Manufacture and performance evaluation of the composite hat-stiffened panel

Composite panels are widely used in the manufacture of the wings, fuselage, rockets and submarines. In this paper, composite hat-stiffened panels were made using the co-curing, co-bonding and secondary bonding processes, and their geometric accuracies and mechanical properties were evaluated. A steel mold, an inflatable mold and a rubber mold were used to co-cure the composite hat-stiffened panel, and FEA were performed to evaluate the expanding pressure of the rubber mold consistent with the curing temperature. The manufactured panels were also evaluated using a 3-D measurement tester and an ultrasonic tester. Pull-off tests were performed to evaluate their mechanical properties. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.