MAE 298 SEMINAR: Rapid Manufacturing and Assembly of High-Performance Thermoplastic Composites

Abstract: This talk presents rapid, energy-efficient manufacturing and assembly routes for high-performance thermoplastic composites (TPCs). I begin with design and advanced manufacturing strategies for high-performance composite structures. I then explain bond development in fastcycle TPC processes — including in-situ automated fiber placement (AFP), additive manufacturing and welding —showing how thermal history, morphology and fiber architecture interact to govern interlaminar toughness and structural integrity of TPC parts. Next, I introduce an out-of autoclave amorphous/crystalline laminate architecture (“OATMEAL”) that combines slow-cooled CF/PEEK with thin PEI interlayers. These miscible sheaths enable rapid interfacial healing at ~80 °C below PEEK’s typical processing temperature, preserving crystallinity while achieving aerospace-quality laminates at 5× conventional throughput and ~75% lower energy. Finally, I present a new class of nanocomposite susceptors that localize heat for efficient resistive welding. Together, these advances move TPCs closer to truly high-rate, large-scale aerostructure manufacturing.

Bio: Mehran Tehrani is an associate professor of structural and materials engineering at UC San Diego. He is an ASME Fellow and holds the Callaway Golf Endowed Chair at UCSD. His research focuses on advanced multifunctional composites at the intersection of advanced manufacturing, materials science and mechanics with an emphasis on energy-efficient, lightweight structures. He has published over 100 journal and conference papers and has received several awards for research and teaching, including the Composites Part B MidCareer Global Excellence in Composites Engineering Award, the NASA Early Stage Innovations Award, the NSF CAREER Award, the ONR Young Investigator Program (YIP) Award, and the Air Force Research Laboratory Summer Faculty Fellowship.