Strength of Pi shaped non-crimp fabric adhesively bonded joints

Abstract

In this paper, the strength of non-crimp fabric Pi shaped adhesively bonded joints subjected to T-pull, T-shear, T-bending and T-tension loading conditions was evaluated experimentally. The bonded joints are based on the novel Pi shaped joining element, and they have been assembled using a new mixture of paste adhesives by means of the insertion squeeze flow bonding technique. Supplementary to experiments, a mesomechanical model, able to simulate the mechanical performance of the woven fabric structural parts, has been implemented in order to aid the evaluation of the experimental results and shed light in damage details that could be assessed by experimental methods. The study is focused on the integrity of both the Pi joining element and the bondline. The findings are very promising regarding the potential use of the joining element as a modular joint for the assembly of composite aerostructures.

Keywords:

• Adhesive bonding
• Non-crimp fabric composites
• Finite element analysis

The current research was conducted within the frame of the EU Project ‘MOJO’ (Modular Joints for Composite Aircraft Components). The financial support provided by the European Commission under contract no. 030871 (FP6) is gratefully acknowledged. The authors would also like to thank Premium Aerotec GmbH and Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH for manufacturing and assembling the specimens.

Notes

This paper is part of a special issue on Durability of composite systems