The design, fabrication and characterization of an advanced graphite composite structure for high speed rotating machines

Mobile rotating machines lightweight, high strength and energy absorptive c ontainment structures. This paper reports the results of a program to devel op the manufacturing processes and demonstrate the feasibility of fabricati ng a representative complex shape carbon fiber-epoxy composite endplate. Th e part geometry and composite architecture were designed to meet or exceed the structural performance of a current titanium alloy endplate design. An integrally heated 16-piece aluminum mold was designed and fabricated. The m old cavity was filled with carbon fiber preforms designed to produce the fi ber orientation and volume fraction necessary to meet the directional struc tural property requirements. A near net-shape carbon fiber-epoxy part was s uccessfully produced utilizing the resin transfer molding (RTM) process, Th e mechanical properties and quality of the resulting part were characterize d and are reported. The composite endplate would result in significant weig ht savings over the Titanium part it replaced.