9309926 Mantell The award is for the evaluation of current NDE techniques for monitoring bonding in realtime during the in situ consolidation of fiber reinforced thermoplastic matrix composites. The most promising one of these methods will be selected for more detailed experimental evaluation. Bond quality in composite specimens will be measured by the selected NDE method and by mechanical testing, and the effectiveness and limitations of the selected technique will be evaluated. It is expected that this research will lead to effective closed loop process control and will ultimately result in reduced manufacturing times, improve final part quality, and lower part costs for thermoplastic composite parts. The technique developed here is expected to become a key tool in the evaluation of thermoset composites as well.
