Several types of flaw can occur during the layup process of prepreg composite laminates. Quality control after the production process checks the end product by testing the specimens for flaws which are included during the layup process or curing process, however by then these flaws are already irreversibly embedded in the laminate. This paper demonstrates the use of a laser displacement sensor technique applied during the layup process of prepreg laminates for in-situ flaw detection, for typical flaws that can occur during the composite production process. An incorrect number of layers and fibre wrinkling are dominant flaws during the process of layup. These and other dominant flaws have been modeled to determine the requirements for an in-situ monitoring during the layup process of prepreg laminates.

Date Published: 19 April 2013
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 8692, Sensors and Smart Structures Technologies for Civil, Mechanical, and Aerospace Systems 2013, 86922T (19 April 2013); doi: 10.1117/12.2009177

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8692:
Sensors and Smart Structures Technologies for Civil, Mechanical, and Aerospace Systems 2013
Jerome Peter Lynch; Chung-Bang Yun; Kon-Well Wang, Editor(s)