Flexure Specimens Research Articles

Effect of surface treatment and fiber loading on the physical, mechanical, sliding wear, and morphological characteristics of tasar silk fiber waste-epoxy composites for multifaceted biomedical and engineering applications: fabrication and characterizations

In the present study, waste of tasar silk fiber was used as reinforcement in the epoxy resin. Tasar silk fiber waste (TSFW) was pre-treated with NaOH coupling agent before reinforcing it with epoxy matrix. Treated and untreated TSFW-epoxy composites were made using the compression moulding technique. Composites were characterized for physical, mechanical and wear properties. Effect of NaOH coupling agent and fiber loading were examined on TSFW-epoxy composite. Comparatively, lower void fraction of 5.1% was obtained at 30% reinforcement of treated TSFW composite as compared to 5.8% as obtained for untreated TSFW composites. The tensile strength, flexural strength and impact strength were observed to be 68.47 MPa, 41.18 MPa, and 2.2 J for untreated TSFW where as these properties exhibites marginal increment of 70.86 MPa, 43.52 MPa and 2.35 J respectively. Hardness of composite experienced enhancement of 6% upon using treated TSFW. Overall, 10% reduction in specific wear was observed upon using treated TSFW as compared to untreated one. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis suggested that the tensile specimen undergoes ductile fracture while flexural specimen failed in brittle manner. Fiber agglomeration and large deformation of tasar silk resulted in improved strength as observed in SEM analysis.

Experimental investigations on flexural performance of polymer composites with non-uniform out-of-plane waviness defect

Fibre waviness is frequently observed manufacturing defect which leads to a reduction of mechanical performance of the fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. The current study investigates the effect of out-of-plane fibre waviness as a manufacturing defect on the flexural performance of carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites. Specimens with the non-uniform hump and non-uniform indentation waviness were fabricated using the transverse strip method. Experimental tests were conducted in the three-point flexural configuration using specimens with and without fibre waviness to investigate the flexural behaviour. Each of the above type of non-uniform waviness was investigated to evaluate the effect of the extent of the wave for three severity levels. Load-displacement response and digital optical microscopy were used to identify typical failure modes and damage initiation and progression in flexural specimens under test. Fibre kinking leading to delamination and fibre fracture were observed as prominent failure modes in hump as well as indentation waviness. Experimental investigation revels 12–30% reduction in flexural strength with increase in wave severity for the range considered in this study.

Synergy in Flexure of High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete with Hybrid Steel Fibers

In this paper, the synergistic flexural behaviors of high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (HPFRC) under static and cyclic loading were experimentally investigated. The HPFRCs were composed of an identical mortar matrix but different embedded fiber types and contents as follows: HPFRC0 (no fiber, 0.0% by volume), HPFRC1 (macro steel fiber, 1.5% by volume), HPFRC2 (micro steel fiber, 1.5% by volume), and HPFRC3 (hybrid fiber, 1.0% by volume macro steel fiber blended with 0.5% by volume micro steel fiber). All flexural specimens with the dimensions of 40×40×160 mm were tested under static and cyclic loading using a three-point bending fixture. The HPFRCs with embedded fibers demonstrated the clear enhancements in static flexural resistances of up to 3.54 times higher in flexural strength and 2.16 times higher in deflection capacity in comparison with the plain HPFRC. Under cyclic loading, the fatigue stress ratio, defined as the ratio of the fatigue stress amplitude to the static flexural strength, was changed to perform the fatigue behaviors of the HPFRCs. The endurance limits of the HPFRCs were observed more than 10,000 cycles at the fatigue stress ratio of 0.15, and exceeded 1,000 cycles at the fatigue stress ratio of 0.5. The order of the HPFRC series in terms of static flexural strength, static deflection capacity and fatigue life at the stress amplitudes more than 5 MPa were as follows: HPFRC3 > HPFRC2 > HPFRC1 > HPFRC0. A synergy behavior of the HPFRCs was observed for static flexural strength, static deflection capacity, and fatigue life with the stress amplitude more than 5 MPa. In addition, two models of the fatigue responses of the HPFRCs were built to predict the fatigue life of the HPFRCs according to applied cyclic load.

Durability Investigation on CFRP Strengthened Cementitious Materials in Cold Region.

Epoxy resin, CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer) sheet, and concrete flexural specimens are selected to study the durability of carbon fiber strengthened cementitious materials in a cold region. Two exposure environments, chloride immersion and salt-freeze coupling, are set up, and the mechanical deterioration is discussed utilizing a microscopic observation mechanical test and finite element analysis. The damage to the epoxy resin, CFRP sheet, and concrete exerts a more severe performance degradation in the salt-freeze coupling environment when compared with the chlorine salt immersion environment. The freeze–thaw action destroys the bonding surface of CFRP and concrete based on the microscope observation. The flexural strength of the specimens strengthened with CFRP is 3.6 times higher than that of the specimens without CFRP, while the degradation rate is only 50%. These observations show that the strengthened CFRP effectively improves the cementitious material’s flexural performance in the cold region. The finite element model of epoxy and CFRP subjected to chloride immersion and salt-freeze coupling environment is established. The degradation formula of bond performance between CFRP and concrete is proposed. In addition, the flexural mechanical numerical model is established with and without CFRP strengthened concrete, respectively. Research results provide a technical reference for applying CFRP reinforced cementitious materials in a cold region.

Lap-spliced connections of steel and FRP bars in reinforced flexure concrete structures

Nowadays, the concept of energy saving is achieving more attention in building construction. As a critical element of a building, the balcony creates a discontinuity in envelope insulation and causes massive heat losses. To solve this issue, the adoption of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) bars with the feature of low thermal conductivity in balcony insulation joints is imperative. This introduces a new lap-spliced connection between FRP bars and steel bars in the adjacent slabs. Yet, the lap-spliced connections are usually used for identical kind of rebars, for example, two steel or two FRP bars. There are scarce studies on the combined connection of a steel bar and a FRP bar. To explore this new topic, the present paper summarizes comprehensive knowledge on the tensile lap-spliced steel and FRP bars in flexure concrete specimens based on the current investigations. First, relating information regarding lap-spliced connections is summarized, for instance, connection methods, lap-spliced lengths specified in several codes. Second, important experiment results including various failure modes of flexure specimens, the distribution of tensile stresses and bond stresses along lap-spliced bars are collected and analysed. Third, different factors affecting the bond strength between lap-spliced bars and concrete are discussed. In the end, the obtained knowledge is briefly concluded.

Effect of Moisture Absorption on Mode II Fracture Behavior of Fumed Silica Reinforced Hybrid Fiber Composite

ABSTRACT This work aims to investigate the influence of water ingression on Mode II interlaminar fracture behavior of a fumed silica-reinforced jute-kevlar hybrid nanocomposite. Shear mode of failure is characterized by using End Notched Flexure (ENF) specimens. Thirteen different composites are prepared based on four layering sequences (i.e., Jute-Jute-Jute-Jute [JJJJ], Jute-Kevlar-Kevlar-Jute [JKKJ], Kevlar-Jute-Jute-Kevlar [KJJK], and Kevlar-Kevlar-Kevlar-Kevlar [KKKK]) and four nanofiller weight proportions (0, 1.5, 3, and 4.5%), with the aim of studying the impact of the layering sequence and nanofiller proportion. Initiation fracture toughness (GIIC init.) is reported for dry and wet conditions of the composites using the Simple Beam Theory (SBT) data reduction method. Among the reported stacking sequences, the stacking sequence JKKJ possesses the highest fracture-resistant material in both dry and wet conditions because of the active involvement of the fiber and matrices at the interlaminar layer resulting from interlaminar crack propagation. The water-aged composite JKKJ with a 3% nanofiller weight proportion shows the highest initiation fracture toughness (GIIC init.) value, 1811.4 J/m2. The composite with the stacking sequence JKKJ and 3% nanofiller weight proportion is recommended, which is proved to be the best Mode II fracture-resistant material under wet conditions among the reported composites.

Deformation performance analysis of concrete shear wall with CFRP grids based on the modified uniaxial shear-flexural model

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP), with the properties of light weight, high strength, and linear elasticity, has been widely applied in concrete structures. CFRP grid is one of the ideal alternatives to steel reinforcement to improve structural performance by continuously providing stress under large deformation. Considering the promising application and unique deformation characteristic, a modified method based on the uniaxial shear-flexure model (USFM) was proposed to investigate the deformation performance of CFRP grid shear wall. In the modified USFM (M-USFM), the property of CFRP grid was adopted into the analytical method to reveal the interaction of CFRP grid and concrete. Experimental results of specimens with different failure modes were compared to verify the acceptability of the modified USFM, considering the parameters of aspect ratio and reinforcement ratio. The modified USFM could well predict the load-displacement response and capture the initial stiffness, strength, and peak load point. The analytical lateral load was slightly higher than the experiment due to the difference between monotonic loading and cyclic loading, with the deviation of the peak load ranging from 4.9% to 10.8%. Moreover, the deformation was divided into shear, flexural, and slip components. For flexural failure specimens, the flexural component accounted for over 65% of total deformation at failure, consistent with the experimental result. For better application, the effect of reinforcement configuration and the confinement of CFRP grid to the internal concrete were deserved further investigation.

Effect of steel fiber on flexural performance of bilayer concrete beams with steel and GFRP rebars: Experiments and predictions

Replacing steel rebars with glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) rebars in concrete beams can lead to the production of lightweight and durable structural members. Meanwhile, layering concrete beams and using different volume fractions of steel fibers in the layers can be a proper method for improving structural performance and reducing construction costs of fiber reinforced-concrete beams. Therefore, this research aims to evaluate how bilayer steel fibrous concrete beam specimens with GFRP rebars behave under flexure. For this, 14 beam specimens reinforced with GFRP and steel fibers were manufactured in seven experimental groups without using any shear reinforcement. The effect of key variables such as reinforcement ratio, the volumetric content of steel fiber, and compressive strength of concrete on the performance of bilayer beams was examined. The main experiment of the current study involved three-point flexural tests, which were conducted on flexural specimens. The effective parameters on flexural behavior of beams such as flexural resistance, flexural stiffness, toughness, fracture energy, and load–displacement curve were extracted from the results. The results showed that the flexural properties of concrete beams increased by adding 0.75% steel fibers. Nevertheless, per the same fiber ratio, bilayer fibrous beam specimens had weaker flexural performance relative to one-layer fibrous concrete beam specimens. Additionally, when the GFRP bar was replaced with steel bar in the bilayer concrete flexural specimen, flexural resistance, toughness, fracture energy, and stiffness decreased while deflection in peak load increased significantly. Moreover, using high-strength concrete (HSC) in comparison to normal strength concrete (NSC) in bilayer GFRP reinforced beams improved flexural properties by almost 28%. After comparing the formulation to capture the flexural capacity of beam specimens in different specifications with results observed in this research, it is concluded that ACI 440.1R-06 and CAN/CSA S806-12 predict the deformation in service mode to great accuracy for beams reinforced with FRP as well as ACI 318, CAN/CSA A23.3, and ACI 440.1R-15 for steel-reinforced beams.

Development of cigarette butt fibre filter reinforced by opefb fiber composite material for trash can

This research developed new materials from cigarette fibre filter and OPEFB fibre. This study to develop polymer composite compositions with varying strengths and to perform flexural tests and specimens that best represent the properties used in waste basket products. The method used is to use variation compotiton to determine the best mechanical response generated by testing the specimen. The material used is made from composite, cigarette fibre filter and addition of OPEFB fibers is used as a filler and polyurethane as the matrix. The results are informating that of the best material properties chosen to be developed in to product of a trash can. The conclusion of this study is that the increase in the percentage of reinforcement is directly proportional to the resulting stress and strain values. In addition, it is recommended to use specimen C as a polymer composite material with optimal mechanical properties for product development as waste.

Comparing Testing Methods of Partially Composite Sandwich Wall Panel Glass Fiber–Reinforced Polymer Connectors

Precast concrete insulated sandwich wall panels have been commonly used as exterior load bearing or cladding wall panels on building structures. These panels are usually designed as composite, partially composite, or noncomposite, depending on the strength of the shear connectors connecting the two exterior concrete wythes. Various proprietary available shear connectors are used to achieve the required degree of composite action. The design information of the shear connectors is provided by the connector supplier based on testing results. Currently, there is no universally accepted method of testing composite shear connectors in practice or in the literature, however, connector suppliers usually use one of two testing methodologies recommended by the International Code Council–Evaluation Service, namely, AC320 or AC422, respectively. It is not known which test provides a better measurement of design values such as strength and stiffness, and there is no such comparison in the literature. In this study, 68 pushoff experiments were presented to evaluate the difference between these two testing methodologies. The testing program consisted of 20 single shear specimens and 48 double shear specimens. Three different commercially available shear connectors were used as well as variable insulation wythe thicknesses. The results were statistically analyzed. Large differences in the measured connectors’ shear strengths and stiffness were observed between the two testing methods, with AC422 providing consistently larger ultimate shear and secant stiffness, but considerably more variability. Large-scale flexural specimens from the literature were modeled using AC320 and AC422 as-measured results, and AC422 tests were found to predict deflections, cracking, and strength more accurately. It was concluded that AC422 produces a more accurate measure of connector properties, but suffers from large variability, resulting in a recommendation that further investigation into changing testing parameters and/or methods is warranted to reduce this variability.

In-situ imaging of flexure-induced fracture in tape-laminate composites using high-resolution X-ray computed tomography

This study presents development of an in-situ flexure test for imaging progressive inter- and intralaminar fracture in tape-laminate composites using X-ray computed tomography (CT). The intent of this test is to provide detailed experimental observations of ply-level damage that can be used to validate existing, and develop new, progressive damage analysis (PDA) tools. The test consists of a vertically mounted specimen which is flexed using two eccentric compressive loads using an in-situ uniaxial load stage. The flexure specimen contains a starter notch mid-span which promotes initiation of composite failure within the X-ray field of view. Specimens with two different laminate stacking sequences were tested, imaged, analyzed. For a quasi-isotropic laminate with large angle changes between adjacent plies, there was near simultaneous growth of transverse cracks and delaminations below the midplane of the laminate. For a laminate with small angles between adjacent plies, there was extensive formation of transverse crack networks which penetrated the laminate thickness without delamination growth. In addition to imaging fracture, the X-ray CT data from both specimen types were used to quantify the variability in thickness and analyze the local orientation of individual plies. Overall, the proposed test and the image-data analysis methodology provided an important insight into the fracture processes in tape laminates and highlights the inherent ply-level geometrical variabilities that should be accounted for in PDA simulations.

Influence of Laser Treatment on End Notched Flexure Bonded Joints in Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer: Experimental and Numerical Results.

Surface pretreatment for bonding is one of the most important steps for the manufacturing of a reliable bonded joint. In this paper, the effectiveness of an innovative pretreatment by CO2 pulsed laser for bonding Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) was investigated. End Notched Flexure (ENF) specimens were made with different densities of laser treatment, and the respective fracture toughness was obtained through the Compliance-Based Beam Method (CBBM). Furthermore, a cohesive model for simulating debonding processes was illustrated, and the cohesive parameters were obtained by an inverse method. The achieved results represent a fundamental step for the development of a numerical model useful for the determination of laser texturing as a function of the applied local stress into the bonded joint.

Effect of Build Parameters on the Mechanical Behavior of Polymeric Materials Produced by Multijet Fusion

Multijet fusion (MJF) is a novel additive manufacturing (AM) process for the powder bed fusion of thermoplastic polymers. In recent years, MJF has been established as a promising manufacturing technique for the rapid prototyping and production of fully functional, large‐scale components at high resolution. Like other powder bed fusion techniques, MJF permits the printing of parts without support material, and does not require chemical postprocessing steps, making it especially suitable for fabricating parts with complex and intricate internal features. However, the effects of common build volume parameters (such as part orientation, location, and interpart spacing) on mechanical properties are currently not well understood. This study aims to provide a thorough and comprehensive description of the trends in mechanical properties observed in polyamide (PA)‐11 and PA‐12 samples printed using the MJF process. Tensile, flexural, and impact specimens are printed using varying build volume packing parameters and tested according to the corresponding ASTM standards. The fracture surfaces of tested specimens are studied and characterized to further understand the method of failure propagation through MJF‐printed PA‐11 and PA‐12. As this work demonstrates, determining an optimal bed packing algorithm will be instrumental for optimizing desired mechanical properties of printed parts.

Identification of cohesive zone model parameters based on interface layer displacement field of bonded joints

AbstractNowadays, adhesively bonded structures are widely used as structural elements in many engineering fields. The development of approaches for predicting joint reliability and interface layer behavior make adhesives suitable for new and more complex applications. In this paper, a novel identification methodology of cohesive zone model (CZM) parameters, based on the comparison of experimental and numerical relative adherends slip displacements, is proposed and compared with approaches by literature. All considered methods are based on an interface traction–separation law (TSL) whose shape is known a priori. For identification purposes, tests on adhesively bonded joints under Mode II fracture loading were performed using end notched flexure (ENF) specimen. Experimental results in terms of relative adherends tangential slips were obtained by means of digital image correlation (DIC) technique.

High-resolution in situ characterization of micromechanisms in CFRP laminates under mode II loading

Micromechanisms in carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs) were studied by in situ mode II fracture toughness tests using a high-resolution optical microscope. The fracture toughness tests on four-point bend end notched flexure specimens were interrupted between the proportional limit and the plateau region, followed by postmortem examination using a high-resolution X-ray computed tomography system to identify three-dimensional microdamage. The observations sequentially captured the formation of damage zone, which composed of plastic zone, fiber/matrix debonding, and microcracks. The microscopic failure process was correlated with the macroscopic behavior of CFRP laminates during mode II fracture toughness tests.

Impact of high-speed sintering and choice of preshaded monochrome or multilayered blanks on fatigue behavior of 4 mol% yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal

Statement of problemHigh-speed sintering allows the rapid fabrication of esthetic restorations with adequate flexural strength. However, data on the fatigue behavior of high-speed sintered 4 mol% yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (4Y-TZP) are lacking. PurposeThe purpose of this in vitro study was to examine the effect of high-speed sintering and the preshading of blanks (monochrome versus multilayer) on the fatigue behavior of 4Y-TZP ceramics. Material and methodsFour-point flexural strength specimens (N=405) were fabricated from high-speed sintered multilayer 4Y-TZP (Zolid DRS) processed at 1580 °C for about 20 minutes and conventionally sintered at 1450 °C for about 10 hours, multilayer 4Y-TZP (Zolid Gen-x), and monochrome 4Y-TZP (Ceramill Zolid HT+PS), the control group. The specimens were loaded under 5 different dynamic test conditions for fatigue testing (P1-P5). Three were step-stress protocols (P1: 50 N for 5000 cycles; P2: 10 N for 1000 cycles, P3: 5% for 5000 cycles), 1 was tested with a constant force of 720 N (P4), and 1 was tested for different constant load levels (P5). For analysis of P1-P3, the Kaplan-Meier test and Mantel Cox test were performed (α=.05). P4 was analyzed with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Kruskal-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney U tests, and P5 by creating a load-cycle diagram. A fracture analysis was performed. ResultsZMLC showed better fatigue behavior than ZMLH (P≤.006) and ZMOC (P≤.002) in all 3 step-stress protocols (P1-P3). ZMLH showed results comparable with those for ZMOC (P≥.285). In P4 and P5, all materials showed comparable values (P=.163 for P4). ConclusionsThe multilayer technique showed a positive effect on the fatigue behavior of 4Y-TZP. In contrast, high-speed sintering negatively influenced the fatigue behavior of multilayer 4Y-TZP. The high-speed sintered material showed no deterioration compared with the conventional sintered monochrome material.

Experimental Study on Performance of Steel Fiber-Reinforced Concrete V-Shaped Columns

Structural engineers have used V-shaped columns based on technical requirements. The inclination of the V-shaped column underlines the individual purpose of the base floor. However, there is no any specification or guidance on the design of V-shaped columns to date. The aim of this study is to investigate the behavior of V-shaped reinforced concrete columns with three angles between columns (30°, 60°, and 90°) in order for the results to be used in the design and analysis of the V-shaped column. The impact of using a 1.5% dosage of micro-straight-steel fiber (MSSF) in the concrete mixture was also studied. The results showed that the V-shaped column with 30°, regardless of the concrete type (with and without MSSFs), exhibited crushing at legends when the sample reached the ultimate load, while no cracks occurred at the legends during the test for the other V-shaped columns. Upon increasing the angle of inclination of the V-shaped columns, the ultimate load capacity was decreased by 24%, 23%, and 20% for V-shaped columns with 30°, 60°, and 90° angles of inclination, respectively. The addition of MSSFs in the concrete significantly improved the ultimate axial load and the bending moment compared to the reference specimens with the normal reinforced concrete (NRC). The steel-fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) vertical column specimen demonstrated the highest increase in axial load, and the other SFRC V-shaped and flexural specimens showed a minor increase compared to the NRC specimens.

THE EFFECT OF VARIATIONS OF COMPOSITION OF FELSDPAR AND THE SHELL OF PENSI SHELL (Corbicula Moltkiana) FROM LAKE MANINJAU ON THE FLEXIBILITY OF DENTURE

Utilization of waste pensi shells (Corbicula Moltkiana) in Lake Maninjau has not been fully optimal so that a more economical business is needed. One of them is the use of calcium oxide in pensi shells. Calcium oxide is one of the most commonly used calcium in the manufacture of dentures. This study aims to determine the value of the optimum flexural strength of the denture in order to obtain a higher quality denture material on the pensi shell that can be utilized and which has economic value. The method used is the experimental method. The sample used in this study with a size of 90 mm X 18 mm X 8 mm for testing flexibility / flexural strength. The total samples used in this study were 12 samples for testing the flexibility/flexural strength using a bending testing machine. For the use of pensi shell material, a calcination process was carried out at a temperature of 1000℃ on the pensi shell material and then characterized using XRF to determine the ingredients. The results of the characterization using XRF showed that pensi shells contain calcium elements of 97.121% and about 3% other elements such as Si, Al, P, Ag, Mn and Fe. Then the pensi shell material is mixed with other ingredients such as felsdpar, quartz, and kaolin. The material is mixed and then molded for flexural testing specimens. Based on the test results of this study, the highest flexibility value for denture samples was found in sample 4 with the most variations of pensi shell powder. The highest denture flexibility value is 25.778 MPa with a variation of 30 gram pensi shell powder in sample 4. The lowest denture flexibility value is 5.727 MPa with a variation of 0 gram pensi shell powder in sample 1. This is due to the addition of pensi shell powder. can increase the value of flexibility in dentures. The increase in the flexibility value was influenced by the CaO content obtained from the pensi shell powder.

Flexural strength of a conventionally processed and additively manufactured debased 94% alumina

AbstractMechanical strength of a 94 wt% debased alumina was measured using ASTM‐C1161 specimens fabricated via conventional and lithography‐based ceramic manufacturing (LCM) methods. The effects of build orientation and a 1500°C wet hydrogen fire added to the LCM firing sequence on strength were evaluated. A Weibull fit to the conventional flexural specimen data yielded 20 and 356 MPa for the modulus and characteristic strength, respectively. Weibull fits of the data from the LCM specimens yielded moduli between 7.5 and 11.3 and characteristics strengths between 333 and 339 MPa. A Weibull fit to data from LCM specimens subjected to the wet hydrogen fire yielded 14.2 and 376 MPa for the modulus and characteristic strength, respectively. The 95% confidence intervals for all Weibull parameters are reported. Average Archimedes bulk densities of LCM and conventional specimens were 3.732 and 3.730 g/cm3, respectively. Process dependent differences in surface morphology were observed in scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of specimen surfaces. SEM images of LCM specimen cross‐sections showed alumina grain texture dependent on build direction, but no evidence of porosity concentrated in planes between printed layers. Fracture surfaces of LCM and conventionally processed specimens revealed hackle lines and mirror regions indicative of fracture initiation at the sample surface rather than the interior.

Fracture toughness assessment of CF-PEEK composites consolidated using hot gas torch assisted automated fibre placement

This paper address the challenges in using traditional film inserts specific to hot gas torch (HGT) assisted and in-situ consolidated automated fibre placement (AFP) manufactured double cantilever beam (DCB) and end notched flexure (ENF) specimens using carbon fibre (CF) reinforced polyetheretherketone (PEEK) prepregs. Traditional films suffer from thermal degradation, wrinkling and distortion under the consolidation roller. In this study, steel shim inserts with different thicknesses (25 and 50 µm) were used to manufacture the DCB and ENF specimens for fracture toughness evaluation. The processing parameters for in-situ consolidation were selected based on prior optimisation studies on short beam tests. In-situ consolidated specimens suffer from high void content which can affect the mechanical properties. Hence, optical micrography was used to investigate on the void contents in the manufactured specimens. Microhardness measurement is proposed as an AFP manufacturing quality assessment tool for DCB and ENF specimens which were taken from different regions of composite laminates. A manufacturing methodology for producing high quality DCB and ENF specimens by hot gas torch assisted in-situ consolidation using AFP is proposed in this paper that provide comparable results with those specimens manufactured using traditional methods.