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This paper aims to use two different numerical approaches to simulate the induction welding process for a hybrid thermoplastic material, and the results have been validated experimentally.

The first approach used a numerical model that combines electromagnetism, heat transfer and solid mechanics in the same numerical environment using Hexagon Marc software. Simultaneously, a computationally efficient approach combined steady-state electromagnetism results at specific intervals in the Ansys EM suite with heat transfer and solid mechanics in Ansys Workbench.

The results from both numerical approaches showed a strong correlation with the experimental findings.

The current research offers valuable insights into enhancing induction welding procedures within the aerospace industry, as well as across broader industrial applications. The synergistic combination of numerical simulations and experimental validation served as a robust framework for future research endeavors aimed at enhancing the efficiency, reliability and quality of thermoplastic welding techniques.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the feasibility to produce a novel aircraft full stiffened panel using entirely a new hybrid thermoplastic composite material allowing for appreciably lower processing temperatures as compared to conventional structural thermoplastic composites.

For stiffening the fuselage skin panel, the out of autoclave welding of four composite stringers was obtained using a modified induction welding (IW) process. The quality of the welds was investigated using micro-tomography and the mechanical strength of the lap joints was assessed by means of single-lap shear strength (SLSS) tests. Moreover, a holistic design index was implemented as a decision support tool for selecting the optimal set of IW process parameters. Based on the index used, the quality as well as the entire life cycle cost and environmental impact are accounted for.

Low porosity values as well as no deconsolidation were observed at the investigated application, and the average measured SLSS, even found lower, lies within the range of the respective values encountered in other similar high-performance applications. It is exhibited that after the optimization, the IW process offers significant potential to replace the autoclave process in welding applications. Thus, it paves the way for reduced cost and increased sustainability, while still meeting the predefined quality constraints.

Although several studies on the IW application have been conducted, limited results exist by using novel thermoplastic materials for aircraft structural applications.