DEVELOPMENT OF LAMINATION PROCESS TO FABRICATE OPTICAL TRANSPARENCIES OF HURKUS-C AIRCRAFT

Abstract

Optical transparencies allow light to easily pass through and are widely used in applications such as lenses and optics, windows and glass panes, photovoltaic devices, displays and screens. This study aims to work on the canopy of Hurkus-C aircraft, owned by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI). Currently, Aircraft Rebuild Factory (ARF), located in Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), Kamra is manufacturing monolithic canopies which are made up of Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or acrylic only. These canopies depict poor impact toughness. Our final year design project (FYDP) is composed on developing a lamination process of this canopy by bonding two sheets of PMMA together by using Polyurethane (PU) as an adhesive. This is placed in a hot press and heated above the melting point of polyurethane (PU) to form a strong bond between two sheets of PMMA. This will improve the impact toughness of a canopy, whose role is to provide a clear view to the pilot and protection from elements including bird strike, without affecting its optical transparencies. To check the surface morphology of our material and whether it has a smooth surface without any scratches, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis was performed. The surface chemistry was viewed through a technique, named Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), which allowed us to see the chemical bonds present in PMMA and PU. The outstanding results achieved an optical transparency of more than 95%. Characterization of the laminates was conducted through tensile test, and the highest value of tensile strength was found to be 61.1 N/mm2.