ONE-SHOT MANUFACTURING OF CURVED, ORTHOGONALLY STIFFENED PANELS USING NEEDLE-PUNCHED THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITES

Carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites (CFRTP) offer advantages in performance, processing, and recyclability. However, the high processing temperatures of high-performance thermoplastics introduce challenges in tooling. This study presents a novel one-step manufacturing method that uses the springback effect of needle-punched nonwoven CFRTP intermediate materials. These materials act as internal springs during processing, generating consolidation pressure from within the laminate and consolidating the outer skin layers. This internal pressure from the core enables the simplified and cost-efficient tooling of complex geometries in integral design. This work demonstrates the design possibilities through the fabrication of a curved, orthogonally stiffened panel featuring integrated Ω-stringers and I-frames.