AGC aerocomposites recently completed their "CoFusion" project, funded by the National Aerospace Technology Development Program (NATEP), during which the company worked with the UK's National Composites Centre, Tencat Advanced Composites and Rolls-Royce. The project aims to optimize the efficiency and applicability of an innovative, low-cost thermoplastic composite welding process.
  
   The "CoFusion" project demonstrated that carbon/polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) composite thermal elements can be welded into complex assemblies by utilizing a resistance composite welding element that does not contain metal meshes and inserts.
  
   The high strength and fatigue properties of the resulting welded assemblies have been demonstrated at the specimen and component level. Low-cost equipment and materials heat up to soldering temperature in just three minutes. The process is not limited to flat components, panels with significant curvature can also be welded. The resulting welds are high quality welds that meet standard Ultrasonic NDT specifications.
  
  The torsional strength and fatigue tests of the welded top hat sandwich panels and the same rivets were compared in production and structure. Welded components have high stiffness and strength up to five times that of rivets. The fatigue performance of welded components that ran for 350,000 cycles without damage was also significantly better than that of rivets that ran for only 50,000 cycles.
  
Wayne Exton, CEO of AGC aerocomposites said: "The "CoFusion" project is a huge opportunity for our company to pursue advances in composites technology, and the ability to weld thermoformed thermoplastic composites to form efficient lightweight components allows us to continue to provide our global customers with Innovative, high-quality, cost-effective products.
  
   NATEP funding ran for 18 months and the project had a total budget of £275,000; half of the funding came from NATEP.