Thermoplastic Composites: current production and new developments

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Thermoplastic Composites:
Current Production and
New Developments
Sept 16th, 2020 Assocompositi webinar
Arnt Offringa, GKN Fokker

2020 09 16 Thermoplastic Composites Offringa2
Contents
 introduction: GKN Fokker, thermoplastics
 materials & processing overview
 current production
 developments
 a note on automotive
 conclusions

the Netherlands
Limited size
focus on a few areas of excellence
so

Product of the Netherlands

GKN Fokker thermoplastics center of
exclellence, Hoogeveen
composites

Thermoplastics characteristics
– unique processing through
remelting
– unlimited storage and lay-up at
ambient conditions in a normal
factory environment
– high material toughness
– recyclable material
– excellent FST properties
– but:
– ‘boardy material’ so not suited for strong
double curvature skins
– high processing temperatures => not most
suited for small series
=> low cost
=> low weight

Low cost manufacture
• press-forming
of ribs
• welding of
assemblies
• one-step co-
consolidation
labor
material
thermoplasticconventional
composite
$
fast, automated processing

Continuous fiber reinforced
thermoplastic material forms
continuous glass or
carbon fiber
reinforced PEI, PPS
PEKK, PEEK, LM-
PAEK
as:
• single ply material
or
• multi-ply plate
material
fabrics
UD

Thermoplastic Composites 2015 11 24
9
PRE-CONSOLIDATED
SHEET
welding
ASSEMBLIES
SEMIPREPREG & UD TAPE
layup &
consolidation
PANEL
press-
forming
RIB
cutting
BLANK
thermo-
folding
TRAILING
EDGE
layup & co-
consolidation
Thermoplastic composite processing

Thermoplastic composites, thermofolding

ca/PEI thermoplastic
thermofolded
trailing edge
all ca/PEI thermoplastic
press-formed ribs
(structural)

picture courtesy Toray Advanced Composites, Nijverdal

• cost reduction 50% vs.
traditional hand lay-up
• use of pre-consolidated
sheet material
Thermofolding: rudder trailing edge

Thermofolding of floor panel edges

Thermofolding of panel edges

Cost reduction
30% as
compared to
conventional
technology
Press-forming

Production of ribs
Press
• small batches through pre-
heated tools
• automated stamp forming
– preheated tools
– automated handling
• automatic trimming cell

20
PRE-CONSOLIDATED
SHEET
PANEL
press-
formingRIB
cutting
BLANK
thermo-
folding
TRAILING
EDGE
Thermoplastics: production
technology summary
lay-up &
consolidation

Wing leading edge skins
glass/PPS fabric
based material
tailored layup,
followed by
co-consolidation

Tailored skin, lay-up with ultrasonic tacking
booster flat tip sonotrodegenerator
• simple and robust process, low
cost hand-held equipment
• in use @ GKN Fokker: lay-up of
laminates for Airbus, Boeing,
Dassault, Gulfstream, fiber
placement

New: automated kitting of cut plies
@ GKN Fokker

Vacuum bagging

Automation: fiber placement

Fiber placed wing leading edge concept

Large panel automated layup, continuous
ultrasonic tacking

2D continuous ultrasonic tacking ATL machine

29
PRE-CONSOLIDATED
SHEET
welding
PANELS, BEAMS, ASSEMBLIES
consolidation
PANEL
press-
forming
RIB
cutting
BLANK
thermo-
folding
TRAILING
EDGE
Thermoplastics: production
technology summary

Conventional assembly

Welding: thermoplastic structures flying today
Resistance welded wing
leading edges for Airbus
Induction welded rudders
and elevators for Gulfstream

Ultrasonic welding, e.g. of inserts

E-glass
reinforced
Fortron PPSphoto courtesy Airbus
Resistance welding: wing fixed
leading edges (‘J-nose’)

Automatic resistance welding

Resistance welding
spar or rib
+
-
skin
welding
strip

Why welded joints don’t require ‘chicken
rivets’: a homogeneous joint
Glass/PPS rib
Glass/PPS skin

Thermoplastic control surfaces Gulfstream

Example: thermoplastic control surfaces
Gulfstream G650
• new post-buckled multirib
design makes for 10% lower
weight
• thermoplastics processing
makes for 20% lower cost

• weight of welded rudder
and elevator torsion
boxes below 20kg
• welding critical
automated processing
technology

2nd generation induction welding assembly
line @ GKN Fokker, Hoogeveen site

PRE-CONSOLIDATED
SHEET
welding
ASSEMBLIES
layup &
consolidation
PANEL
press-
forming
RIB
cutting
BLANK
thermo-
folding
TRAILING
EDGE
layup & co-
consolidation
Thermoplastic composite processing

one step co-consolidation
of prepregs and injection
molded details
material: glass/PPS Cetex
A400M Ice Protection Plates

• co-consolidated
carbon/PPS full
span main torsion
box
• consolidated
carbon/PPS
leading and trailing
edges with press-
formed ribs
• carbon/epoxy
winglets
Photo courtesy Leonardo Helicopters

T, P
Tip-to-tip multi-spar torsion box

20001990 2010
A380 wing
fixed
leading
edges
First large
scale
assembly:
Welded fixed
wing leading
edges A340
Glass/PPS
First
welded
assembly:
MUC door
Fo50
Carbon/PPS
First
primary
structure:
bonded
GV
pressure
floors
Ca/PEKK
Ca/LM-PAEK
Large primary
structures
Thermoplastics road map
First series
production:
press-formed
Dornier ribs
Carbon/PEI
First co-
consolidated
torsion box,
AW169
Carbon/PPS
First Induction
welded
control
surfaces,
G650
Co-consoli-
dated floor
beam
Carbon/PEKK

Evolution of continuous fiber reinforced
thermoplastic material and technology
Fabrics + PPS
UD tapes
Products become:
• larger
• more highly
loaded
• at higher move
rates
hand lay-up
ATL, AFP
new concepts

Out-of autoclave production of parts
Forming of preform in
pneumatic press with IR
oven, 1 x 6 metres
OR co-consolidation in
fast heated & cooled
tools, up to 6 metres
length
Flat
ultrasonic
laminator,
2 x 6
metres
Fiber placement of
preform, length up to
4 metres
panels
spars,
beams,
ribs
Slitting

Laser AFP of spars, beams

Where composites fit today

Challenge for fuselage: weight
very thin pressurized shell, skin
less than 2mm thickness
damage prone part of the
aircraft, subject to:
—lightning strike
—hail Impact
—bird impact
—accidental impacts
tough
lightweight
materials
and robust
designs
need

State-of-the-art: large amount of bolts for connection
between composite fuselage frames and skins

– need for tough composite
materials
– reduction in the amount of
mechanical fasteners
– thermoplastic
composites
– welding for frame
attachment
The challenges for composite fuselage

Omega stringer conduction welding, Multi-
Functional Integrated Fuselage project

Thermoplastic rear fuselage shell development:
butt-joint stiffened skin with welded frames
• large weight reduction
• @ metal cost level
butt joint

Ultrasonic AFP of double curved aircraft
fuselage skin

Frame assembly; conduction welding

A note on automotive

different worlds but…
752
662
572
482
392
302
212
122
Temperature(ºF)

• drive to limit CO2 emissions
• more electric cars
• weight reduction through new materials
• these must be:
– recyclable
– affordable
… similar needs
• thermoplastic composites:
– lower cost matrices (PP, PA)
– processing with cycles times shorter than 1 minute

Fast processing: stamp-forming &
injection overmolding in one
PA6 Pultrusion, PA6
overmoulded

Opportunity: stiffer bodies and shorter
processing times by welding

Conclusions
fast, automated processing techniques create low
cost solutions:
press-forming
high speed lay-up
welding
rapid (co-)consolidation
toughness of thermoplastics mean high allowables +
innovative design features => very low weight designs
thermoplastic composites have tremendous growth
potential
labor
material
thermoplasticconventional
composite
$

thank you for your
attention

Thermoplastic Composites: current production and new developments

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