"Stop Drilling In Composit Material"
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 420
Likes: 3
From: In the Old Folks' Home
"Stop Drilling In Composit Material"
"Stop drilling" can sometimes be used as a temporary fix to stop the progression of cracks in metallic structures. Does anyone here know if stop drilling is effective in composite material?
Moderator



Joined: Feb 2000
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 14,480
Likes: 178
From: UK
I agree with Will.
The crack formation and propogation mechanism in composites is totally different to that in metals. All drilling will do is create new problems.
Properly authorised composite repairs will be needed, and quite possibly simply replacement of the component.
FAA's AC43-13 should contain some useful guidance on the topic. Try chapter 3; this gives guidance on stop drilling acrylics (perspex for example) but shows quite different approaches for laid up composites.
G
The crack formation and propogation mechanism in composites is totally different to that in metals. All drilling will do is create new problems.
Properly authorised composite repairs will be needed, and quite possibly simply replacement of the component.
FAA's AC43-13 should contain some useful guidance on the topic. Try chapter 3; this gives guidance on stop drilling acrylics (perspex for example) but shows quite different approaches for laid up composites.
G




