Analysis and compensation of process induced deformations in composite structures

Aerospace structures are designed to tight dimensional tolerances in order to ensure ease of fit during assembly. Geometrical deviations of the part “as built” from the nominal tooling inherently arising from the manufacturing process of carbon fiber reinforced plastics can pose a significant risk to production through unexpected delays and rework cost. Process analysis and modeling of relevant mechanisms inducing part distortion can be used to alleviate the risk. This book contributes a framework for guiding the analysis engineer in choosing appropriate modeling tools and the respective level of detail for the assessment of process induced deformations (PID) on a given use case.