Fiber metal laminates
(FMLs) combine the performance advantages of metallic and composite materials;
consequently, they have broad application potential in aerospace and aviation.
However, their limited formability after complete curing hinders the one-step
fabrication of components with complex curved geometries, thereby restricting their
potential for integrated design and manufacturing. Therefore, this study
proposes an integrated forming and curing process for semicured FMLs using a
solid granule medium (SGM), with the aim of achieving high-quality forming
while minimizing material damage. A refined finite element model incorporating
the SGM, aluminum alloy layer, glass-fiber prepreg, and interlayer interface
was developed to investigate the coupled effects of flexible SGM forming and
the semicured material state. The effects of key process parameters, including
the blank-holder gap and specimen size, on the forming quality of deep-drawn
components were systematically analyzed. Compared with the conventional rigid
mold forming process, SGM forming increased the deep-drawing height by
approximately 22% and effectively reduced stress concentration in the die-fillet
region. Owing to the viscous resin flow and compensating interlayer slip, the
forming limit of the semicured laminate was approximately 16.8% higher than that
of the fully cured laminate. After SGM forming, the components were cured under
pressure during a controlled heating process. The cured FMLs exhibited strong interlayer bonding and clear,
intact interfaces, with no interfacial defects observed. These results demonstrate that the proposed SGM forming
and curing process can improve the formability of FMLs, reduce forming-induced
damage, and simplify the production of complex-shaped components.
DU, Bing
. Integrated Forming and Curing of Semi-Cured Fiber Metal Laminates Using a Solid Granule Medium[J]. Acta Metall Sin, 0
: 0
.
DOI: 10.11900/0412.1961.2025.00397