| An improved mouldless Liquid Composite Moulding (LCM) manufacturing method for foam-core sandwich composite components was developed and utilized to manufacture a full scale fuselage for the GeoSury II Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). Implemented as part of the low-cost composite airframe research at Carleton University, this work intends to improve upon the previously implemented mouldless Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Moulding (VARTM), using effective design and manufacturing methods. Such methods will directly benefit small aerospace companies, especially those dealing with general aviation aircraft and UASs.;In this work, numerous state-of-the-art LCM processes were reviewed. These identified Closed Cavity Bag Moulding (CCBM) as a potential alternative to VARTM for mouldless manufacturing. A series of experiments was carried out on CCBM process to evaluate its feasibility, including investigations of various bag sealing and resin distribution strategies, followed by a Process Value Analysis (PVA). Subsequently, the fuselage was redesigned, for improved manufacturability. The new design was optimized using finite element analysis in Abaqus. Finally, a full scale GeoSury II fuselage was manufactured to demonstrate the viability of the developed process. Results showed that this process is a viable option for manufacturing complex foam-core composite components in small quantities. Improved part quality, tolerances and weight reduction of 36% were achieved using the optimized design and manufacturing method. |
