Evaluation of manufacturing carbon fiber reinforced polymers composites using the filament winding method for aerospace component applications

Measuring and characterizing specimens resulting from the composite fabrication process with the filament winding method, using the finishing process of overhead shrink, Press mold, and press mold with vacuum bagging. This study aimed to obtain fabrication results with a homogeneous fiber and matrix arrangement, good surface roughness, and the best density with minimal voids. The measurements carried out in this study included density measurements, roughness measurements from the specimens, and observations performed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) for fiber and matrix configurations as well as fiber fraction calculations for each sample. The difference in roughness between surfaces parallel to the fiber direction is smoother than that of the press mold with a vacuum bagging process with a three-layer composition resulting in the best density and fiber and matrix composition. However, the press mold process without vacuum bagging produces the best roughness.