Title: Manufacturing of Aircraft Structures Using Composite Tailoring Techniques

Authors: Alana Cardona, Erin Anderson, Lauren Simmons, Richard Larson, Brian Mason, Jacob Tury

DOI: 10.33599/nasampe/s.25.0035

Abstract: Aircraft structures have unique design requirements for lightweight materials that maintain strength under typical flight and buckling loads. Carbon-epoxy structures have been used to replace heavier traditional metallic structures, particularly as composite materials can be fabricated with advanced tailoring techniques to further improve weight and stiffness properties. These advanced tailoring techniques have been thoroughly researched at NASA Langley Research Center at the Integrated Structural Assembly of Advanced Composites (ISAAC) facility as part of the Advanced Air Transport Technology (AATT) project. The proposed paper will include discussion of the manufacturing of four representative wing cover panels that were fabricated as part of a 15-foot structural test article that contained tailored geometry and laminate styles. Two of the cover panels contained integral stiffeners, which are stiffening elements interleaved between skin plies, while the other two panels contained tow steering, which uses curvilinear paths to steer fibers during placement. Discussion topics will include topology optimization, automated fiber placement (AFP) programming, manufacturing best practices, and considerations required for successful cure and part integration.

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Conference: SAMPE 2025

Publication Date: 2025/05/19

SKU: TP25-0000000035

Pages: 7

Price: $14.00