Optimized Process for Ultrasonic Consolidation of Metallic Composites

The overall objective of the proposed effort is to develop an improved ultrasonic consolidation process for metal matrix composites (MMCs). This will be done through the development and validation of multiscale models of the bonding process and the laminated structures produced. These models will facilitate the optimization of the in-coming material, the structural performance of the processed material, and the production costs. Touchstone Research Laboratory (Touchstone) will team with the University of Delaware"s Center for Composite Materials (UD-CCM) to accomplish the objective. The approach will be to evaluate every aspect of the process to achieve the desired process improvements. Touchstone will use its materials and process knowledge to supply input to the modeling effort and will provide the MMC prepreg tape material for process validation trials. UD-CCM will support Touchstone by modeling the ultrasonic process and using the models to optimize the process and the materials.