The agreement covers traditional hand lay-up and automated fiber placement manufacturing processes using the T1100 intermediate modulus prepreg to make aerospace parts.
According to Toray, 3960 has high toughness and improved tensile performance, making it suitable for aerospace applications.
The data, produced with guidance from the National Center for Advanced Materials Performance (NCAMP) will reportedly serve as a foundation for certification, allowing aerospace companies to achieve airworthiness approvals and bring products to market faster and at a lower cost, the company said.
"Toray's T1100/3960 composite material offers the right balance of characteristics that enable Bell engineers to design the most efficient and reliable structures that meet our customer's mission requirements including revolutionary speed, range, and agility,” said Vince D'Arienzo, technical fellow at Bell. “We, together with our partners, continue to optimize airframe performance attributes by building full-scale risk reduction and validation articles with Toray's 3960 prepreg system."
