Analysis of the removal of peel ply from CFRP surfaces

In the presented work, the removal process of peel ply from composite surfaces after manufacturing is investigated. Composite specimens are manufactured using the Vacuum Assisted Process (VAP). The required peel force and fracture energy are determined by a peel test corroborated by an analytical model. The fracture energy is correlated to the occurrence of fiber breakouts using drilled samples. The influence of the peel angle and the peel ply orientation are investigated in detail. In preliminary trials they were identified to be of main importance. The peel force of different peel ply products is analyzed. It is observed that a sharp peeling angle and an adaption of the peel ply product to the polymer matrix system are beneficial in reducing defects. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.