FROM THE LAB TO ACTUAL STRUCTURES: THE CHALLENGES OF COMPOSITE PROCESS DEVELOPMENT
Prof. Pascal Hubert, McGill University
January 15, 2014, 10:00 am, NIA, Rm 101
Abstract:
The production of high performance composite structures often involves relatively new manufacturing processes. The development of the processing parameters requires costly experimental and simulation programs in order to obtain an adequate, risk free process cycle. This presentation addresses the issues of process development from small laboratory experiments to actual applications. The methodology involves the characterization of the raw materials and the development of simple analytical processing models. Specialized testing fixtures were also developed to monitor processing parameters. Advanced nondestructive evaluation techniques were used to measure the evolution of the material during the process and the final material quality. Two examples will be presented. The first one focuses on the out-of-autoclave prepreg technology and the second on the forming of randomly oriented strands of thermoplastic composites. The first technology aims at making large integrated structures at low cost and the second is ideal for small complex components produced in large quantity.
Biography:
Prof. Hubert received a B. Eng. in Mechanical Engineering in 1988 from École Polytechnique de Montréal, an M.A. Sc. in Mechanical Engineering in 1991 from École Polytechnique de Montréal and a Ph.D. in Metals and Materials Engineering in 1996 from The University of British Columbia. Prof. Hubert joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering at McGill in 2002 as an Assistant Professor with a Canada Research Chair Tier II. He obtained his promotion to Full Professor in 2013. His research focuses on the development of new polymer nanocomposites and on the processing of composite materials. His scientific contributions have been published in the leading journals in his area of research and his work has been cited over 437 times since he joined McGill. His active research activities have been instrumental to make McGill an internationally recognized force in the development and processing of advanced polymer matrix composite materials. He currently leads a group of 4 Post Doctoral Fellows, 10 Ph.D. and 7 M.Eng. students. He is also a board member and the Associate Director of the McGill Institute of Aerospace Engineering. He has also organized major international conferences in his field and was the technical chairman of the International Conference on Composite Materials in 2013. In recognition for his leading expertise in his field, he was invited to join other internationally renowned scholars on the editorial board of the leading journal in his area of research, Composite Science and Technology. He is also an active member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics for which he was recently named Associate Fellow in 2011.