Preparing laminate materials for testing
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJohn W. Delconte, Thomas Joseph Gonze, Ryan J. Hertel, Gina M. Miller
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Abstract
Methods of preparing laminate test samples for subsequent testing, including positioning the test sample within a fixture body, securing the test sample within the fixture body, applying a separating force to urge a first layer portion of the test sample away from a second layer portion of the test sample, and separating the first layer portion from the second layer portion to create a predetermined separation length along the test sample, provided that the predetermined separation length is established by an interaction between the fixture body and the test sample as the first layer portion is separating from the second layer portion.
Claims21
A method of preparing a laminate material test sample having a laminar interface, comprising:
- determining a desired interlaminar separation length;
- positioning the test sample within a fixture body so that a distance of a distal edge of the fixture body from a terminal end of the laminate material test sample is equal to the desired interlaminar separation length;
- securing the test sample within the fixture body by compressing the test sample using the fixture body along an axis perpendicular to the laminar interface and across its width;
- applying a separating force to urge a first layer portion of the test sample away from a second layer portion of the test sample in an initial separation;
- separating the first layer portion from the second layer portion up to the distal edge in order to create the determined separation length.
A method of preparing an elongate laminate sample for interlayer adherence testing, the laminate sample having at least a first horizontal layer and a second horizontal layer that are at least partially attached to one another at a laminar interface, the method comprising:
- selecting a desired interlayer separation length;
- inserting the elongate laminate sample into a clamping fixture, wherein the clamping fixture is configured to substantially enclose the laminate sample on four sides orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the laminate sample;
- positioning the laminate sample within the clamping fixture so that a distance of a substantially straight distal edge of the clamping fixture from a terminal end of the laminate sample is equal to the selected desired interlayer separation length, wherein the substantially straight edge of the clamping fixture is oriented normal to the longitudinal axis of the laminate sample;
- compressing the laminate sample with the clamping fixture along an axis perpendicular to the laminar interface and across a width of the laminate sample;
- applying a separating force on the first horizontal layer and the second horizontal layer sufficient to separate the layers to the selected interlayer separation length.
A method of precracking a composite laminate having a laminar interface for a double cantilever beam adherence test, comprising:
- inserting the composite laminate into a clamping fixture, wherein the clamping fixture secures the test sample by substantially enclosing the test sample on four sides;
- clamping the composite laminate along an axis perpendicular to the laminar interface by urging a first inner face of the clamping fixture against a surface of the composite laminate, wherein the first inner face has a straight edge that extends across a width of the composite laminate;
- and
- applying a separating force on the composite laminate sufficient to form a predetermined precrack in the composite laminate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.