Joining Technologies For Composites

Joining Technologies for Composites
Chris Worrall
TWI Ltd, Cambridge, UK
Franco-British Symposium on Composite Materials London,

The Residence of France,
28th-29th April 2015
Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015
Joints are all around us –

but often we just don’t notice them
Image viewed from: https://newarkresidentsviews.wordpress.com/
1
Some are too large to notice,
others too small to see
Wilayah Mosque in Kuala Lumpur
Image can be viewed at: Image can be viewed at:

http://www.dkdomes.com/images04/wilayah-1.jpg http://www.pct.ae/gallery_images/project6_img73.jpg
© 2015 Apple Inc.
https://www.apple.com
Some aesthetically pleasing
Mathematical Bridge, Cambridge
Image can be viewed at:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/giuseppevironda/2311502081/in/photostream/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/giuseppevironda/2311502081/in/photostream/
2
Others, not so?
Sturmovik at en.wikipedia [CC BY-SA 3.0 http://www.iloveplanes.com/duct-tape-on-a-plane

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia
Commons

http://www.iloveplanes.com/duct-tape-on-a-plane
A Reminder, what are Composites?
3
I’m a Composites Engineer,
No, I’m a Composites Engineer!
“Two or more different materials that are combined
together to create a superior and unique material”
http://www.condopedia.com/wiki/File:Concrete7-1.jpg
I’m a Composites Engineer,

No, I’m a Composites Engineer!
“Two or more different materials that are combined
together to create a superior and unique material”
Reinforced Plastic
http://www.sciencephoto.com/image/10003/530wm/A8500257-
Reinforced_plastic%2C_SEM-SPL.jpg
Some of the textures used for this 3D product/project are provided by Ftextures.com
At some level, everything is a composite – but that’s another story
4
Composites 1.0
Earliest construction materials were composites

So were some of the earliest joints
© Stephan Pietzko Dreamstime.com http://www.esteco.com/modefrontier/strength-

improvement-composite-t-joints-under-
bending-through-bio-inspired-design
Joining Composites
Why bother?
5
Near Net-shape Manufacturing
• Composites offer the designer

almost unlimited opportunities
for complex designs
• It seems we can make any
object, any shape, using
composites
• So why worry about joining?
Copyright © Gardner Business Media, Inc. 2015

http://www.compositesworld.com/articles/tailored-fiber-placement-besting-metal-in-volume-production
Reasons for Joining

Often don’t fabricate product or structure as one piece
•Achieve large size:
Fabrication or erection of structures on site
•Provide geometric complexity:
Function not possible by other processing methods
•Achieve structural efficiency:
By joining extra material only where required
•Optimize material use:
By adding rather than removing material
•Create hybrid structures with dissimilar materials:
Using the right material in just the right location
•Cost:
•It’s just more cost effective to join
•Flexibility:
•Disassembly, maintenance, adjustment, product range
6
A 40m turbine blade convoy passing through Edenfield (2008)
The copyright on this image is owned by Paul Anderson and is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license.
Reasons for Joining

•Cost:
•Flexibility:
7
DURADEK®

http://www.sdplastics.com/frpgrating.html
Reasons for Joining

•Cost:
•Flexibility:
8
Reasons for Joining

•Cost:
•Flexibility:
9
More appropriate for metallic structures
Reasons for Joining

•Cost:
•Flexibility:
10
McLaren MP4-12C

http://www.ausmotive.com/images/McLaren-website-01.jpg
Reasons for Joining

•Cost:
•It’s just more cost-effective to join
•Flexibility:
11
Reasons for Joining

•Cost:
•It’s just more cost-effective to join
•Flexibility:
12
http://www.galasport.com/en/catalog/c1-c2-2 Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015
http://www.gpower.pl/userfiles/pl/cms/article_files/FCK/image/GALAXY%20II/Galaxy%20II%20-%201.JPG
Joining Composites
How is it done?
13
"How do I join thee?
Let me count the ways.."
Joining Techniques
Adhesive Bonding Welding Mechanical Fastening
Before we start, surface preparation
Athlete in a sprint start in track and field

http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photography-sprintstart-image24842312
14
Surface preparation may be required
• Raise the surface free energy of the composite surface
• Enhance wetting of the surface
• Facilitate molecular cross linking
Abrade
Solvent Wipe
Etch
Peek-Ply
Plasma
Primer
Remove Dust & Debris
Remove burrs
Fit-up
Mechanical Fastening
The nuts and bolts of joining
15
Joining Techniques

Riveting
Clamping
Bolting
Mechanical Fastening
Rivets and bolts are usually used to form the

mechanical joints for composite materials
http://www.airbus.com/aircraftfamilies/passengeraircraft/a340family/a340-300/
Airbus A340 - 2.5 million rivets!

http://www.airbus.com/aircraftfamilies/passengeraircraft/a340family/a340-300/
16
“The art of structure is where to put the holes"
Robert le Ricolais
… or how to make them
Boring?
x
‘Causing ennui or petty ‘Making a hole in a

annoyance by dullness, solid substance with a
tedious repetition’ rotary cutting
instrument’
17
Less Boring?
Abrasive water-jet Laser

http://www.jamesbondwiki.com/page/Killing+Off+Bond
© Flow International
Is there a better way?
“Baseball, it is said, is only a game.
True.
And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona.
Not all holes, or games, are created equal”
George Will
"Toroweap Sunrise (10727086534)" by John Fowler from Placitas, NM, USA
18
Thermally Assisted Piercing
Based on a material displacement technique
Fibres are parted (rather than cut)
• Retains structural integrity of fibres
• Increase structural efficiency of fastened joints
Open Hole Tensile Test
19
Adhesive Bonding
“Warming the glue pot
I thank animals now gone
Hide glue is my friend”
Doug Berch

http://www.finehomebuilding.com/

Joining Techniques

Solvent Bonding
Adhesive Agglutination
20
Adhesive Bonding In One Slide
Advantages:
Uniform stress distribution
Lighter structures
Different materials with dissimilar thicknesses can be assembled
Clean-looking joints
Enhanced attenuation and absorption capabilities
Easy to automate
Disadvantages:
Difficult to assess the durability of the a bonded structure
Surface pre-treatment is usually required
Difficult to inspect joint quality, destructive testing required
Change in the mechanical properties of the adhesive with time (ageing)
Limited heat resistance
Disassembly is difficult
Curing time and temperature must be optimised
Welding Composites?
That’s something you don’t see every day!
(KitKat is a special kind of composite)
21
Joining Techniques
Welding Requires…
Heat Pressure Time
22
Child’s play!
Some Welding Processes
Joining Techniques
Welding
Mechanical Electromagnetic Externally Heated

Spin Resistive Implant Hot Plate
Vibration Induction Hot Bar
Ultrasonic Dielectric Impulse
Orbital Microwave Hot Gas
Friction Stir Infrared Extrusion
23
Induction Welding?
Magnetic field
•High frequency alternating field induces eddy current in conductor

•Current in conductor produces heat through Joule losses (I2R)
•Conductor can be the carbon fibres in the composite
A New Induction Heating Technique
Renewed interest in thermoplastic composites (TPCs)
Attractive option but as yet there has not been a

significant uptake of TPCs
One reason is lack of joining technology
TPCs can be joined by fusion bonding (welding)
TWI have developed a new induction heating process that

focusses the heat at the weld interface
24
Resistive Implant Welding
Resistance is Futile

http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC54AY3_pretoria-geoart-o07-resistance-is-futile

http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC54AY3_pretoria-geoart-o07-resistance-is-futile
Resistive Implant Welding
Resistive Implant Welding of Thermoplastic Composites

Carbon PEEK, Twintex®
25
Vibration
Fire Bow Drill

http://www.selfmadesurvivalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/BowDrill_v2.png
Friction creates a lot of heat, when a little elbow grease is added
The trick is not too much elbow grease!
26
27

Joining Technologies For Composites

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Joining Technologies for Composites

Franco-British Symposium on Composite Materials London,

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

Joints are all around us –

Image viewed from: https://newarkresidentsviews.wordpress.com/

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

Wilayah Mosque in Kuala Lumpur

Image can be viewed at: Image can be viewed at:

© 2015 Apple Inc.

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

Some aesthetically pleasing

Mathematical Bridge, Cambridge

Image can be viewed at:

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

Sturmovik at en.wikipedia [CC BY-SA 3.0 http://www.iloveplanes.com/duct-tape-on-a-plane

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

A Reminder, what are Composites?

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

I’m a Composites Engineer,

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

Earliest construction materials were composites

© Stephan Pietzko Dreamstime.com http://www.esteco.com/modefrontier/strength-

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

• Composites offer the designer

Copyright © Gardner Business Media, Inc. 2015

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

Reasons for Joining

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

Reasons for Joining

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

Image can be viewed at:

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

Reasons for Joining

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

Reasons for Joining

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

Reasons for Joining

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

Image can be viewed at:

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

Reasons for Joining

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

Reasons for Joining

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

Adhesive Bonding Welding Mechanical Fastening

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

Before we start, surface preparation

Athlete in a sprint start in track and field

Image can be viewed at:

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

The nuts and bolts of joining

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

Adhesive Bonding Welding Mechanical Fastening

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

Rivets and bolts are usually used to form the

Airbus A340 - 2.5 million rivets!

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2015

… or how to make them