Integrated Composite Structure is gradually becoming more complicated and larger as airframe material develops. One of those processes is co-bond which is being widely used in fuselage and wing structures for commercial, military airplane and space craft.
But, ply waviness phenomenon happened to co-bonded structure as side effect and becomes critical cause for knock down of airframe structure.
In this study, ply waviness phenomenon on hat stiffened co-bond structure was identified and application of caul plate for alleviating ply waviness was performed and verified. And, optimum configuration of caul plate and its parameters for application were studied. Ply waviness phenomenon depending on bond condition of co-bond process was categorized into 3 types (type I, II and III) and its effectiveness for optimum configuration and shape of caul plate was verified.
Eventually, ply waviness on hat stiffened co-bond structure was noticeably alleviated and improved through the application of caul plate. Caul plate could help to make co-bond process more stable and would be widely used in a various type of composite structure.