| The objective of this research was to examine design and processing parameters in the fabrication of composite components to obtain a better understanding of springback associated with composite materials. To accomplish this goal, design and processing parameters were included in a Taguchi designed statistical experiment. Polymer matrix composite panels were fabricated and inspected for springback effects. This experiment yielded several significant results. The design of the tooling needs to be a major consideration in the fabrication of composite components, as expected. The factors related to resin flow introduce several potentially serious material and design issues. These issues must be dealt with up front during the design and pre-production planning stages in order to help minimize springback. Additionally, the confirmation experiment confirmed the reproducibility of the factorial effects and the error observed for the experiment as reliable. |
