Specimens manufacturing by infusion for the ”Outcome Lower Skin” structural tests pyramid (Clean Sky 2)

Abstract

The aim of this project had been the infusion specimens manufacturing to support design, analysis and qualification for the “Outcome Lower Skin” pyramid structural tests inside the Clean Sky 2 programm. It is the reinforcement lower skin structural tests pyramid for the C295 military aircraft from Airbus Defence & Space. Along the project UD dry fiber manufacturing process had been developed until to obtain an automatic, robust and efficiency process in order to be able to manufacture a lower skin with stringers and spars integrated and that will be able to compete with the typical prepreg process with regard to fabricability, ratio, performance and cost. The manufacturing process includes the dry fiber pre-forms automatic lay-up by AFP (Automated Fiber Placement), a hot-forming process for the stringers and finally a process infusion by VAP (Vacuum Assisted Process). To achive this goal, the AFP has been set up to optimize the laying parameters for the processing of the material to be used (½” Hexcel Hi-Tape fiber) and RTM6 resin. On the other hand, several tests of hot forming had been carried out modifying process variables, and several infusion bags configurations had been used to stringers and skin integration by infusion (VAP) until to find the key process parameters to obtain valid parts for the structural test pyramid.