Advantages and Application Challenges of Composite Material Repair Methods Used in Aircraft

With the development of fiber-reinforced composite materials, composites have become indispensable in modern aircraft structures. Aircraft receive damages from impacts or environmental conditions throughout their service life. Since replacing a damaged composite with a new one is an economically costly task, appropriate repair techniques are keeping its importance. It is possible to restore structural integrity by repairing the damaged part. In addition, since composites are difficult to recycle, their repair contributes to sustainability by reducing the amount of waste material. Although systematic repair methodologies have been well established for thermoset matrix composites, a clear and standardized roadmap for thermoplastic composites has yet to be developed. In this article, damages in composite materials used in today's aircraft, their detection, evaluation and repair methods have been examined. In addition, studies from the literature on ultrasonic, resistance and induction welding methods, which are among the welded repair methods of thermoplastic matrix composites, which have been used increasingly in recent years, have been presented. The advantages of repair methods and the difficulties encountered in application have been evaluated.