CAFV - carbon armoured fighting vehicles

Objectives
The overall objective of this RTP is to strengthen the technological for the large-scale application of carbon fibre reinforced composite materials to military structures, so that such platforms can be designed with confidence on the basis of modelling and failure predictions. This is achieved by addressing:

• Assessment of the use of lower cost carbon fibre based composites with both thermosetting and thermoplastic matrix materials, by identifying a range of material properties.
• Assessment of manufacturing methods for low cost manufacture of larger CFRP mouldings, including development of joining concept using bonding methods and optimised bolting systems. 
• Development of material algorithms in the design of carbon fire structures to help in the design of complex structures, particularly under severe loading conditions such as blast. 
• Design for amour integration with the carbon fibre reinforced structure.

Risoe task

• Process window for vacuum consolidation of thick sections carbon fibre thermoplastic composites form commingled carbon and thermoplastic polymer fibres 
• Manufacturing of test specimens and larger test panels 
• Characterisation of materials quality by microscopy and NDE 
• Joining technology for carbon fibre thermoplastic composites 
• Materials properties of carbon fibre thermoplastic composites 
• Review of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) for thick sections carbon fibre composites.