Effect Of Consolidation Force On Interlaminar Shear Strength Of Cf/Peek Laminates Manufactured By Laser-Assisted Forming

Interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) is an important quality indicator to evaluate laminates, which requires further studies to produce high-quality laminates by automated placement. In this work, CF/PEEK laminates at different consolidation forces were manufactured by laser-assisted forming. Micro-observation shows that voids, which are confirmed not rebounded ones through analyzing void morphology and temperature history, are formed in the inter-laminar fiber-rich regions. The formation of voids is investigated through the state of tapes with or without laser radiation and roller contact. Void content decreases and average value of ILSS increases with consolidation force. The average value of ILSS at a consolidation force of 109 N is 49.95 MPa, increased by 9.08% compared with 48 N. Cross-sections of fracture samples indicate that layer-by-layer fracture mode is easy to form at 48 N, while multi-layer fracture mode at 109 N indicates that voids are the weak spots.