Optimisation of laser welding process for thermoplastic composite materials with regard to component quality and cost

The laser transmission welding (LTW) process is optimised with regard to quality and cost for welded thermoplastic stiffeners on aircraft's fuselage skin. A generic optimisation concept developed in previous author's work is applied. Quality and cost sensitivity analyses were performed to derive material dependent quality function and process dependent cost estimation relationships. Quality function and cost estimation relationships are...