Burt Rutan, several 3A COMPOSITES CORE MATERIALS
hundred participants heard Lausanne,
Switzerland-based Solar Impulse presi- North America / S. America: Europe / Middle East / Africa: Asia / Australia / New Zealand:
Baltek Inc. Airex AG 3A Composites (China) Ltd.
dent CEO Andre Borschberg recount the Northvale, NJ 07647, U.S.A. 5643 Sins, Switzerland 201201 Shanghai, P.R. China
development and record-setting flight of Tel. +1 201 767 1400 Tel. +41 41 789 66 00 Tel: +86 21 585 86 006
corematerials.americas@3AComposites.com corematerials@3AComposites.com corematerials.asia@3AComposites.com
the company’s solar-powered electric ex-
perimental craft, the Solar Impulse, which Visit us at IBEX Booth #1814
Borschberg piloted through a complete
SEPTEMBER 2010 | 27
FEATURE / AEROSPACE COMPOSITES
S
ince the Obama Administration’s deputy administrator Lori Garver, mercial system will represent the criti-
cancellation of NASA’s Constella- speaking at the U.S. Federal Aviation cal path,” says Garver. “We’re going to
tion program, the spotlight — and Admin.’s Commercial Space Transpor- see the most exciting space race that
government space policy — has tation Conference in February. “We will NASA’s seen in a long time, and there’s
focused on the private space in- provide serious seed money ... and a likely to be more than one winner.”
dustry. More importantly, so have gov- firm commitment to buy crew trans- NASA has made good on the first
ernment development dollars. portation services on the market side.” promise, doling out funds not only to
“We will be providing industry with To diversify its risk, NASA is funding expected players — Boeing, Lockheed
NASA technical expertise,” said NASA’s competitive systems. “No single com- Martin, United Launch Alliance — but
28 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES
launch (opening photo) of its 180-ft/55m The interstage is oven-cured in-house
tall two-stage Falcon 9 rocket. Although over the course of one day, according to
SpaceX founder/CEO Elon Musk declared Thompson, and includes a rigorous ramp-
the event “a major milestone not only up procedure. “With the number of plies
for SpaceX but the increasingly bright that we’re dealing with, our decision not
future of space flight,” other milestones to use an autoclave initially led to some
await. The Falcon 9 and its Dragon orbital challenges in terms of learning how to get
craft (see photo, p. 31) must first dem- necessary compaction to avoid large sur-
onstrate their capabilities under a $278 face area voids between the core material
million Commercial Orbital Transporta- and the facesheets,” explains Thompson.
tion Services (COTS) agreement before “We were able to work through these chal-
SpaceX can use them to supply the Inter- lenges during coupon testing.”
national Space Station (ISS) under a $1.6 The rocket’s nine SpaceX-built Merlin
billion Commercial Resupply Services jet fuel/liquid oxygen (LOX) engines gen-
(CRS) contract for a minimum of 12 car- erate nearly 1 million lb of thrust. They’re
go flights. But since the launch, SpaceX integrated into a truss structure that dis-
signed what is reportedly the largest-ever tributes the thrust upwards into the first
commercial and, more importantly, non- stage tank. Above the truss, a carbon
NASA launch deal for $492 million with composite skirt houses the plumbing
Iridium Communications Inc. (McLean, that feeds LOX and fuel to the engines.
Va.) to replace the latter’s existing satel- There are no immediate plans to convert
lites between 2015 and 2017. first- or second-stage tanks to composites,
Intended to be fully recoverable, the says Thompson. “Because we’re dealing
Falcon 9 is capable of inserting an 11-ton with a cryogenic tank in the first stage, it
payload into low Earth orbit (LEO). Al- becomes more complicated to move to
though the first and second stage barrels composites,” he explains, adding that “it
and domes are aluminum, a carbon com- takes us less than three weeks to build
posite interstage structure joins the stag- the first-stage tank in aluminum. Without
es and houses the second stage’s engines a multimillion dollar tape laying machine
and four parachutes that return the first and other automated equipment, it would
stage to Earth. The interstage is 3.6m/12- be nearly impossible to do this in compos-
Source: SpaceX/Photo: Chris Thompson
SEPTEMBER 2010 | 29
REGISTER
TODAY!
NOVEMBER 9 - 10
R E G I S T E R T O D AY AT C O M P O S I T E S W O R L D . C O M / H P F
will be kept at room temperature by a
few inches of PICA-X heat-shield ablator,
a rigid, lightweight epoxy-impregnated
carbon foam developed by SpaceX’s
Capsule to carry cargo, crew or both
propulsion group with the assistance of
NASA, the originator of the phenolic- The pressurized Dragon spacecraft,
impregnated carbon ablator (PICA). The developed by SpaceX, employs a flexible
cargo and crew configuration, and is able to
material also is used as a heat shield on
accommodate up to seven crew members per
the Falcon 9 second stage, on its return
Source: SpaceX
flight. Unpressurized cargo can be transported
from orbit for recovery and reuse. in the “trunk,” which is designed to support
“We tested three different variants,” the pressurized capsule during ascent and
said Tom Mueller, VP of propulsion at contains a truss structure to hold cargo.
SpaceX. “Compared to the PICA heat
shield flown successfully on NASA’s Star- Building on small orbital successes The new two-stage, medium-class Tau-
dust sample return capsule, our SpaceX Orbital Sciences Corp. (Dulles, Va.) also rus II builds on its smaller predecessors
versions equaled or improved the perfor- has been tapped to resupply the ISS. Its and is capable of delivering single or
mance of the heritage material.” $1.9 billion CRS contract calls for eight multiple payloads weighing up to 7,000
SpaceX has more than 40 flights on flights from 2011 to 2015, and Orbital lb/3,175 kg. Prime contractor Orbital’s
manifest, including three demonstration is leveraging its experience to build an experienced Taurus II team includes Ap-
flights by spring 2011 for NASA’s COTS unmanned Cygnus space freighter and a plied Aerospace Structures Corp. (AASC,
program. And, as a free-flying spacecraft, new rocket, the Taurus II, to launch it. Stockton, Calif.), which is responsible
Dragon also provides a platform for in- Founded in 1982, Orbital has a proven for composite primary structures. These
space technology demonstrations and track record with small-to-medium rocket include a 3.9m/12.7-ft diameter by
scientific instrument testing. SpaceX is launches for commercial customers, the 9.9m/32.4-ft-long payload fairing (alumi-
currently pursuing commercial, non-ISS U.S. military and NASA. Orbital’s small num honeycomb core between carbon/
Dragon flights under the name “Dragon- Pegasus XL and Taurus XL rockets have epoxy facesheets), and several shorter
Lab.” Further, Falcon 9 and Dragon report- drawn 30 NASA scientific and technolo- barrel components of 1.8m/6 ft in length
edly meet NASA’s standards for astronaut gy-demonstration mission assignments or less: a fairing adapter, the stage 2 mo-
transport, allowing for a comparatively since 1990. NASA has selected the com- tor adapter, the stage 2 interstage, the
rapid transition from cargo to crew ca- pany to launch the Carbon Observatory-2 payload adapter, and the avionics cylin-
pability within three years of receiving a (OCO-2) satellite on a Taurus XL in 2013, der. The initial launch for the Taurus II is
crew transport contract. despite a failed attempt in 2009. scheduled for 2011.
SIDE STORY
SEPTEMBER 2010 | 31
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AASC also will manufacture and test
the 12-sided, 2.6m/103-inch diameter by
1.27m/50-in tall Cygnus structure, which
is based on Orbital’s STAR 2 platform. It
will comprise forward and aft aluminum
rings and carbon facesheets with alumi-
num honeycomb core for the forward/
aft decks, bulkhead and gussets (the re-
maining parts will be metal-bonded alu-
minum facesheet panels). The composite
structure will house the spacecraft’s mo-
tors and maneuvering control system.
Although the Orbital contract does not
include ISS crew transport, the company
believes it is well positioned to provide it,
given its experience developing NASA’s
Orion capsule launch abort system.
SEPTEMBER 2010 | 33
FEATURE / AEROSPACE COMPOSITES
Retooling for suborbital tourism Renamed Eve, the launch air- cure-temperature toughened epoxy ma-
HPC has followed closely the develop- craft’s one-piece wing spar measures trix optimized for low-pressure vacuum
ment of fledgling space tourism firm 140-ft/43m long — the longest carbon bag processing in both prepreg and film
Virgin Galactic’s all-composite captive- composite aviation part ever manufac- infusion formats. MTM45-1 may be cured
carry launch system (see “Learn More”). tured. The first of several planned sub- at temperatures as low as 80°C/176°F,
Built by The Spaceship Co. (Mojave, orbital craft, the Virgin Space Ship (VSS) allowing the use of low-cost tooling for
Calif.), a joint venture of Scaled Com- Enterprise, is designed to carry two pi- prototypes and short production runs.
posites and London, U.K.-based Virgin lots and six passengers. Both Eve and Eve has substantially completed its
Group, the SpaceShipTwo suborbital craft Enterprise were hand built, using new flight-test program (27 fights so far), and
and the WhiteKnightTwo launch aircraft MTM45-1 out-of-autoclave prepregs Enterprise, rolled out in December 2009,
(see photo, p. 35) are scaled-up ver- developed by Advanced Composites has completed two captive-carry flights.
sions of Scaled systems that claimed Group Ltd. (ACG, Heanor, Derbyshire, Full-scale test firings of its hybrid rocket
the Ansari X Prize. U.K.). The prepreg features a variable- motor began at SNC this summer, with a
followup drop/glide tests program. The
first powered test of Enterprise is expected
in early 2011. Reportedly, Enterprise (and
Track Smarter
Whether you have a laser tracker or
several forthcoming clones) will be capa-
ble of flying twice daily, and Eve will sup-
port four spaceflights a day. Virgin Galac-
tic aims to fly 500 passengers in the first
about to purchase one, the Verisurf-X year of commercial operations.
model-based metrology software suite
is the intelligent choice. Selling a ticket for one to space
Smaller in scale, the Lynx suborbital
Supports virtually all other devices spacecraft from Mojave-based XCOR
Not only does Verisurf work with any laser Aerospace is a small rocket-powered air-
tracker right out of the box, it provides an craft designed to take off from a runway
economical shared-software platform and then make a steep ascent, accelerat-
that lowers training and support costs. ing to Mach 2 (~1,522 mph/~2,450 kmh)
Improves your productivity with 2.5 G-force within three minutes. Ca-
With intuitive, user-friendly menus and newly enhanced features like additional pable of carrying a pilot and one passen-
device interfaces, improved inspection guidance and laser-tracker Smart Tools, ger with a payload on a suborbital path,
Verisurf software will increase your tracker’s productivity, while reducing the Lynx Mark I will reportedly fly to 61
manpower costs. km/200,000 ft and provide one minute of
microgravity, while the Lynx Mark II will be
Take our “Improve Your Productivity” challenge able to reach 100 km/330,000 ft and pro-
No matter what you’re making or measuring, Verisurf will improve vide nearly three minutes of microgravity.
your productivity by making your metrology devices track smarter XCOR has a contract to provide subor-
and work harder. bital space launch services via the Lynx
Visit www.verisurf.com/tracker today and let us prove it. Mark II for the Yecheon Astro Space Cen-
Verisurf. Very Smart. ter in South Korea under a “wet lease”
model (XCOR will provide the spacecraft,
crew, maintenance and insurance). The
Lynx is currently under construction in-
house. Test flights are expected to begin
in the second half of 2011 and should last
9 to 18 months.
The Lynx Mark I employs a carbon/
epoxy construction with a thermal pro-
tection system for its leading edge. The
Lynx Mark II is made from carbon/cyanate
ester with a nickel alloy for the nose and
leading-edge thermal protection.
“Composites … allow us to work with
seamless complex shapes, such as the
cabin pressure vessel and outer mold
line of the vehicle,” explains XCOR’s Mike
Massee. “In the production version ... the
Booth 3827 or E3840 outer skin of the composite LOX tank
WWWVERISURFCOMs
and inner skin of the fuselage are one in
34 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES
Source: Virgin Galactic/Photo: Thierry Boccon-Gibod
SEPTEMBER 2010 | 35
FEATURE / AEROSPACE COMPOSITES
MOD was awarded first prize in Level sists of a four-tank arrangement with The first of Bigelow’s orbital stations —
1 of NASA’s Lunar Lander Challenge in a capsule for manned and unmanned the mini Genesis I and II — have been orbiting
2008. Super-MOD has additional out- flights. Test flights are scheduled for 300 miles/483 km above Earth since launch-
board composite high-pressure tanks. 2011, and commercial passenger flights es in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Next up is
Armadillo is currently offering payload could begin as early as the end of 2012. a full-scale 180m3/6,357 ft3 module, Sun-
opportunities and is reconfiguring both dancer. Designed to house three people,
vehicles to a target maximum altitude Inflatable space stations long-term, and as many as six for short-
of 50 km/164,042 ft. The Tube, sched- Bigelow Aerospace (Las Vegas, Nev.) is term stays, Sundancer has its own power,
uled to begin carrying commercial pay- looking beyond the ISS to next-generation environmental-control and life-support
loads in third-quarter 2010, employs a space stations. The company hopes to house systems and avionics. Bigelow also has
conventional rocket-style vehicle and astronauts, scientists and even tourists in its developed the BA-330 module, with
is designed to travel to heights of 100 expandable space modules, which use thick nearly twice the volume of Sundancer.
km/328,084 ft. The SOST transport con- composite walls to protect inhabitants. Expandable space modules were first
proposed and designed by NASA un-
der the TransHab program as potential
ISS crew quarters. After TransHab was
Advanced Composites canceled, Bigelow acquired the rights
Advanced Armor to commercialize several of NASA’s key
module technologies.
According to one Bigelow patent,
Leaders in Thermoplastic “typical materials used to form the Tran-
sHab module’s walls include Nomex,
and Thermoset Prepregs Kevlar, and a variety of other fabric or
sheet materials. Sponge-like materials,
such as open cell elastomers, are layered
between these sheets. These elastomer
Epoxy Prepregs layers are compressed prior to launch.
t 1SFQSFHTGPSMPXWPJEDPOUFOUiPVUPGBVUPDMBWFwTUSVDUVSFT Once in orbit, the elastomeric layers are
t "QQMJDBUJPOTJODMVEFNJMJUBSZ6"7TBOEHFOFSBMBWJBUJPO allowed to expand, the module is pres-
surized, and the space module expands
CETEX® Thermoplastic Prepregs into its deployed configuration. The elas-
t 1&&,
114
PS1&* 6MUFN
MBNJOBUFTBOEQSFQSFHT tomer layers act to form the wall of the
t -PX'45
MPXNPJTUVSFBOEIJHIJNQBDUSFTJTUBODF module and also provide insulation.”
t ,FZBQQMJDBUJPOTJODMVEFDPNNFSDJBMTUSVDUVSBM Bigelow modified the TransHab de-
BOEJOUFSJPSBQQMJDBUJPOT
sign, adding windows and selecting
Vectran fiber over Kevlar for ballistic
Space & Satellite Prepregs
protection. Vectran (multifilament poly-
t -PXPVUHBTTJOHBOEMPX$5&
FQPYZBOEDZBOBUFFTUFS
QSFQSFHTTZTUFNT ester-polyarylate yarn spun from liquid
t "QQMJDBUJPOTJODMVEFTBUFMMJUFTUSVDUVSFT
EJNFOTJPOBMMZ
crystal polymer) is supplied by Houston,
TUBCMFTUSVDUVSFTBOEMBVODIWFIJDMFT Texas-based Kuraray America Inc.
Bigelow is said to be in talks with
Low Dielectric Prepregs for Radomes NASA about adding inflatable modules
t -PXEJFMFDUSJD
MPXMPTTNBUFSJBMTQSPEVDFEJOB to the ISS and plans to launch the Sun-
DBSCPOGSFFGBDJMJUZ dancer in 2014. Three launches will place
t 'PSDPNNFSDJBMBOENJMJUBSZSBEPNFT
NJTTJMFEFGFOTF
two Sundancers and a BA-330 into orbit.
TBUDPNBOUFOOBTBOETIJQCBTFEIJHIFOFSHZSBEPNFT Earlier this year, Boeing received $18
million in NASA CCDev funds to begin
High Temperature Prepregs preliminary development of a crew mod-
t "'31&BOE#.*QSFQSFHTGPS¡'TFSWJDF ule concept, a possible means to trans-
t $ZBOBUFFTUFSCBTFEQSFQSFHTGPSIFBUTIJFMET
port space station crews and other Big-
OPTFDPOFTBOEBCMBUJWFBQQMJDBUJPOT elow clients to the LEO stations. Bigelow
See us at:
is working with Boeing Space Explora-
Aircraft Interiors Expo System Solutions & Services tion as a subcontractor on the project,
Long Beach, CA t .PMEJOHDPNQPVOETBOEDPNQSFTTJPONPMEFEQBSUT providing additional funding and devel-
Booth #843 t )BSEBSNPSGPSNJMJUBSZBOEMBXFOGPSDFNFOU opment support. Designated CST-100,
SAMPE Boeing’s crew module will be compatible
Salt Lake City, UT www.tencate.com with multiple launch vehicles, capable of
Booth #305 &NBJMUDBDVT!UFODBUFDPN carrying a mixture of crew and cargo, and
®5FO$BUF"EWBODFE$PNQPTJUFT64"*OD"MMSJHIUTSFTFSWFE$FUFY®JTBSFHJTUFSFEUSBEFNBSLPG5FO$BUF"EWBODFE$PNQPTJUFT*OD
5$"$@$8)BMG*TMBOE@1SJOU"E@1IPUPTDPVSUFTZPG64.JMJUBSZ
/"4"
$JSSVT%FTJHO
#PFJOHBOE"JSCVT
based on the company’s previous work:
“The tight development time line and fo-
36 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES
cus on cost containment … will put more cations companies and tourists to foot ments, should be able to develop and
emphasis on the use of proven systems the bill for suborbital trips and orbital demonstrate safe and reliable crew
that require little or no unique devel- insertions. Most certain is that, hence- transportation systems for International
opment,” says Tom Andrews, Boeing’s forth, composites will play a significant Space Station support by 2015,” he pre-
structures design lead for CCDev, based role in whatever transpires. dicted, but warned that to do so, New-
in Huntington Beach, Calif. In recent testimony before the Senate Space and NASA must yield autonomy. “I
Although composites will contribute Commerce, Science and Transportation do not envisage commercially provided
to program success and are under con- Committee’s Subcommittee on Science crew services being conducted entirely
sideration for primary structure to reduce and Space, Orbital’s senior VP Frank Cul- by industry with a hands-off approach
weight and cost and boost performance, bertson echoed the confidence common from NASA. Nor can these commercial
Andrews says such benefits must be to legacy contractors and NewSpace rac- services be provided efficiently with tra-
weighed against the fact that “the space ers alike. “U.S. industry, given the right ditional levels of government involve-
environment presents challenges that conditions, relationships and invest- ment and oversight at every turn.”
are not there with nonspace systems.”
These include atomic oxygen, which can
W yoming
degrade unprotected composites, and
the impact of micrometeorites or orbital • Over 40 types of
debris. “These challenges require addi- fixtures in stock,
T est
tional scrutiny above and beyond past ready to be shipped.
human-occupied spacecraft experience • Expert consultation
with Dr. Adams
F ixtures
with metallic material systems.”
• Email or call today to
With the help of Bigelow, Boeing is
discuss your fixture and
taking a NewSpace approach to CST-100
development — one that’s quicker and INC. custom design needs.
LEARN MORE
@
www.compositesworld.com Our Business Manager, Cate O'Hare Adams,
For more about NASA’s composite crew module,
with our Ceramic Flexural Strength Test Fixtures.
see HPC November 2009 (p. 39) or visit http://
short.gardnerweb.com/5ml86XSF.
Contact Cate for a quote on your next fixture order.
For more about Virgin Galactic’s space systems Dr. Donald F. Adams 2960 E. Millcreek Canyon Road
development, see:
President Salt Lake City, UT 84109
HPC March 2008 (p. 15) or visit http://short. 45 years of Phone (801) 484-5055
compositesworld.com/84XvtSDP. Composite Testing Experience Fax (801) 484-6008
HPC January 2010 (p. 16) http://short. email: wtf@wyomingtestfixtures.com
compositesworld.com/N15EOuAq.
www.wyomingtestfixtures.com
SEPTEMBER 2010 | 37
FEATURE / NEXT-GENERATION ANTIBALLISTICS
STRUCTURAL ARMOR OR
ARMORED STRUCTURES?
BY MICHAEL R. LEGAULT
U
ntil recently, there were good
antiballistic materials and good
seek structural integrity and ballistic structural materials, and — ma-
terials engineers and end-users
deterrence from a single design. have usually assumed — never
the twain shall meet. For example, a fiber
reinforcement and matrix must, by de-
sign, capture and stop projectiles. Anti-
ballistic materials, reinforced with aramid
or various types of polyolefin fibers with
superior elongation-to-break character-
istics, absorb and dissipate the energy of
a high-velocity impact through a number
of energy-absorbing mechanisms. These
include spall formation, tensile fiber fail-
ure of primary yarns, fiber debonding, fi-
ber pullout and interlayer delamination.
Unfortunately, each is a failure mechanism
that all good structural materials are sup-
posed to avoid. Carbon-fiber/epoxy, one
of the best structural materials available
due to carbon’s stiffness, high tensile
strength and extremely low elongation,
is therefore a poor performer from a bal-
listics standpoint. “When a high-speed
projectile strikes a carbon-fiber panel,
that point of impact becomes a localized
point of failure,” says David Fecko, new
business development manager at AGY
Huntingdon (Aiken, S.C.).
This difference is by no means trivial. In
practical terms, it means that structures
and the armor for those structures often
are engineered and produced separately:
Structural glass:
Antiballistics with less mass
Part of the United Kingdom’s Light Protected
Patrol Vehicle Program, the new SPV400
all-terrain military vehicle built by Supacat
Source: Supacat
38 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES
Ground vehicles and stationary shelters sult of changes to the fiber architecture, (its higher silica content, in particular)
are designed and built conventionally. namely smaller diameter filaments with imparts higher tensile and compressive
Then armor is added (often literally, in kit more fibers per bundle. strength, which makes it ideal for struc-
form) at extra expense. Add-on armor, of Fecko believes there is potential for tural applications, but it is not always
course, contributes significantly to over- greater improvement. During the past the best choice for ballistic protection.
all weight. In the case of vehicles, there four years, in fact, AGY and the Army He suggests, however, that there might
is a corresponding reduction in mobility, Research Laboratory (ARL, Adelphi, be ways to change the glass chemistry
maneuverability and fuel efficiency. Md.) have collaborated to investigate to enhance antiballistic performance, yet
This dichotomy is changing, however, ways the performance properties of S-2 it retains some features that make it at-
as engineers take steps to bridge the Glass might be modified, using sizing tractive for structural hard armor. Beyond
performance gap with new materials and technology developed by ARL. The pur- modifications to chemistry, AGY also will
hybrid constructions that meet multiple pose of the project is to maximize the investigate the fiber/matrix interface,
performance demands while increasing structural performance of armor pan- fabric architecture and other factors that
manufacturing efficiency and reducing els during low-strain conditions (e.g., have an impact on performance.
cost. The goal is a finished composite typical road vibrations) and optimize Elsewhere on the materials front, Mil-
component that has sufficient structural energy absorption during high-strain liken and Co.’s (Spartanburg, S.C.) new
strength for the intended use and exhib- conditions (e.g., ballistic impact). Re- version of its Tegris self-reinforced poly-
its the required antiballistic properties. searchers found that ARL’s multicom- propylene (PP) composite, trademarked
ponent sizing imparts higher structural Tegris LM, shows promise for structural
Armor-worthy structural glass integrity to an S-2 Glass/epoxy compos- antiballistic applications when com-
One candidate for a viable structural ite while doubling the Mode II (in shear) bined with other fibers. Tegris is based
antiballistic material is S-glass fiber, fracture toughness of the system, with- on the company’s (pat. pend.) PURE
which has taken a significant leap into out damaging fibers or increasing mois- technology, a three-layer coextruded
the limelight in a new all-terrain mili- ture uptake. Further, drop-tower testing tape consisting of a polymer skin of PP
tary vehicle for the U.K.’s Light Protected showed that the damaged area of the fibers with a relatively low melting point,
Patrol Vehicle (LPPV) Program (open- composite was greatly reduced when a highly-drawn PP fiber core and another
ing photo). The SPV400 is designed for compared to samples made with tradi- layer of low-melt PP skin. Drawing axially
maximum roadside-blast protection, tional sizing. orients the core fibers, creating a highly
says Nick Ames, managing director of Although the sizing is not yet com- reinforcing material that acts, in a com-
SPV400 manufacturer Supacat (Devon, mercial, AGY’s Fecko says the research posite, like glass fiber, but contributes
U.K.), who claims that its construction results are promising enough to compel much less weight. Typically, Tegris yarn is
offers LPPV “protection levels far beyond “a full-blown research project to launch woven into fabrics and consolidated into
those [currently] available in other ve- the next-generation S-glass fiber.” Fecko sheets that subsequently are thermo-
hicles in the 7.5-ton class.” The vehicle says the unique chemistry of S-2 Glass formed or compression molded. The
incorporates a V-shaped armored hull
for underside protection and an all-com- SIDE STORY
posite crew pod made from woven-glass
prepreg panels. Supacat has formed an
alliance agreement with NP Aerospace New MIL antiballistics standard
(Coventry, U.K.) to supply armor for the
vehicle. AGY supplies its proprietary S-2 New military specifications for unidirectional The specifications include details of how
Glass for the composite panels. thermoplastic laminates used in antiballistics to make and mold test panels, as well as
Although AGY’s S-2 Glass product applications are circulating in draft form for criteria for passing the Fragment Simulating
is armor capable, glass fiber generally comments and should be completed by year’s Projectile Ballistic 50 antiballistic performance
outweighs the aramids and other ther- end. Materials suppliers assisted the Army standard. The FSPB50 protocol specifies the
moplastic fibers classically employed Research Laboratory (Adelphi, Md.) in drafting velocity at which 50 percent of the projectiles
in armor applications. For that reason, the MIL specifications, which cover four classes are expected to penetrate a panel while the
AGY introduced Featherlight S-2 Glass of fiber used to reinforce in thermoplastic remainder is stopped.
fiber to the market in 2008. The fiber matrices: aramid, polypropylene, ultrahigh- Dr. Chang points out that the new MIL
was developed in response to the U.S. molecular-weight polyethylene and glass. specification should not be interpreted to mean
military’s initiative to build lighter ve- Dr. Karl Chang, research associate at DuPont the military is getting substandard laminates.
hicles with better structural and antibal- Protection Technologies (Wilmington, Del.), says What’s at issue is uniform application of
listic performance. The new fiber has a the MIL specifications will not require armor requirements. “It’s a classic problem. If there
5 to 10 percent greater tensile strength manufacturers to change their practices, but is a requirement but no specification, that
than conventional S-2 Glass. Therefore, rather, the intent is to provide those responsible requirement is open to interpretation,” he
Featherlight can be used either to make for military procurement with a high degree of explains. “There is no other way to interpret a
composite armor of the same weight certainty that the product they buy today is the specification than how it is written.”
with improved ballistic performance, or same as the product they bought last month. — Michael R. LeGault
to make lighter armor with identical bal-
listic properties. Featherlight is the re-
SEPTEMBER 2010 | 39
FEATURE / NEXT-GENERATION ANTIBALLISTICS
rmoured hull
ubframes broader processing window makes Tegris
V-shaped armoured hull LM compatible with autoclave process-
pod and ing and infusion molding, which enhanc-
Source: Supacat
Sacrificial
tection kit subframes
es, in turn, the material’s suitability for
e modules
Composite pod and comolding with carbon, aramid and/or
ballistic protection kit polyethylene fiber forms to create hybrid
Replaceable modules structures that combine good structural
and ballistic properties.
Blast Eric Brockman, Milliken’s national sales
manager, says the impetus for Tegris LM
was customer requests. “When we first in-
troduced the Tegris product, you basically
had to compression mold to make a part,”
says Brockman. “We heard, over and over
again, ‘Great material. Love that it’s fairly
structural. But if you could broaden the
processing window it would increase the
opportunity to use the material.’” Milliken
already has demonstrated and qualified
Tegris LM for one military body armor ap-
Maximum protection, modular design plication and has submitted the material
for two other applications.
The SPV400’s modular design enables easier
Brockman allows that Tegris LM is un-
system upgrades to meet new threats. Its
V-shaped hull protects the crew sitting above
likely to be the only product used in an ar-
it from an underbelly mine strike. Sacrificial mor design, but he contends that used in
subframes, such as the axle systems, can conjunction with other antiballistic fibers,
be blown away in the event of a wheel mine it can save weight, control delamination
strike, enhancing protection. and reduce cost. In a typical body armor
design, a layer of Tegris LM can replace
low-melting skins become the polymer vehicles for enhanced protection against the layer of Kevlar- or polyethylene-fiber-
matrix when heat sufficient to melt the Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs). reinforced polymer immediately behind
sheath but not hot enough to melt the In the standard Tegris product, matrix the ceramic strike face to support the
fiber core is applied during the molding formation is initiated at ~300°F/~149°C ceramic and help control back-face de-
process. Milliken recently shipped 20,000 and pressures of 300 psi and greater. formation. Brockman says testing shows
Tegris armor kits for vehicles deployed in But Tegris LM can be molded at tem- that this configuration can improve multi-
Iraq and Afghanistan. Predominantly flat peratures ranging from 225°F to 300°F hit performance at a lower cost.
panel systems for spall liners, the kits (107°C to 149°C) and pressures from as Milliken is looking for Tegris LM to
are used, for the most part, to retrofit low as 30 psi to a high of 300 psi. This expand the company’s presence in body
SIDE STORY
40 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES
Source Polystrand Inc.
armor, including products with complex
geometries, such as combat helmets. Al-
though the U.S. military’s new Enhanced
Combat Helmet (ECH) will be a hybrid
construction made of a carbon-fiber
shell or cage overmolded with high-mo-
lecular-weight polyethylene (see sidebar,
p. 40), Brockman believes Tegris could
find a place in future helmet designs. The
ECH’s carbon-fiber shell is needed to add
structural integrity and control ear-to-ear
compression or dynamic deflection, but
he suggests that future helmets could in-
corporate a layer of Tegris and eliminate
the need for more costly fibers. “If you
took the playing field of materials before Ballistic protection and structural function
Tegris, you had a group [that] was struc- After-test views (front and back) of Polystrand Inc.’s (Montrose, Colo.) patented new
tural and included glass and carbon, then antiballistic panel, comprising layers of S-glass, E-glass and aramid tapes that together
you had an area of antiballistic-type ma- fulfill design expectations for both antiballistic and structural performance.
terials, such as brands of ultrahigh-mo-
lecular-weight polyethylene [UHMWPE], glass-fiber mat, followed by an outer ce- a proprietary epoxy adhesive system.
and aramid materials that were weak in ramic layer. The inner thermoplastic lay- Pressures used to consolidate the pan-
terms of structural performance,” notes er acts as a spall liner, the impregnated els depend on the types of individual
Brockman. “Tegris fits the niche between glass fiber provides structural strength layers in the construction. Panels con-
these materials.” and the ceramic outer adds protection taining just glass fiber and ceramics can
Polystrand Inc. (Montrose, Colo.) has from armor-piercing rounds, says Alan be consolidated at pressures as low as
focused on the integration of multiple Johnson, director of business develop- 250 psi/17.24 bar, while pressures as
materials in a single hybrid design. The ment at Norplex-Micarta. The individual high as 3,000 psi/206.84 bar are used to
company received formal approval on layers are consolidated and bonded with consolidate panels that also include
a patent for hybrid thermoplastic com-
posite ballistic panels (Patent No. U.S.
7,598,185 B2). Polystrand is best known
for its ThermoBallistic family of materi-
als, which combine continuous strands
of glass or aramid fibers with proprietary
polypropylene or polyethylene fibers in
the form of sheets or layered tape lami-
nates. The new hybrid panel combines
layers of S-glass, E-glass and aramid fi-
bers. ThermoBallistic reinforcing tapes
are used in a 0°/90° cross-ply layup that
is subsequently compression molded at
360°F/182°C with pressures as low as 100
psi/6.89 bar. Polystrand president Ed Pil-
pel says the hybrid panel fulfills antibal-
listic and structural functions: “Our test-
ing ... showed this construction could
effectively be used on future military ve-
hicle platforms to reduce costs.”
Similarly, Norplex-Micarta (Postville,
Iowa), manufactures laminated panels as
large as 4 ft by 9 ft (1.2m by 2.7m), consist-
ing of a number of different layers of ma-
terials that are placed in a press and con-
solidated in a single step under heat and
pressure. A typical construction might
consist of an inner layer of UHMWPE
— either Honeywell’s Spectra or DSM’s 1.800.2.MCLUBE
(Geleen, The Netherlands) Dyneema —
info@mclube.com mclube.com
followed by a layer of infused, semicured
SEPTEMBER 2010 | 41
FEATURE / NEXT-GENERATION ANTIBALLISTICS
the inner thermoplastic layer. Norplex- ization of hybrid constructions over the uum-assisted RTM (VARTM), for antibal-
Micarta also has developed a grout that past decade. First, advances in materials listic applications. “When we first started
reduces damage in the event of a strike. other than fibers have led to increased testing composite materials,” he recalls,
Typically, when a round hits, it not only processing flexibility and have provided “whenever you would add anything to
damages the ceramic tile it strikes but manufacturers with more manufacturing an epoxy to reduce viscosity, say, for a
the surrounding tiles as well, says John- options. Dana Granville, senior materials pultrusion application, we always sacri-
son. “This grouting material ... surrounds engineer at the ARL’s Weapons and Ma- ficed performance.” Granville also says
each individual tile so when a round hits terials Research Directorate (Aberdeen, advances in sizing technology, such as
it doesn’t shatter the adjacent tiles.” Md.), says improvements in the quality the AGY/ARL effort discussed earlier, are
of low-viscosity vinyl esters and epoxies enhancing antiballistic composites.
Materials & intangibles drive change have played a crucial role in the growing A second factor has been a post-9/11
Two factors have coalesced to acceler- use of out-of-autoclave processes, such emphasis on lightweighting and cost
ate change and hasten the commercial- as resin transfer molding (RTM) and vac- reduction as testing under real-world
conditions (e.g., in Iraq and Afghanistan)
exposed limitations of then state-of-the-
art hard- and soft-armor, providing the
Better composites require better impetus for end-users and suppliers to
seek and fund radical change. “You need
autoclave thermocouples. drivers to push the industry to come up
with technology that will advance the
We make the best. I can prove it. Try one FREE. use of composites in ballistics design,”
says Lori Wagner, armor industry techni-
cal leader at Honeywell Advanced Fibers
(SFHPSZ4NJUI
1SFTJEFOU
and Composites (Colonial Heights, Va.).
Wagner says that at one time, ballistics
engineers considered “a modification of
the type of water-repellent treatment,
or going from a 24x24 plain weave to a
25x25 plain weave” to be a significant
change to body armor construction. Now,
she believes, the industry is becoming
less conservative, citing for example a
manufacturer of body armor for law en-
forcement that switched its entire line
from woven fabric, once considered the
standard, to Honeywell’s unidirectional
Spectra Shield composite after testing
showed the latter would improve perfor-
mance. Spectra gel-spun extended-chain
polyethylene fibers, according to Honey-
well, have one of the highest strength-to-
weight ratios among man-made fibers.
Lightweighting has been a U.S. Army
research priority since the 2003 launch
of a formal program dedicated to reduc-
ing land vehicle mass of Future Combat
Systems (FCS) manned ground vehicles
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42 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES
tive into a new effort, the Army Brigade tored the resin flow front simultaneously tions, the quest for new multifunctional
Combat Team Modernization Program. at multiple locations and automatically materials is certain to continue. “There
Shortly thereafter, the army launched the controlled injection gating as the front are a lot of different materials out there,”
Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) program, progressed. Granville contends that pre- observes Honeywell’s Wagner, “and we
seeking a replacement for the Bradley forms could be a key to cost control: “The are still in our infancy of understanding
Fighting Vehicle. The GCV program calls cost of a fiber preform can be less than the way they can be used in systems to
for a 50- to 70-ton vehicle with the un- two times the cost of the raw material, exploit the advantages each might have.”
derbelly protection of a mine-resistant, which is a lot cheaper than ... tape laying Manufacturers’ willingness to consider
ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicle and a part with those materials.” not only a broader array of fibers but
better side resistance than a Bradley. also a greater variety of fabrication pro-
Defense firms submitted proposals for More change to come cesses should ensure a lively period of
the first phase of the GCV in May of this Pushed by demands for better perform- innovation and profitable application of
year, and program officials are expected ing and more cost-effective armor solu- composites in antiballistic products.
to award as many as three development
contracts this month. Although research-
ers are still working out GCV design de-
tails, lightweighting appears to be the
prime objective: Army chief of staff Gen.
George Casey recently said that the GCV
needs to be closer to the weight of a
MRAP (about 23 tons).
Cost reduction is more important than
ever before because today’s armor solu-
tions are more complex. “A typical armor
construction today is a combination of
materials — steel, ceramic and com-
posites,” says Granville. The principal
question is how to combine and bond
them cost-effectively, yet maximize per-
formance. Consequently, there is greater
openness to alternative methods. Gran-
ville recalls a method that arose out of
an ARL effort, with collaborator United
Defense Industries (now BAE Systems,
Monroe, N.C.), to develop a composite
hull for a now-defunct vehicle platform.
Granville says the program’s purpose
was to demonstrate a 50 to 60 percent re-
duction in the cost to manufacture thick-
section, multifunctional armor. Although
the program was not completed, some
of its technology could be applicable to
future ground combat vehicles. The pro-
gram envisioned automatic delivery of
a vinyl ester resin, or the A and B com-
ponents of an epoxy, to infuse preforms
in a low-pressure molding process. A
network of programmed sensors moni-
LEARN MORE
@
www.compositesworld.com
SEPTEMBER 2010 | 43
INSIDE MANUFACTURING
SQRTM
enables
net-shape
parts
New out-of-autoclave
process combines resin
transfer molding with
g
BY SARA BLACK
T
he current trend toward out-of- Hybrid RTM/prepreg process produces complex one-piece part
autoclave (OOA) processing is This net-shape unitized part, fabricated by Radius Engineering (Salt Lake City, Utah), is a
driven by manufacturers’ com- prototype rotorcraft roof component produced as part of the SARAP (Survivable Affordable
peting needs to produce larger Repairable Airframe Program) initiative. This underside view of the ~250 lb/~120 kg “grid-
parts to help decrease fabrica- stiffened” part shows its four thick, integrated longitudinal beams and several lighter
tion costs. Although many OOA materi- perpendicular frames as well as the integral upper-skin stiffeners.
als and methods have been introduced
over the past few years, few exceed the
elegance of SQRTM, an acronym for qualified autoclave process while offer- is an integral part, achieved aggressive
Same Qualified Resin Transfer Molding. ing significant advantages.” The SQRTM weight-reduction and cost-reduction tar-
Developed and now in the process of method has been employed successfully gets. The successful effort on the cabin
commercialization by Radius Engineer- in several aerospace projects, includ- roof helped the SARAP Virtual Prototype
ing Inc. (Salt Lake City, Utah), SQRTM is ing the wingtip extensions for the RQ- and Validation Development Team win
a closed molding method that combines 1B Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle the American Helicopter Society Interna-
prepreg processing and liquid molding (UAV). But its toughest test, to date, was tional’s 2008 Robert L. Pinckney Award
to produce true net-shape, highly unit- an extremely complex, one-piece pro- (named in honor of an eminent Boeing
ized aerospace parts. In short, SQRTM is totype helicopter cabin roof, produced manufacturing engineer), which recog-
designed to produce an autoclave-quali- under the Survivable Affordable Repair- nizes notable achievements in manu-
ty part without the autoclave. able Airframe Program (SARAP), a coop- facturing research and development for
“The scale and the complexity of com- erative agreement between Sikorsky Air- vertical flight aircraft or components.
posite aerospace parts has significantly craft (Stratford, Conn.) and the U.S. Army
increased over the past several years,” Aviation Applied Technology Directorate Liquid molding + prepreg
says Radius Engineering’s president, (AATD, Ft. Eustis, Va.). The innovative de- What sets SQRTM apart from standard
Dimitrije Milovich. “We have designed sign and manufacture of the SARAP fuse- resin transfer molding (RTM) is that, in
a viable alternative that duplicates the lage, of which the SQRTM-fabricated roof place of a dry fiber preform, it substi-
44 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES
tutes a prepreg layup. Prepreg plies are the bags are inflated, forcing the lower heating and cool down, the SQRTM cure
arranged within the mold, the mold is bolster up against the tool and the up- cycle can be as much as two hours short-
closed, and then, somewhat counterin- per bolster to optimize clamping force, er than an autoclave cycle.
tuitively, liquid resin is injected into the notes Milovich. There are other advantages compared
tool. “It’s what makes the process similar Both the upper and lower bolsters are to conventional RTM. Part thickness is
to an autoclave process,” says Milovich, electrically heated and water cooled by controlled by matched tooling, avoid-
noting that the injected resin is the same zone, enabling temperature adjustments ing the potential thickness variation in-
as that used in the prepreg, and, there- during cure, says Coughlin. “If a tool has herent in the vacuum bagging process.
fore, those who adopt the process need a variable mass, based upon the part Starting with fully impregnated, quali-
not requalify materials. configuration, with one area thicker than fied, toughened prepreg eliminates the
Precision-designed gating and chan- another,” he explains, “the zonal heating risk of dry spots during injection and the
nels within the tool facilitate evacuation allows the press, after a complete heat need to introduce toughening agents to
of air from the layup prior to injection profile is completed for the tool, to apply the part via the liquid resin. Further,
and also enable the injected resin to fill more heat in the thicker area so the part because the process so closely follows
all of the cavities along the edges of the always sees a consistent heat cycle.” standard autoclave processing steps us-
entire part at a uniform fluid pressure SQRTM is similar to RTM in that a vac- ing previously qualified materials, there
of approximately 100 psi/6.89 bar. “The uum is drawn on the tool and the press is less risk and a much higher comfort
resin isn’t intended to impregnate the and tool are heated. With SQRTM, how- level for the customer. Although the pro-
prepreg,” Milovich explains, but “only ever, heat is applied at the same ramp cess lends itself somewhat better to pla-
to maintain a steady hydrostatic pres- rate as specified for the prepreg under nar-type parts, Milovich says the SARAP
sure within the mold. The pressure keeps autoclave conditions, and resin is in- cabin roof demonstrates that very large-
volatiles and water vapor in solution to jected via a process controller that also scale, complex parts are well within
prevent void formation.” monitors and adjusts the press tempera- its scope.
Indeed, traditional autoclave process- ture. Also unique to the SQRTM process
es sometimes use high-temperature rub- is the level of vacuum used, Coughlin Net-shape, grid-stiffened part
ber edge dams or other materials as part adds, pointing out that Radius develops “Our focus is on net-shape parts,” says
of the layup and bagging to keep resin its vacuum pumps to create <0.5 mm/Hg, Milovich. “We’re looking for ways to in-
from escaping from the prepreg under which is “more vacuum than a standard tegrate multiple parts, for less assembly
the autoclave’s pressure — if enough shop pump can produce.” labor, lower costs and lighter weight.”
resin squeezes out and the laminate hy- Because the higher thermal conduc- That philosophy drove the development
drostatic pressure drops, any air or tivity of the press and tool permit faster of SQRTM for the SARAP program,
volatiles that come out of the
resin within the layup can
create voids. In the SQRTM Integrated upper skin
process, then, the injected,
This top view of the finished roof shows the
pressurized resin acts as a integral upper skin as well as the opening
“fluid dam,” preventing resin and integral supports for the rotor trans-
squeeze-out while replicating mission. With rough dimensions of 9.5
an autoclave’s consolidation ft by 6.2 ft by 1 ft (2.9m by 1.9m by
pressure during cure. 0.3m), the roof is combined with
“Laminate quality is more easily other fuselage components
controlled with SQRTM rather than (see photo on p. 48). The
roof section models a
an autoclave,” claims Tom Coughlin, prospective method
head of business development for for reducing the
Radius, “because the resin hydrostatic fuselage part
pressure is directly controlled by the count and
resin injector instead of being dependent weight.
on variables inside the autoclave vessel
and laminate under the bag.”
To accommodate its SQRTM process,
Radius has designed and manufac-
tured a large platen press system that is
equipped with upper and lower bolsters
of welded steel ground flat to high tol-
ing
SEPTEMBER 2010 | 45
INSIDE MANUFACTURING
Step 4
The layup has been completed, multiple tool inserts installed, and
the mold closed. At this point, injection take place, using the same
Step 1 resin as that incorporated into the the prepregs, to maintain steady
hydrostatic pressure within the mold.
Layup of the complex roof part, shown here in the early stages,
involved placement of a combination of debulked prepreg materials
and dry preforms (described in step 3) on the lower mold half. Same-Qualified Resin Transfer Molding (SQRTM)
Processing - Cycle is Shorter Than Autoclave Cure
400
SQRTM
CURE AUTOCLAVE
350
2 oF/min 2 oF/min
300 5 oF/min
TEMPERATURE (Deg F)
250 5 oF/min
1 oF/min
200
SQRTM INJECTION
150
PART REMOVAL
5 oF/min
100
120 minutes
30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 360 390
TIME (minutes)
Step 2
Step 5
The roof skin’s prepreg layup is in place, and the network of tooling
inserts that will form the faces of the roof section’s beams and After injection, cure begins. As this chart demonstrates, SQRTM
perpendicular frames are in position. enables faster processing, because the greater thermal conductivity
of the press and tool permit faster heating and cool down. RTM
cure can be two hours shorter than an autoclave cycle.
Step 3
This closeup shows the “pi” preforms used at the intersections of
vertical and horizontal elements. Everywhere a vertical stiffener web
Step 6
meets a beam flange or the part skin, the two legs of the pi preform
form a slot that accepts the web while the perpendicular preform A cured roof part is shown as it is lifted from the tooling base. Visible
element lays flat against the horizontal flange or skin. The preforms to the left of the tool is the heated platen press with upper and lower
functioned to fill the radii between web and caps or flanges for each bolsters of welded steel, ground flat to high tolerance, that heat and
of the part’s numerous beams and frames. clamp the tool.
46 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES
which focused on finding innovative ways
to reduce structural weight and fastener
count and increase damage tolerance in
rotorcraft parts. In addition to Radius,
the SARAP team included Automated
Dynamics (Schenectady, N.Y.) and GKN
Aerospace Services Alabama (Tallassee,
Ala.). Automated Dynamics fabricated a
thermoplastic composite lower fuselage
component, and GKN built the fuselage
frames, side skins and aft bulkhead, and
assembled the final SARAP Technology
Validation Article.
Proof-of-concept trials for the cabin
roof began in 2006, and full-scale tool
design was undertaken in 2007. Radius
was responsible for developing the roof’s
manufacturing process, based on the
design and finite element analysis (FEA)
modeling provided by Sikorsky.
According to Milovich, the roof proto-
type was one of the most complex net-
shape unitized structures undertaken to
date. With rough dimensions of 9.5 ft by
6.2 ft by 1 ft (2.9m by 1.9m by 0.3m) and
a weight of approximately 250 lb/120 kg,
the “grid-stiffened” part integrates four
thick longitudinal beams and several
lighter perpendicular frames, an integral
upper skin with stiffeners and integral
supports for the rotor transmission, all
in a single cocured component. Clearly,
design of the tool, performed in-house
by Radius, was critical and ultimately
“very complex,” Milovich admits.
The 10.8-ft by 7.5-ft by 1.5-ft (3.3m
by 2.3m by 0.5m) aluminum tool, fabri-
cated by a proprietary tooling supplier,
consisted of two large outer tool halves
that form the inner and outer surfaces of
the cabin roof. Milovich notes that hard-
anodized aluminum is typical for most
of the company’s large SQRTM projects
because it is reasonably priced, lighter
than steel, takes less energy to heat and
is significantly easier to handle.
More than 250 separate tooling de-
tails, either mandrels or inserts, were
machined and fit together to form all
of the interior faces of the part. The fit
tolerances are less than ±0.005 inch
(±0.125 mm).
“Our approach was to create a single,
multipart tool with lots of removable
inserts,” states Milovich. “Each insert
is registered to the large outer tools to
ensure exact dimensions.” Although the
tool was clearly intricate and expensive,
it eliminated the multiple tools that
otherwise would have been required
SEPTEMBER 2010 | 47
INSIDE MANUFACTURING
COMPOSITE
TEST FIXTURES
48 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES
The kitted unidirectional carbon/ep- viated, says Milovich, by demolding the “It’s becoming accepted and will lead the
oxy tape and woven fabric prepreg was part while the tool was still hot, at about way for other applications for integrating
debulked separately outside the tool to 70°F (21°C) below the cure temperature. multiple parts into a single assembly,
remove any entrapped air or local areas saving considerable resources,” con-
of resin concentration — a step normally From prototypes to programs cludes Milovich.
specified for the material. The cut plies To date, three roof assemblies have been Editor’s note: The Survivable Affordable Repair-
were layed on a heated flat caul plate or produced successfully with SQRTM. able Airframe Program (SARAP) was partially
table, bagged and placed under vacuum, All surfaces on the parts show tight di- funded by the Aviation Applied Technology Di-
according to the material specifications. mensional control, within ±0.005 inch rectorate (AATD) and Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.
An 11-ply prepreg stack was debulked in (±0.125 mm), thanks to the tight toler- under Technology Investment Agreement No.
about one hour after reaching a maxi- ances of the matched tooling. Only mi- DAAH10-03-2-0003. Use of this information
mum temperature based on the level nor trimming of the edges and the ends does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Govern-
of debulk required. Then the debulked of the beams was required after cure. As ment or Department of the Army.
layup plies, or “books,” were transferred a result, Sikorsky is considering the tech-
to the tool and layup commenced, a pro- nology for future upgrades to the U.S.
cess that took two technicians nearly two Army’s UH-60 helicopter platform and LEARN MORE
weeks to complete. plans to evaluate the technology in other @
www.compositesworld.com
In the layup, the prepreg formed the programs as well.
webs and flanges of the part. These were Sikorsky is not the only aerospace
Read this article online at http://short.
joined by woven three-dimensional dry OEM interested in SQRTM. The Boeing
compositesworld.com/LtO6vh00.
“pi” preforms, so named for their resem- Co. (Seattle, Wash.) recently released a
blance to the Greek letter π (see “Learn process specification to cover the Pi preform technology was developed
More,” this page). These were manufac- SQRTM process, using BMS-8-276 by Lockheed Martin (Ft. Worth, Texas)
and demonstrated under the Composites
tured by Bally Ribbon Mills (Bally, Pa.) toughened prepreg in a closed molding
Affordability Initiative (CAI) program funded by
and Albany Engineered Composites process. Radius reports that Boeing and the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy. See “Market
(Rochester, N.H.). Everywhere a vertical at least one of its Tier 1 suppliers have Trends: The Composites Affordability Initiative,
stiffener web met a beam flange or the tested panels, subelements and full- Part I,” HPC March 2007 (p. 9) or visit http://
part skin, the two legs of the pi preform scale parts made via SQRTM and found short.compositesworld.com/rck4hBDu.
formed a slot that accepted the web while equivalence to autoclave processing.
the perpendicular preform element lay
flat against the horizontal flange or skin.
The preforms functioned to fill the radii
between the web and caps or flanges for
each of the part’s numerous beams and
frames, providing needed stiffness and
strength.
As the tool was assembled, the pre-
cisely machined tooling inserts and de-
tails compressed and consolidated each
of these preform details, creating “net
beveled edges,” says Milovich. At three-
way intersections, the preforms were
hand cut prior to insertion into the tool
to form mitered joints. “We have devel-
oped methods to miter the preformed
intersections to create clean and func-
tional joints. The big benefit is that the
need for edge dressing is eliminated and
subsequent part machining is greatly re-
duced after cure.”
After instrumentation was attached
and a vacuum was drawn on the tool,
the press was heated at the autoclave-
specified ramp rate, and the resin was
injected during a dwell in the ramp pro-
cess. Injection took about 45 minutes,
and cure was accomplished in approxi-
mately four hours. Any concerns about
coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE)
issues with the aluminum tool were alle-
SEPTEMBER 2010 | 49
Business Development Conference:
More than 20 market and technical presentations by industry leaders
Conference Co-Chairs:
Tom Haulik | Carbon Fiber Sales Manager, Hexcel
Tom Lemire | Western Regional Manager, Toho Tenax America
IN ASSOCIATION WITH:
R E G I S T E R T O D AY a t c o m p o s i t e s w o r l d . c o m / c f
CALENDAR
CALENDAR
Sept. 13-24, 2010 Textile Reinforced Composites
Aachen/Leuven, Germany | http://www.rwth-academy.com/
veranstaltung/materials-management-and-geo-resources/1032 Solutions
Sept. 14-15, 2010 Composites Europe 2010 for Controlling
Essen, Germany | www.composites-europe.com/en-gb.index.cfm Process
Sept. 15-16, 2010 The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Temperatures
Automotive Composites Conference and Exhibition (ACCE) Temperatures range
Troy, Mich. | www.speautomotive.com/comp.htm from 5° to 650° F
(-15° to 343° C)
Sept. 15-17, 2010 China International Composites Expo 2010
Beijing, China | www.chinacompositesexpo.com
Sept. 20-22, 2010 SpeedNews 11th Annual Aviation Industry Suppliers Conference
Toulouse, France | http://www.speednews.com/
ConferenceInfo.aspx?conferenceID=21
Sept. 20-23, 2010 25th Annual American Society for Composites Technical Conference
Dayton, Ohio | http://asc2010.udayton.edu/
Sept. 23-24, 2010 High-Performance Resins 2010
Schaumburg, Ill. | www.compositesworld.com/conferences/high-
performance-resins-2010
water and oil temperature
Sept. 28-30, 2010 IBEX 2010 control systems
Louisville, Ky. | www.ibexshow.com
Oct. 6-7, 2010 The Int’l Symposium on Composites Manufacturing (ISCM)
Marknesse, The Netherlands | http://iscm.nlr.nl
Oct. 11-14, 2010 SAMPE Fall Technical Conference 2010
Salt Lake City, Utah | www.sampe.org/events/
2010SaltLakeCityUtah.aspx
Oct. 12-13, 2010 Tooling for Composites
portable chiller and
Salt Lake City, Utah | http://www.sme.org/cgi-bin/ heating/cooling systems
get-event.pl?--001974-000007-home--SME-
Oct. 12-14, 2010 JEC Composites Show Asia
Singapore | www.jeccomposites.com
Oct. 20-21, 2010 Manufacturing Innovations – Aerospace/Defense
Orlando, Fla. | www.sme.org/cgi-bin/get-event.pl?--
001949-000007-home--SME-
Nov. 9-10, 2010 High-Performance Fibers 2010
Charleston, S.C. | www.compositesworld.com/ centralized cooling systems,
conferences/high-performance-fibers-2010 pump tanks and control panels
Nov. 10-12, 2010 SAMPE China 2010
Shanghai, China | www.sampe.org/events/SAMPECHINA2010(E).pdf
Dec. 7-9, 2010 Carbon Fiber 2010
La Jolla, Calif. | www.compositesworld.com/conferences/
carbon-fiber-2010
SM
Dec. 27-30, 2010 2nd Int’l Conference on Composites
Kish Island, Iran | http://ccfa.iust.ac.ir
Feb. 2-4, 2011 COMPOSITES 2011
Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. | www.acmashow.org
March 1-3, 2011 4th International Composite-Expo 2011
Moscow, Russia | www.mirexpo.ru/eng/exhibitions/composite11.shtml
March 29-31, 2011 JEC Composites Show 2011 Phone: 716-876-9951
Paris, France | www.jeccomposites.com www.mokon.com
SEPTEMBER 2010 | 51
APPLICATIONS
APPLICATIONS
Deepsea submersible incorporates composite pressure capsule
Prior to his untimely death in 2007, DeepFlight Challenger’s inner carbon/epoxy laminate via bonded titanium rings. The
record-setting aviator and adventurer composite pressure capsule. A filament- tube wall thickness had to be sufficient to
Steve Fossett — the first balloonist to fly wound cylinder, the capsule has a thick resist a biaxial stress field exerted by the
nonstop around the world — was prepar- glass viewing dome on one end and a tita- deep ocean pressure of approximately
ing to make a solo journey to the bottom nium foot dome on the other. The domes 16,000 psi/1,100 bar, with a 1.5 factor of
of the Challenger Deep in the Pacific would be attached to the composite safety. According to Spencer Composites’
Ocean’s Mariana Trench, the deep- principal Brian Spencer, all other
est point in the undersea world. design factors, which included
He aimed to exceed a 36,000 water ingress, temperature per-
ft/19,500m dive made in 1960 formance and ability to withstand
in the same location by Jacques handling loads in and out of the
Piccard and U.S. Navy lieutenant water, were insignificant compared
Don Walsh in the bathyscaphe Tri- to the external pressure load.
este. His self-financed, one-person “A vessel for containing inter-
winged submersible vessel, the nal pressure, such as a hydrogen
DeepFlight Challenger, was designed storage tank, puts carbon fiber
52 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES
APPLICATIONS
much less than in tension.” Fiber volume, sure, the hoop compressive strain capa- ment winding. The machine layed down
voids and delaminations become much bility was targeted at 0.45 percent. a 2-inch/50-mm wide band of carbon
more important, he adds, because these Spencer built a number of half-scale fiber supplied by Grafil Inc. (Sacramento,
characteristics significantly impact the tubes to test several designs, including Calif.). The toughened epoxy resin matrix
composite’s compressive strength and different hoop-to-axial fiber ratios, varia- was custom formulated by Spencer. The
buckling resistance. tions of fiber type and fibers of different resulting oven-cured laminate, 5.15
Using the finite element software code moduli in the laminate. Tests were con- inches/130 mm thick, has a fiber volume
COSMOS/M from Structural Research ducted at Pennsylvania State University’s of 67 percent and “essentially zero voids,”
and Analysis Corp. (Santa Monica, Calif.), (State College, Pa.) test laboratory, one claims the company. The finished capsule
Spencer developed and optimized a lami- of a handful in the U.S. able to generate was delivered to HOT shortly before Fos-
nate that uses only hoop and axial plies, the necessary compressive stress loads. sett’s 2007 airplane accident.
in a ratio of about two hoops for every Results were compared to the finite ele- The capsule is oriented at an angle
axial, using a repeated sequence that ment model and anticipated failure within the 17.67 ft/5.4m long, 13 ft/4m
reduces strain variation through the lam- modes. Spencer reports that the subscale wide, 5.5 ft/1.7m high submersible craft
inate wall. “To reduce the strain variation samples withstood a maximum fiber com- (see renderings above). The total weight
and allow a higher overall applied load, pressive stress of more than 125 ksi/1,250 is 4,730 lb/2,150 kg.
we varied the hoop modulus through the MPa and exhibited compressive strain Currently owned by the Fossett estate,
wall thickness,” he explains. “The inner capability that exceeded 0.48 percent. DeepFlight Challenger is capable of diving to
laminate has higher hoop stiffness than The full-scale capsule was fabricated deeper than 36,000 ft and returning to the
the outer laminate.” To ensure that the using a Spencer Composites-designed surface in about five hours, claims HOT
capsule would withstand full ocean pres- 4-axis CNC machine adapted for fila- founder Graham Hawkes.
The world’s leading supplier of boron and silicon carbide fiber products
and advanced composite materials. Our fibers are used in aircraft, aerospace,
sporting goods and industrial applications where the highest mechanical
and physical performance properties are required.
CVD Fibers
Produced in single-filament reactors by
Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), boron
and silicon carbide fibers exhibit unique
combinations of High Strength, High
Modulus and Large Diameter.
Fiber Preforms
Boron and SCS silicon carbide fibers are
available on spools or in appropriate
preforms for composite applications.
Experience
Boron composites have a large design
database and a proud history in past and
present military aircraft.
SEPTEMBER 2010 | 53
NEW PRODUCTS
NEW PRODUCTS
Filament winding pattern generation software
Seifert and Skinner & Assoc. Inc. (Salt Lake City, Utah and Brussels, Bel-
gium) has introduced ComposicaD software, designed to generate winding
patterns for filament winding machines. The program reportedly enables the
part programmer to build the desired laminate table — the different layers of
circumferential, helical and transition winding — for each type of part (pipes
and tubes, tanks and vessels, pipe tees and elbows and spars and other geo-
metric shapes). It then enables production of each part type in a range of sizes
by varying the part length and/or diameter. The software produces symmetric
laminates, produces a “time optimal trajectory,” controls the fiber speed and
acceleration, automatically generates minimum length transitions and more.
The software also maintains a database of commonly used fiber band setups
that includes bandwidth, band thickness, band density, maximum slip potential,
cost and other parameters. These parameters are used to calculate laminate
weights, length of fiber consumed, and costs, as well as the winding time, not
only on a total-part basis but also for the individual lamina. ComposicaD produc-
es machine output for up to six axes of motion (spindle, carriage, cross carriage,
rotating eye, yaw axis and perpendicular axis) and automatically calculates the machine. The system produces output for all types of CNC winding machines
thickness buildup and adjusts the winding contour. Winding speeds are con- and has the capability to control other variables associated with the winding
trolled by the machine accelerations and velocities, including the fiber speed, process, such as fiber tension, resin bath temperature and mandrel pressure.
and can be varied up to the limits, which are specific to the particular winding www.composicad.com
54 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES
NEW PRODUCTS
ISO9001-2000
AS9100B
C o m p o s i t e s
SEPTEMBER 2010 | 55
NEW PRODUCTS
56 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES
AD INDEX
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
A&P Technology Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Abaris Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
VERSATILE SUPREME 33
Aero Engineering USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 ■Tough epoxy resists up to 425°F
Airtech International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 ■ Convenient cures at ambient
and/or elevated temperatures
Amamco Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
■ Resists prolonged service up to
American GFM Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 425°F ■ Withstands severe thermal
ASC Process Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 and mechanical shock and vibration
Automated Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 ■ Outstanding adhesion to metallic
and non-metallic substrates
Baltek Inc. a Co. of 3A Composites Core Materials . . . . . . 27
■ Excellent durability and chemical
BGF Industries Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 resistance ■ Superior electrical
Burnham Composite Structures Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 insulation ■ Easy to apply
CAD Cut Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 ■ Convenient packaging
SEPTEMBER 2010 | 57
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FOCUS ON DESIGN
F1-INSPIRED MONOCELL:
Resin transfer molding makes CFRP passenger cell mass-producible
W
ell known for its winning For- else for its cars’ primary structures. the MP4-12C, the first of a new family
mula 1 racing cars, McLaren McLaren’s pioneering concept of a of exotic road cars. Although the latter
Racing Ltd. (Woking, Surrey, strong carbon fiber-reinforced driver’s are made by a separate division, the
U.K.) was the first race car cell, protected by other energy-absorb- racing and production car manufactur-
builder to use carbon fiber-re- ing structures, has led to a massive im- ing plants are both housed in the same
inforced polymer (CFRP) in Formula 1 provement in motor racing driver safety building, the McLaren Technology
cars, a strategy subsequently adopted over the past two decades. Centre, facilitating an inevitable cross-
by all F1 teams. In fact, the company McLaren Racing’s sister division, fertilization of ideas. The MP4-12C will
can claim to be the only auto manu- McLaren Automotive Ltd., has taken be manufactured in volumes of 4,000
facturer that has never used anything steps to transfer the cell technology to per year — a very large number for a
FRONT ¾-VIEW
• One-piece carbon-composite • RTM process cuts labor by 90 • MonoCell meets all requirements for
passenger cell optimizes overall percent and enables unit crashworthiness, stiffness, repair cost
vehicle stiffness. production of 4,000 per year. reduction, corrosion prevention and
passenger ease of access.
60 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES
RACING SAFETY FOR THE ROAD
BY BOB GRIFFITHS
for new-model supercar. ILLUSTRATION / KARL REQUE
Relying on experience
SEPTEMBER 2010 | 61
Source: McLaren Automotvie
FOCUS ON DESIGN
62 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES
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64 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES
High-Performance
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