Essentials of Advanced Composite Fabrication and Repair

Advanced composite technology is constantly changing and embracing new developments daily, yet most of the basics needed to successfully design, fabricate, and repair composite structures remain the same. Essentials of Advanced Composite Fabrication and Repair works as the perfect introductory textbook for beginners yet is also functional for the composite professional. It teaches the concepts and methods in a simple and straightforward way for a wide array of composite fundamentals, including fiber and matrix selection, molding methods, curing and achieving desired properties, tooling, testing and non-destructive inspection, step-by-step repair instructions and troubleshooting, key environmental, health and safety issues, and much more.

This third edition includes an introduction to nanomaterials in composites, updates terminology, and covers molding methods, adhesive bonding, joining, and fastening. The content also includes advances in matrix technology and fiber reinforcements, as well as tooling, filament winding, and various testing and inspection method improvements.

Based on the authors’ combined 80 years in the industry, this textbook is a compendium of industry information, presented with full-color illustrations and photography. Fabric styles, core types, design guides, detailed industry product information, and more make this book essential for anyone working in composites—from material and process engineers to repair technicians and maintenance mechanics. Including a bibliography, glossary, and index, it also serves as the companion textbook to most Abaris Training basic courses.

Louis C. Dorworth is the Direct Services Manager for Abaris Training Resources, Inc., where he currently manages all marketing and training activities worldwide. By trade, he is a composite materials and process (M&P) specialist with experience in research and development (R&D), manufacturing engineering, tool design/engineering, tool fabrication, and repair. Louis has been involved in the advanced composites industry since 1978, starting in aerospace as a toolmaker and part-time M&P technician at Lear Fan in Reno, Nevada, after which he has continued in the industry for more than four decades. Louis has been associated with Abaris since its inception in 1983 and began his teaching career at Abaris in 1989.
Louis has been a professional member of the Society for the Advancement of Material & Process Engineering (SAMPE) since 1982 and a senior member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) since 1997. He currently serves as an advisor to the SAMPE Technical Excellence Subcommittee for Bonding and Joining, is a member of the Thermoplastics Technical Committee, and is an advisor to conference and workshop steering committees within these technical organizations.

Ginger Gardiner has worked in the composites industry since 1990. She has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University and began her career as a technical marketing representative in DuPont’s Composites Division for KEVLAR and NOMEX products in aerospace and marine applications. After leaving DuPont, Ginger formed Vantage Marketing Services, providing market and product development consulting for companies such as Hoechst-Celanese and Ciba-Geigy, and also developed and marketed technical conferences. She also wrote articles for several magazines, including Professional BoatBuilder, and began writing for Composites Technology and High Performance Composites magazines in 2006. She has worked as Senior Editor and Senior Technical Editor of the now combined CompositesWorld magazine since 2013.