Shear buckling of aerospace panels made by induction welded thermoplastic matrix composite elements

Abstract

A thermoplastic matrix composite flat panel stiffened by induction welded stringers, according to a typical aerospace configuration was tested. A Poly-Ether-Ether-Ketone (PEEK) matrix reinforced by carbon fibers was adopted.The aim of this study was to investigate the shear buckling, a load condition that is very common for the aerospace structures, of the panel obtained using a non-conventional approach for its fabrication, that is, induction welding. A finite element (FE) model capable to describe the buckling and the postbuckling behavior of the stiffened panel was also developed and compared with experimental results. Testing was performed using fixtures suitably designed to transmit a pure shear to the panel, and strain gauges were mounted on the external surfaces to measure the deformations.

Multifactor optimization for induction welding of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites based on response surface methodology

“…These welding technologies can avoid shortcomings, including weight increase, stress concentration, and long production cycles in traditional joining methods 15–17 . Induction welding is considered to be one of the most promising joining techniques for CFRP composites due to its high efficiency and selectivity of the heated area, which is particularly suitable for the automated manufacture of large joining structures thanks to its ability to achieve continuous welding by moving the induction coil along the specific path 18–20 . However, the nonuniformity of the temperature field in the weld area limits the application of induction welding.…”

“…[15][16][17] Induction welding is considered to be one of the most promising joining techniques for CFRP composites due to its high efficiency and selectivity of the heated area, which is particularly suitable for the automated manufacture of large joining structures thanks to its ability to achieve continuous welding by moving the induction coil along the specific path. [18][19][20] However, the nonuniformity of the temperature field in the weld area limits the application of induction welding. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a multifactor optimization method to improve the temperature field uniformity in the welding area.…”

Research on the heating rate of induction heating CFRP and temperature field based on image entropy

“…Ruddev 19 and Rapoport 20 have revealed that the concentration of magnetic field lines in circular coils can result in uneven magnetic fields and heating. Furthermore, Nicassio 21 and Pappadà 22 have investigated induction welding and determined that it can rapidly and effectively heat aviation components reinforced with fibers.…”

Effect of heat input on temperature characteristics and fusion behavior at bonding interface of CFRTP induction welded joint with carbon fiber susceptor

“…Silvio et al [ 36 ] analyzed the influence of fundamental process parameters, such as generator power, distance between coil and laminate and coil geometry, on the heating rate and the heat distribution, then a composite stiffened panel was fabricated by induction welding. Nicassio et al [ 37 ] investigated the shear buckling and deformations of a thermoplastic matrix composite flat panel stiffened by induction welded stringers and developed a finite element model capable to describe the buckling and the post‐buckling behavior of the stiffened panel.…”