Reusable Shape Memory Polymer (SMP) Mandrels

There is a current push for air vehicles that are faster, lighter, stronger, and less observable. Advanced composite materials offer a design solution for manufacturing the air vehicles of the future. Processes such as filament winding and fiber placement can currently produce high-tech composite parts that meet the requirements for new air vehicles such as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). Advanced composite parts are being manufactured using old technology such as multi-part mandrels. Cornerstone Research Group Inc. (CRG) has demonstrated a new mandrel material and process that can greatly reduce the costs and time involved in manufacturing filament wound or fiber placed composite parts. In the Phase I development effort, CRG successfully demonstrated that a shape memory polymer (SMP) material can be used as a mandrel for manufacturing filament wound parts. The mandrel is easily removed and reusable thereby eliminating a significant amount of labor and waste. CRG has demonstrated the SMP mandrel material to Northrop and Lockheed for use in their Joint Strike Fighter programs as well as the F-22. In this Phase II effort, CRG will further develop and optimize the SMP mandrel process to include high temperature materials for filament wound and fiber-placed aerospace parts.