Current state-of-the-art composite manufacturing technologies developed for dual-aisle aircraft are limited to a low volume by an exclusive use of an autoclave molding method. This method is both time-intensive and costly. Future composite aerospace applications for primary and secondary aircraft structures could demand a rapid part production rate with void-free quality in addition to exceptional performance. Notably, single-aisle aircraft would need innovative composite manufacturing technologies that are rapid and cost competitive enough to compete with current metal alloy processes. Researchers at Toray Composites (America), Inc. have investigated a rapid out-of-autoclave (OOA) molding method known as the Quickstep process. This process allows rapid heating/cooling with moderate compaction pressures to fabricate composites from prepregs. Two commercially available aerospace prepregs were utilized in the present study for a comparison among Quickstep, vacuum bag only (VBO) and autoclave. A non-interlayer toughened system demonstrated more than 50% total cycle time reduction compared to VBO and autoclave. In addition, a low void content of less than 1% was achieved with comparable mechanical properties to those from autoclave cure. On the other hand, an interlayer toughened system showed a marginal reduction in total cycle time but achieved. void content of less than 2% and comparable mechanical properties to those from autoclave cure as well.
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