Lightweight Composite Sandwich Structure for Navy Aircraft

KaZaK Composites Incorporated and Advanced Product Development have formed a joint venture specifically to pursue development of technology required to replace traditional honeycomb sandwich panels with single-piece, integrally-woven, RTM cured composite assemblies. The technology to be developed and demonstrated will include: - 3-D woven preforms integrating face and core structure for improved damage tolerance and reduced moisture susceptibility, - RTM wet-out and cure for reduced fabrication cost, and - woven-in internal passageways to prevent moisture entrapment. During Phase I, the generic processing technology will be studied and the weaving and RTM processes required to produce sandwich panels will be individually debugged. In the Phase I Option period, two different woven panel concepts designed to match the mechanical properties of a traditionally-manufactured composite baseline panel will be produced, tested and compared. In addition, four different conceptual designs using the woven panel technology, with applications in ejection seats, submarines, aircraft secondary structure and automobiles, will be developed and compared to similar structures made with conventional sandwich panel technology. The KCI/APD venture will be joined in the proposed effort by two other world class experts in Naval aircraft composite applications, Northrop Grumman Corporation and Dastin Associates Company.