Development Of Stitched Braided And Woven Composite Structures In The Act Program And At Langley Research Center

Development of Stitched, Braided and Woven Composite Structures in the ACT Program and at Langley Research Center

Braided Structures and Composites

Braiding is a very old textile manufacturing technology that traditionally has been used to produce items like ropes, shoe laces, and cables. Recently, braiding has gained attention in the medical, aerospace, transportation, and civil engineering communities, among others, due to its ability to produce structures that can fulfill the explicit deman

An Assessment of the State-of-the-art in the Design and Manufacturing of Large Composite Structures for Aerospace Vehicles

The results of an assessment of the state-of-the-art in the design and manufacturing of large composite structures are described. The focus of the assessment is on the use of polymeric matrix composite materials for large airframe structural components, such as those in commercial and military aircraft and space transportation vehicles. Applications of composite materials for large commercial transport aircraft, general aviation aircraft, rotorcraft, military aircraft, and unmanned rocket launch vehicles are reviewed. The results of the assessment of the state-of-the-art include a summary of lessons learned, examples of current practice, and an assessment of advanced technologies under development.