Aips06 02 006 - 7 PDF

AIPS06-02-006
Issue 7
Page 1 of 33
July 2012
AIPS
Airbus Process Specification
Structural Bonding of Thermoset and

Thermoplastic Matrices Composite Parts
Published and distributed by

AIRBUS S.A.S.
ENGINEERING DIRECTORATE
31707 BLAGNAC Cedex
FRANCE
Copyright reserved
DocMaster: Uncontrolled copy when printed

AIPS06-02-006 Page 2
Issue 7
Contents
1 Scope
2 Normative references
3 Definition, applicability and limitations
4 Engineering requirements
5 Technical qualification
6 First part qualification
7 Series production inspection
8 Rework
9 Environment, health and safety

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1 Scope
This Airbus Process Specification defines the Engineering requirements for the process of structural bonding of
organic matrix composite parts. In the case of thermosetting matrices, co-bonding process is also considered.
This specification does not give detailed instructions; these are given in the Process Instructions (PI) / Airbus
Process Instruction (AIPI) and the Work Instructions.
This specification shall not be used as an inspection document.
It shall be applied when mentioned in the relevant standard, material specification or Definition Dossier.
2 Normative references
Only normative references cited in the text are listed hereafter.
The latest issue of the publication referenced shall be used.
A1091 Airbus Requirements for the Management of Hazardous Substances

AIMS12-00-000 Airbus Material Specification - Ancillary materials - Technical Specification
AIMS12-01-001 Airbus Material Specification - Peel Ply for structural bonding (dry fabric) - Material
Specification
AIMS12-01-002 Airbus Material Specification - Prepreg Peel Ply for structural bonding - Material Specification
AIMS12-11-001 Airbus Material Specification - Materials for parts humidity protection
AIPS03-02-018 Airbus Process Specification - Manufacturing of CFRP and GFRP sandwich parts
AIPS03-02-019 Airbus Process Specification - Manufacturing of monolithic parts with thermoset prepreg
materials
AIPS03-08-003 Airbus Process Specification - Rework of monolithic and sandwich parts
AIPS05-04-002 Airbus Process Specification - Repair schemes to achieve surface status requirements on
composite components
AIPS06-01-002 Airbus Process Specification - Surface preparation for thermoplastic parts before bonding
AIPS06-01-003 Airbus Process Specification - Surface preparation for thermosetting parts before bonding
AIPS06-02-007 Airbus Process Specification - Bonding of metal/metal parts
AIPS09-01-002 Airbus Process Specification - Cleaning with liquid non aqueous agents
AITM1-0003 Airbus Test Method - Fibre reinforced plastic materials - Determination of the glass transition
temperatures
AITM1-0019 Airbus Test Method - Fibre Reinforced Plastics - Determination of tensile lap shear strength
on composite joints
AITM1-0053 Airbus Test Method - Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastics - Determination of fracture toughness
energy of bonded joints. Mode I. G1C test
AITM3-0008 Airbus Test Method - Determination of the extent of cure by Differential Scanning Calorimetry
AITM6-0011 Airbus Test Method - Non Destructive Inspection of Composite Parts
AITM6-5003 Airbus Test Method - Tap testing
EN2377 Aerospace series - Glass fibre reinforced plastics - Determination of the apparent interlaminar
shear strength
EN2563 Aerospace series - Carbon fibre reinforced plastics - Unidirectional laminates -Determination
of the apparent interlaminar shear strength
EN2564 Aerospace series - Carbon fibre laminates. Determination of the fibre, resin and void contents
EN2743 Aerospace series - Fibre reinforced plastics - Standard procedures for conditioning prior to
testing un-aged materials

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EN3615 Aerospace series - Fibre reinforced plastics - Determination of the conditions of exposure to
humid atmosphere and of moisture absorption
EN9103 Aerospace series - Quality management systems - Variation management of key
characteristics
EN ISO14644-1 Cleanrooms and associated controlled environments - Part 1: Classification of air cleanliness
EN ISO14644-3 Cleanrooms and associated controlled environments - Part 3: Test methods
IPS05-27-002-01 High Performance Carbon Fibre Reinforced Epoxy Prepreg Unidirectional Tape / 180°C
Curing Class / Intermediate Modulus - Hexcel
IPS05-27-002-03 High performance Carbon Fibre Reinforcement Epoxy Prepreg Unidirectional Tape, 180°C
curing class, Intermediate Modulus, Hexply M21E/34%/UD268/IMA-12K
IPS05-27-002-04 Carbon Fibre Reinforced Epoxy Prepreg, Intermediate modulus fibre, Hexcel
IPS05-27-002-05 High Performance Carbon Fibre Reinforced Epoxy Prepreg Unidirectional Tape / 180°C
Curing Class / Intermediate Modulus Hexply M21EV/34%/UD268NFS/IMA
IPS10-01-006-02 Structural epoxy adhesive film for composite bonding (135ºC performance), 180ºC cure FM
300M and FM 300K Cytec Engineered Materials
IPS12-01-002-04 Prepreg peel ply for structural bonding Hysol EA 9895 0.033 psf Henkel Corporation,
Aerospace Group
IPS12-01-002-05 Prepreg Peel Ply for structural bonding M21/48%/F08111 Hexcel Composites
MIL-PRF-131K Performance Specification - Barrier materials, water vapour proof, greaseproof, flexible, heat-
sealable
RP1027786 Level 2 document “Compatibility structural adhesives – validated combinations”
3 Definition, applicability and limitations

3.1 Definition
ABS Airbus Standard (here: semi-finished Product Standard)

Adhesive A reactive polymer resin blend, which solidifies (cures) and develops permanent
adhesion to specifically prepared surfaces by chemical cross-linking reaction. Once
the solidification and adhesion development are completed the adhesive can transfer
considerable loads between those surfaces it adheres to.
Film adhesive An adhesive in the form of a film based on a thermosetting resin, which cures at
elevated temperatures. Often it contains a textile fabric as carrier material.
AIMS Airbus Material Specification
Auxiliary materials Materials used during manufacturing that are not incorporated into the finished part.
AP Airbus Procedure
Bonding process Manufacturing process where a structural element or part, called adherend, is
permanently connected to another structural element for load transfer by means of a
polymer resin blend, called adhesive, which – when placed between these both
adherends – either solidifies and adheres to these by chemical crosslinking reaction.
CER Composite Engineering Requirement Sheet
CMR Composite Manufacturing Requirement Sheet
Co-bonding process A bonding process in where the curing of one of the adherends coincides with the
curing of the adhesive.
Co-curing process Manufacturing process in which the curing and bonding of the system formed by un-
cured prepreg materials and adhesives is made in one single autoclave operation.

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Compatibility Compatibility implies within the context of adhesive bonding that the combination of
the specific triple of surface preparation, individual adhesive product and individual
composite adherend material leads to a durable and sound structural bond fulfilling
requirements following this process specification.
Curing Solidification of a liquid or pasty polymer resin blend by chemical crosslinking (i.e.
thermosetting) reaction depending on temperature and time parameters, which have
to be kept within specified limits (curing cycle).
CFRP Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic.
GFRP Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastic
Hot-forming Forming of un-cured prepreg laminates at temperatures above Normal Work
Conditions.
Inner Quality The Inner Quality of a composite part is described by typical quality characteristics
(e.g. porosity, cracks, fibre volume content, delaminating, disbonds, fibre
undulations), which can be determined by NDI methods or microscopic examination
of cross sections.
IPS Individual Product Sheet of a material qualified according to Airbus Material
Specification
Laminate Any fibre-reinforced composite consisting of plies with one more fibre orientations
with respect to a reference direction
Lay-up Stack of semi-finished material, such as prepreg or dry reinforcing textiles, and/or
polymer resin films, such as prepreg peel plies, film adhesives or surfacing films,
depositted in specified order and orientation including auxiliary materials such as
bagging foils, breather material and others required for processing of a composite
part or element.
Manufacturer The company or organization responsible for producing the part against an Airbus
drawing.
Manufacturing shop The specific work shop intended for manufacture according to this process
specification.
MEK Methyl Ethyl Ketone
MS Material Specification
Normal Work Conditions Range of temperature and relative humidity conditions at which cutting, lay-up, forming,
bagging, consolidation or any other handling of un-cured material has to be carried out
as defined in this process specification.
PBM Pre-Bond Moisture - Humidity up-taken by a composite element or part from the
environment, that diffuses into the adhesive and prepreg laminate (in co-bonding)
during the bonding respectively curing process thereby affecting the development of
the structural bond. Also humidity diffusing into fresh adhesive and/or prepreg
(relevant in co-bonding) during delivery, storage and handling is considered as PBM.
Peel ply A woven fabric (could be dry or even be pre-impregnated with resin like a prepreg
material called “wet peel ply”) placed as first or last ply on a fibre laminate stack to be
teared off after the laminate cure and late as possible before the bonding for surface
treatment purpose, creating a new clean surface ready for adhesive bonding.
Preimpregnated material Woven fabric or unidirectional tape impregnated with a matrix resin and suitably
(prepreg) processed (e.g. B-staged) for storage, handling purposes and curing by heat and
pressure without further additives.
Process Control Specimens Process control specimen shall control all critical process steps for the bonding
process to indicate catastrophic failures and to monitor the curing of the bondline
Process Instructions (PI) A document that provides a complete and detailed description of a specific
manufacturing process. It specifies all relevant process parameters, measures for
quality assurance and inspection schedules for equipment and production facilities. A
process instructions could be supplemented by additional documents like part related
work instructions. It is a complete detailed in house process instruction and shall be
used in conjunction with the drawing and relevant Airbus Process Specification
(AIPS).

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PTFE Polytetrafuorethylene
Quality Assurance Quality assurance department responsible for the manufacturing shop entrusted with
the manufacturing according to this process specification.
Reference Manufacturing A manufacturing shop selected in order to develop a manufacturing process and to
Shop (RMS) improve on current processes.
Reference manufacturing A group of experts responsible for a manufacturing process. This group is in charge
shop group (RMSG) of the validation of the technical requirements and technical qualifications. For each
manufacturing process, a reference manufacturing shop group is nominated.
Responsible Design Office Engineering (Stress, Design) and supporting functions (Materials & Processes)
responsible for design and certification of a part.
Rework Removal of production and assembly related non-conformances with the aim of
reaching the required component condition defined in the engineering documents.
Secondary Bonding Same as bonding process, but in aerospace composite industry and certification an
established term, which emphasizes that readily cured composite elements are
bonded (for differentiation from co-bonding).
Specific Work Conditions Specific combination of temperature and relative humidity which deviates from Normal
Work Conditions (including tolerances). Specific Work Conditions may affect the Work-
Life and therefore need to be validated by Airbus Materials & Processes and could
require specific qualification activities.
Storage Conditions Environmental conditions, in particular temperature (e.g. T ≤ -18 ºC) under which
uncured material is kept in store before given out to Manufacturing.
Storage Life The maximum period of time at storage conditions as specified in the relevant
Material Specification, excluding work life needed for manufacturing.
Structural Adhesive For composites/composites bonding. Bonding is a joining process, where the parts to
Bonding be joined are connected with each other using the surface adhesion and the inherent
strength (cohesion) of the adhesive layer.
Structural materials Materials incorporate into a structural part during manufacturing.
Tack Life The maximum period of time at work conditions as specified in the relevant Material
Specification, that the remaining material have sufficient tack to be used for
manufacturing. Needs to be defined by Manufacturing Engineering and agreed by the
material supplier.
Unidirectional tape Semi-finished reinforcement material with the reinforcing fibres oriented in the same
direction.
Work Conditions Environmental conditions, in particular temperature and relative humidity under which
uncured material is processed before start of cure.
Work Life The maximum period of time under work conditions as specified in the relevant
Material Specification, that the material can be used for manufacturing. This includes
all time from removal from fridge for films and prepregs, and mixing for pastes, until
initiation of the curing time. Deviations of work conditions as hot forming process or
application of heat for tack improvement may affect the Work-life and therefore need
to be validated by Airbus Materials & Processes. This might require specific
qualification activities. For two-part paste bonding this time applies to the already
mixed paste.
Woven fabric A cloth consisting of an areal network of carbon or glass or polymer fibres often
referred to as thread or yarn. The threads which run lengthways are called the warp
and those which run across from side to side form the weft. Weaving is the technique
by which the woven fabric is generated. Hereby the threads forming the weft are
interlaced in an alternating way across and underneath those threads forming the
weft.

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3.2 Applicability
This AIPS is applicable when invoked by the drawing directly or through another document. When processing to
AIPS06-02-006 is required, it shall be invoked on the drawing by the words: “Structural bonding according to
AIPS06-02-006”. Process Instructions shall not be called on drawing.
This specification is applicable to bonding of thermoplastic and thermosetting matrix composite materials to
manufacture structural bonded joints. Application of this document is mandatory for the bonding process of
functional class 1, class 2 and class 3 parts as defined in the element drawing or in the Process Instructions.
This specification is applicable to structural bonding processes by means of film adhesives.
This specification is applicable to co-bonding, when film adhesives and thermosetting matrix composites are used
and secondary bonding processes.
3.3 Limitation
This specification is not applicable to sandwich structures bonding (AIPS03-02-018).
This specification does not cover manufacturing of thermoplastic or thermosetting matrix composite parts without
an adhesive.
This specification is not applicable to metallic parts bonding, the process for which is specifically described in
specification AIPS06-02-007.
This specification is not applicable to co-curing processes. Requirements for manufacturing of structural parts by
means of co-curing process are included in AIPS03-02-019 specification.
This specification is not applicable to the surface preparation prior bonding of the adherends which is specifically
described in AIPS06-01-002 (for thermoplastics) and AIPS06-01-003 (for thermosetting parts) specifications.
4 Engineering requirements
Engineering requirements are minimum requirements specified by Responsible Engineering to ensure required
minimum performance of the composite structures manufactured according to this specification.
All Engineering requirements have to be met and controlled in production.
Any deviation from the requirements established here may require a re-qualification of the manufacturing process
according to the relevant Airbus Procedure.
If for manufacturing reasons (e.g. part geometry) it is necessary to deviate from these requirements in a specific
part, the deviation must be validated by Engineering Responsible and stated in the corresponding drawing set (e.g.
CER).
4.1 Structural Materials
Structural materials shall have been qualified in accordance with the relevant Airbus Material Specification.
Structural materials shall be stored according Storage Conditions stated in the relevant Airbus Material
Specification.
The time that the materials are kept in store shall not exceed Storage Life as stated in the relevant Airbus Material
Specification (see Figure 1).

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Figure 1: Storage Life, Work Life and Tack Life
Structural materials shall be processed under Work Conditions stated in the relevant Airbus Material Specification.
Structural Materials shall only be used within their relevant Storage-Life and Work-Life (see Figure 1) as indicated
in the relevant Airbus Material Specification.
Normal Work Conditions (including tolerances) as indicated in Figure 2 are considered for the determination of
Work-Life as part of a material qualification according relevant Airbus Material Specification.
Figure 2: Normal Work Conditions for Cleanrooms
Specific Work Conditions can be established in order to consider deviations from Normal Work Conditions
(including tolerances) during manufacturing (e.g. hot-forming cycle). Specific Work Conditions may affect the Work-
Life and therefore need to be validated by Airbus Materials & Processes and could require specific qualification
activities.
For materials that need to be stored in a freezer, a log shall be kept recording date and time of each transfer of the
material in and out of the freezer and the remaining work life.

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Structural materials shall be processed by validated curing cycles fulfilling requirements as they are stated in
chapter 4.5.12.
When different materials being in direct contact are cured, it has to be assured that only compatible materials are
combined herein. Compatibility of simultaneously curing materials has to be validated by Airbus Materials &
Processes through specific qualification tests. Compatible structural material combinations are stated in relevant
documents, i.e. Material and Process Selection List (MPSL), RP1027786, issued by Airbus Materials & Processes.
As a basic principle in material and process qualification relevant for structural bonding validation testing of the
specific triple of the surface preparation, individual adhesive product (defined by IPS) and individual composite
adherend material (defined by IPS) is mandatory to conduct. Herewith as ”compatible” identified combinations of
surface preparation, adhesive and adherend material have to be stated in technical documentation issued by
Materials & Processes. Only compatible combinations are allowed in composite bond assemblies. Compatibility
requirements addressing structural bonding are defined in chapter 5.2 and as compatible identified triple
configurations are identified in RP1027786.
Cured parts that are loaded with additional temperature cycles within the following manufacturing steps (e.g. co-
bonding) after their initial cure require adequate mechanical support to prevent them from any temperature induced
distortion, residual stress entrapment and potential material damage (e.g. delamination, creep). If such temperature
loading within the further processing of a composite part resembles the curing class of the initial cure of the part, or
if the heat-up of a composite part reaches its glass transition temperature region (i.e. On-set temperature) full areal
support is strongly recommended. Additional temperature cycling (i.e. multiple curing capability) is limited in
number and duration following the material specifications of all those materials of which the relevant, by additional
temperature cycling loaded parts consist of.
Cured parts shall not be exposed to UV-radiation during manufacturing, transport and storage without adequate
protection to avoid ageing.
4.2 Auxiliary materials
Only qualified materials according to AIMS12-00-000 or materials specifically approved by Airbus shall be used.
AIMS12-00-000 distinguishes between auxiliary materials in direct contact with the uncured structural materials
(Type A) and auxiliary materials that are not in direct contact with the uncured structural materials (Type B, C). Any
auxiliary who could affect the structural behaviour needs to be qualified as Type A.
Material Specification (ABS/AIMS) of peel plies qualified as surface treatment for structural bonding must be
referenced in the drawing.
The specific materials to be used in each part shall be indicated in the Work Order in accordance with the drawing
associated documentation.
No change of material is allowed without specific indication in the drawing and associated documentation.
Materials with PTFE in direct contact with prepregs (spatulas, rolls, cutting tables, etc.) are prohibited if they are not
specifically approved for a particular application.
All auxiliary materials to be placed in direct contact with any uncured materials must be stored in sealed
polyethylene bags and handled using qualified gloves.
Materials shall be stored in accordance with the requirements of the applicable MS and IPS, in order to avoid
manufacturing problems during the cure cycle or even lack of final quality of the part.
All auxiliary materials shall only be used within their relevant Storage-Life and Work-Life, in case these have been
limited.
The use of release films in direct contact with surfaces to be bonded afterwards must be avoided.

AIPS06-02-006 Page 10
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4.3 Solvents
General requirements for cleaning process are described in AIPS09-01-002.
The solvent agent used shall be defined in the documentation associated to the Process instruction and testing
must be carried out to ensure it is acceptable for the specific application of bonding of composites.
In this process, only qualified solvents shall be used. The solvent has to be of a grade “for analysis”.
Use of MEK must be minimized due to HSE reasons as well as technical (see AIPS09-01-002).
4.4 Cleanrooms, equipment and tooling
4.4.1 Cleanrooms
Cutting, lay-up, forming and consolidation of uncured prepregs and adhesive films shall be performed in clean,
isolated areas (cleanrooms) to prevent materials from contamination. For the same reason, it is mandatory to use
qualified gloves and clean work clothes for any operation within these areas.
The floor shall be paved with easily cleaned materials, and the walls shall be coated with non-releasable washable
material.
In order to prevent any contamination coming from the outside, it is recommended that a minimum of 5,0 Pa
overpressure to be held inside the cleanroom.
It is also recommended for this area to be equipped with a twin-door type gate system. In the case of direct exit
outdoors, this shall be mandatory.
The concentration of airborne particles has to be in compliance with ISO class 8 according EN ISO 14644-1.
Cleanrooms need to have controlled temperature and humidity to ensure processing of the materials within their
limited Work-Life under given Work-Conditions.
Shops to be qualified according to AIPS06-02-006 have to fulfill Normal Work Conditions (including tolerances) for
cleanroom areas according to figure 2.
In cleanroom areas, the following is strictly forbidden:
• The use, handling and application of uncured liquid release agents. If this cannot be avoided, application of
release agent and lay up shall not take place in the same work area at the same time (the application of
release agents in the form of aerosol or any other kind of spray is prohibited without exception).
• The use of equipment that releases oils, greases, lubricants, fumes or any other type of contaminant.
• The use of tools and utensils that have not been cleaned and maintained appropriately.
• Eating, drinking, smoking and the use of waxes or non-polymerized silicones or any other substance
detrimental to good adhesion of the materials.
• Cleaning and maintenance of tools.
• Sanding and surface preparation before bonding. If not avoidable, retouching of parts by light sanding is
allowed in restricted zones of the clean area providing that the powder produced is specifically eliminated.
Peel ply removal from cured parts is allowed, providing that care is taken to avoid contamination of any
adjacent non-cured material.
• Any container and contents that can contaminate the clean area.
• To leave doors open.
4.4.2 Autoclaves and ovens for curing
The autoclaves, ovens or other devices applied for curing shall be able to follow the cure cycles stated in the
relevant Airbus Material Specifications. This requires the control and recording of temperature, pressure and
vacuum as applicable.
Equipment used for curing of liquid release agents or silicones shall not be used for curing thermoset prepreg
materials and adhesive films.

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4.4.3 Thermocouples and vacuum intakes
Thermocouples shall be distributed evenly in order to record both maximum and minimum temperatures of each
part.
The Process Instructions shall define the type, number and location of thermocouples and vacuum intakes to be
used for parts or process control specimens.
4.4.4 Freezers
Freezers used to store materials at storage conditions must be capable of maintaining the temperature at -18ºC
and be equipped with automatic temperature recording.
4.4.5 Tooling
Tools shall be free of all types of contamination.
• They must be stiff enough to produce parts within the dimensional tolerances, and the tool bulk must be
capable of complying with the curing cycle heating/cooling rate requirements.
• When it is not indicated in the tool drawing the mould surface in contact with the part shall have a surface
finish of 125 HRH (Ra = 3.2 μm) or better.
• The tools for lamination shall be correctly identified.
Each new tool and each tool submitted to mayor modifications or reparations must be subjected to an appropriate
air tightness test as defined in the Process Instruction prior to manufacture of parts.
During design phase it must be ensured that an effective “tolerance management” has been established to assure
key requirements, e.g. homogeneity, consistency and uniformity of the bondline by checking the geometrical
compatibility of the different parts.
4.4.6 Non-destructive inspection equipment
They shall be suitable to perform the NDT inspection required.
4.5 Processing
During the structural bonding process of composite parts, certain critical steps and processing operations (including
tool preparation, cutting, lay-up, consolidation, forming, preparation for cure, curing and process control specimens)
must be closely controlled.
Specific requirements and limits need to be stated in the relevant Process Instructions.
Prepreg materials (fabrics and tapes) shall fulfill all the requirements included in AIPS03-02-019.
4.5.1 Prefit (Secondary Bonding)
Requirement is to have “no” pre-tension and “no” deformation of the “precured” parts during secondary bonding
cure cycle.
To fulfill the “no” pre-tension requirement, the component surface flatnesses shall be controlled mainly by
appropriate flatness definition of the mating part surfaces:
• As a conservative approach, the “flatness” tolerance limit of ± 0,1 mm shall be maintained. If this can’t be
guaranteed by the tooling approach, extended measurements are necessary to verify the real situation. If
extended tolerances have to be defined, this is subject for further validation by engineering and need to be
defined in the CER.
• As a common pre-assembly approach, the proper fit of the parts shall be checked by application of a
preload ≤ 45 N, which should demonstrate the adequate closure of any gaps below 0,1 mm.

AIPS06-02-006 Page 12
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To fulfill the “no” deformation requirement, the use of an appropriate supportive tooling during the secondary
bonding cycle is strongly recommended (depending on time / temperature).
4.5.2 Process parameters
Process parameters need to be established for any processing operation prior to cure (e.g. cutting, consolidation,
forming) and for the cure cycle.
Process parameters applicable to each specific part shall be specified in the drawing associated documentation
and need to be in accordance with the information provided in the relevant Airbus Material Specifications. The
range of permissible process parameters depends on the specific material and is subject of material qualification.
Process parameters for curing:
• Vacuum.
• Temperature gradient for heat-up.
• Curing temperature.
• Curing time.
• Pressure gradient.
• Curing pressure.
• Temperature gradient for cool-down.
4.5.3 Thawing of materials
Materials taken from cold storage shall be kept in airtight sealed bags or containers until the temperature of the
materials has sufficiently adapted to the ambient temperature. This is in order to prevent any moisture from
condensation on the cold material. The exact conditions shall be determined and indicated in the Process
Instructions.
4.5.4 Adhesives cutting
The film adhesives, after cutting (manual or automatic), must not show:
• Contamination.
• Tears.
• Cuts or geometry other than the one indicated in the drawing.
• Defects exceeding the requirements of its applicable material specification.
In order to prevent any contamination, tables on which material is cut manually must be covered with an approved
material. The surfaces should be cleaned regularly after use to eliminate cross contamination between different
material types.
Any material already cut in kits, which is not being used immediately, shall be placed into polyethylene bags with
silica gel sachets and properly identified. The airtight sealed bag can be stored in a freezer. The formation of
wrinkles and folds must be avoided when placing the kit in the bag or freezer.
If plies are cut manually, perform this by means of cutting templates with a high standard of cleanliness, which are
identified with the following data:
• Part or assembly number to which they are applied (P/N).

• Location (according to drawing part list).
4.5.5 Tooling preparation
Tooling preparation shall be performed according to AIPS03-02-019.
4.5.6 Application of liquid release agents
Application of liquid release agents shall be performed according to AIPS03-02-019.

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4.5.7 Moisture management of thermoset composite adherends before bonding cycle
Avoidance of critical moisture uptake of thermoset composite adherends during handling and storage before the
conduction of structural bonding (“pre-bond moisture management”) has to be assured to achieve the required
bond strength and durability.
Limitation of exposure (conditions and time), when unprotected, to the environment and moisture barrier protection
of adherends are effective means to prevent from the presence of critical amounts of moisture during the curing
process of the adhesive. When pre-bond moisture limits are exceeded, re-drying is an allowed procedure to lower
pre-bond moisture content to an acceptable low level (see 4.5.7.4 or 4.5.7.5)
4.5.7.1 General requirements for prevention from critical pre-bond moisture level (PBM)
Adherend parts are allowed to be exposed to temperature humidity conditions lower as or equal with the margin
labelled with “General PBM Margin” as indicated in figure 3 for not longer than 14 days from the end of their curing
until start of the adhesive curing. Within this period short-term exposure outside the General PBM Margin of less
than 24 hrs for adherent part handling is acceptable as long as the maximum temperature and humidity limits for
short-term exposure (Figure 3) are not exceeded.
Continuous monitoring and recording of ambient temperature and relative humidity in the direct vicinity of the
adherend part is mandatory. Missing temperature and relative humidity recording is source of suspect and must be
accounted as an exposure outside the limits by definition.
4.5.7.2 PBM requirements for a specific bonding configuration
In this sub-chapter stated requirements apply exclusively to bonding configurations consisting of the following
material and treatment variants, only:
Adhesive: FM300 at all grades as per IPS10-01-006-02.
Adherend: M21E prepreg at all grades as per IPS05-27-002-01, IPS05-27-002-03, IPS05-27-002-04, IPS05-
27-002-05.
Pre-treatment: Sanding as per AIPS06-01-003 and peel ply IPS12-01-002-04, IPS12-01-002-05.
• Adherend parts are allowed to be exposed to extended temperature/humidity conditions lower as or equal
with the margin labelled “Specific PBM margin” as in Figure 3 for not longer than 180 days from the end
of their curing until start of the adhesive curing (max. adherend pre-bond moisture absorption time).
• Within this period parts are allowed to cross temporarily the “Specific PBM margin” (Figure 3) but not the
limit for short-term exposure for not longer than 3 days accumulated.

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Figure 3: Temperature - relative humidity margins relevant for PBM restriction
4.5.7.3 Moisture barrier protection
Storage and shipment of adherend parts require adequate protection from moisture as defined in the following.
For effective moisture barrier protection composite parts shall be bagged air- and diffusion tight into multi-layer
polymer films with a metal foil inside, which fulfill AIMS12-11-001 (MIL-PRF-131K Class 1 specification). Heat
sealing following the barrier film manufacturer recommendations is the preferred seal-type. In this condition bagged
adherend parts may be stored up to a maximum of 180 days either at normal work conditions and outside of these
(like at shipment).
The moisture barrier bagging of an adherend part shall occur as early as possible, but not later than 14 days for
general PBM margin, or 90 days for specific PBM margin, after its curing, when exposed to conditions not
exceeding the corresponding PBM margins (Figure 3). The parts exposure to general or specific PBM conditions
before and after its bagging shall not exceed those times, which are relevant for pre-bond moisture accumulated
(see Figure 4).
Cured Parts
Unprotected x days (to be Moisture barrier protection

counted from end of cure) max. Unprotected y days
General PBM margin: 180 days when heat sealed Gen. PBM margin: y<(14 – x) days Bonding
x<14 days
or Spec. PBM margin y<(180 –x) days
Specific PBM margin :
90 days for tacky tape sealed
x<90 days
Inner normal work conditions Within general or specific PBM

outside normal work conditions
(for clean rooms) margins accordingly as per fig.3
x: exposure to conditions (temp. & rel. humidity) as per figure 3 before moisture barrier bagging
y: maximum residual exposure time at conditions (temp. & rel. humidity) as per figure 3 after debagging or
moisture barrier
Figure 4: Pre-Bond Moisture protection overview

AIPS06-02-006 Page 15
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Moisture barrier bagging set-ups with alternative sealing, e.g. by tacky tape, require validation testing. In this
condition bagged adherend parts may be stored up to a maximum of 90 days either at normal work conditions and
outside of these (like at shipment).
To assure moisture barrier function and for its monitoring it is preferred to evacuate the bagging (p < 750 hPa).
Care has to be taken that fragile parts are not critically distorted by vacuum pressure. The moisture barrier material
has to be protected from sharp edges of the part to be bagged. A loose moisture barrier bag is an indicator for
leakage and so malfunction (comparable with a leaky vacuum bag in composite laminate manufacturing). In such a
case parts have to be treated as unprotected parts and therefore have to be re-dried following the instructions
specified in 4.5.7.4 or 4.5.7.5.
For moisture barrier bagging set-ups, which are hermetically sealed but not evacuated for the monitoring purpose,
an alternative monitoring of the barrier function can be implemented by traveller specimens (75 mm x 75 mm x 2
mm acc. EN3615). These travellers shall be placed onto the parts, so that they accompany the part during
shipment and storage.
These travellers are to be made from the same composite material as the part they represent. After their full re-dry
(following EN3615) those travellers have to be placed onto the part before the sealing of the moisture barrier bag.
For control of potential moisture uptake weight measurements of these travellers have to be conducted before the
bagging and after the un-bagging. The amount of travellers to be added depends on part size and shape. It is to be
calculated based on the following requirements:
• At least one per part and bag.

• One per running 6 m.
• One per running 40 m².
Travellers have to be completely re-dried before application in accordance with EN3615. Maximum moisture uptake
by the travellers during barrier bagging phase shall not exceed 0,08 % for assurance of moisture barrier function. In
case this value is exceeded, re-drying following 4.5.7.4 or 4.5.7.5 instructions may be conducted. Weight
measurements are to be taken by a calibrated precision scale of a resolution of 0,1 mg.
4.5.7.4 Re-drying of composite adherent parts to limit pre-bond moisture
Re-drying of composite adherent parts is required to reduce pre-bond moisture to acceptable limits, once these
were exceeded.
The following standard procedures shall be applied, when validated by qualification:
• “Short” re-drying: Composite adherent parts shall be re-dried in circulating air furnaces or equivalent free
from release agents for 1h@90°C+3h@120°C, (alternatively 20h@80°C) relevant for 180°C curing class
materials, or for 20h@80°C relevant for 120°C curing class materials:
a. If exposed for more than 14 days after end of cure or last re-dry, but less than 180 days without
moisture barrier protection to an environment within the general PBM margins as per figure 3 (see
4.5.7.1)
b. If exposed for more than 24 hours but less than 14 days after end of cure or last re-dry outside general
PBM margins, but inside the temperature humidity margins for short-term exposure as per figure 3
(see 4.5.7.1)
• “Long” re-drying: Parts subjected to bonding shall be re-dried in circulating air furnaces or equivalent free
from release agents at 3h@90°C+20h@120°C, alternatively 120h@80°C for 180°C curing class materials, at
120h@80°C for 120°C curing class materials, if one of the following conditions apply:
c. If exposed for more than 14 days after end of cure or last re-dry, but less than 180 days without
moisture barrier protection to an environment outside the general PBM margins, but inside the
temperature humidity margins for short-term exposure as per figure 3 (see 4.5.7.1)

AIPS06-02-006 Page 16
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d. Exposure when unprotected (i.e. without moisture barrier) for more than 180 days (after end of cure or
last re-dry) to an environment below the temperature humidity margins as outlined for short-term
exposure in figure 3 (see 4.5.7.1)
e. Exceeding the maximum storage time when efficiently protected by validated moisture barrier (see
4.5.7.1)
f. When evidence of malfunction of the moisture barrier is given.
Special re-drying procedures may be defined and applied, when qualified by Materials & Processes, for specific
parts and have to be stated in relevant process instructions.
4.5.7.5 Re-drying requirements for specific composite adherend materials
In this sub-chapter stated re-drying requirements apply exclusively to composite adherents parts, consisting of the
following material variants.
M21E prepreg at all grades as per IPS05-27-002-01, IPS05-27-002-03, IPS05-27-002-04, IPS05-27-002-05 which
form part of the bonding configurations listed in 4.5.7.2.
• Cases a., b. and c in 4.5.7.4 do not apply to the here listed materials within the 180 days exposure as per
4.5.7.2. (when fulfilling the “specific” PBM margin) beginning from the end of the cure of the composite
adherent part.
• When cases d., e. or f. in 4.5.7.4 apply to composite adherend parts made from the here listed materials
“long” re-drying procedure as per 4.5.7.4 has to be applied, Once re-dried, these parts have to be handled
so that they fulfill general PBM requirements as per chapters 4.5.7.1, 4.5.7.3 and 4.5.7.4 (all cases a., b.,
c., d., e. and f apply).
Figure 5 illustrates exposure times and required re-drying procedures as stated above for the specific composite
adherend materials.
>14 < 180 days >14 < 180 days
“short” re‐dry “short” re‐dry
max. 14 days max. 14 days
end max. 180 days valid for bonding valid for bonding valid for bonding
“long”
of when exposure when exposure when exposure
re‐dry
cure within “specific” PBM margin within “general“ within “general“
PBM margin PBM margin
> 180 days > 180 days
“long” re‐dry “long” re‐dry . . .
Figure 5: Illustration of max. exposure conditions and re-drying cases applicable to specific composite
adherend materials (not all in 4.5.7 stated requirements displayed for simplicity reasons)
4.5.7.6 Re-drying after direct contact with water within normal processing
Any spray with or immersion into water of the adherend part occurring before the bonding step (e.g. when water
break test, NDT or water jet trimming is conducted) requires dedicated re-drying.
• 180°C curing class parts have to be heated up to a minimum of 80 °C and not more than 120 °C for a
minimum of 1 hour in circulating air furnaces or equivalent free from release agents providing that the
relevant part area is exposed to water for not more than 4 hours. If the furnace or other heating device
applicable for re-dry does not provide 80°C, re-drying at 70°C for at least 2 hours or at 60°C for at least
4hours are equivalent and allowed alternatives.
• 120°C curing class parts have to be heated up to 60 °C for at least 4 hours, 70 °C for at least 2 hours or
80 °C for at least 1 hour in circulating air furnaces or equivalent free from release agents providing that the
relevant part area is exposed to water for not more than 4 hours.

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Custom re-drying cycle definition may be considered for special parts. For such cases definition of specific re-
drying parameters has to be requested from Airbus Materials & Processes and shall be called out on the drawing
and the part related manufacturing documentation.
4.5.8 Surface preparation before bonding
4.5.8.1 Thermoplastic materials
The surface preparation of thermoplastic materials before bonding shall be carried out as per AIPS06-01-002:
Surface preparation of thermoplastic parts before bonding.
4.5.8.2 Thermosetting materials
The surface preparation of thermosetting materials before bonding shall be carried out as per AIPS06-01-003:
Surface preparation of thermosetting parts before bonding.
If there is any deviation in the surface preparation process, parts to be bonded should be re-treated as stated in
AIPS06-01-003.
The application and use of peel-plies on parts to be bonded shall be described in AIPS06-01-003.
4.5.9 Lay-up and adhesive application
Stacking sequences and fibre orientations of prepreg materials shall be in accordance with the relevant drawing set
and associated documentation.
Lay-up principles for processes and part related specific lay-ups should be stated in the Process Instructions.
The principles shall ensure a sufficient distribution of pressure, vacuum and temperature within the lay-up.
Lay-ups shall only consist of qualified auxiliary and structural materials.
4.5.9.1 Defects of film adhesives
During the lay-up, visual inspection of the materials shall be performed following the requirements of the relevant
Material Specification.
The separating film shall be removed from the film adhesive and from the prepreg materials, releasing it in the fibre
direction, taking care to neither alter the alignment nor cause damage.
Place the film adhesive taking special care to avoid entrapment of air, dust or foreign materials, formation of
wrinkles and distortion of the fibres.
Requirements of adhesive splices are included in table 1.
If observing any defect in prepreg plies, it shall not exceed the acceptable limits indicated in AIPS03-02-019.
Table 1: Adhesive splicing
Material type Orientation Requirements

Maximum gap 1,5 mm
Film adhesive
Maximum overlap 10,0 mm
4.5.9.2 Prepreg splice allowance
Dimensions, tolerances and types of splice allowed in the prepreg plies shall be in accordance with specification
AIPS03-02-019.

AIPS06-02-006 Page 18
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4.5.9.3 Adhesive application
After the surface preparation (see AIPS06-01-003 or AIPS06-01-002, as applicable), and when the surfaces are
dried (if wet), the film or paste adhesive shall be applied.
The adhesive shall be placed on those places called out in the drawing or in the Process Instructions.
Adhesive should be place in order to assure the existence of an adhesive squeeze-out after curing between min. 1
mm to max. 2 mm.
4.5.10 Consolidation
The lay-up process used must ensure the necessary level of consolidation to allow further processing and ensure
low void content laminates.
Consolidation shall be adequate to avoid air entrapments between plies and formation of wrinkles. Suitable
techniques shall be used as described in the Process Instructions.
4.5.11 Vacuum bag (when applicable)
With the exception of the peel-plies and release film, the materials used in the construction of the vacuum bag shall
not be in direct contact with the prepreg plies or adhesives.
The specific conditions applicable to each part shall be indicated in the documentation associated to the drawing
and in the Process Instructions.
4.5.12 Curing cycle
The specific cure cycle of each composite assembly depends on the material or materials used and the type and
configuration of the assembly to be bonded.
The cure cycle applicable to each specific assembly shall be indicated in the documentation associated with the
drawing and in the Process Instructions.
When an adhesive is used to join previously cured elements (secondary bonding) the curing cycle shall be in
accordance with the processing window in the material specification of the adhesive and the key parameter
homogeneity, consistency and uniformity of the bondline must be ensured.
Cure cycles for co-bonding process shall be derived from the cure cycle processing window appropriate for each
material, as indicated in their corresponding MS and IPS. The selected cure cycle must fulfill the processing
window of all, adhesives and prepreg materials (see AIPS03-02-019), used in the assembly.
Check that compatibility has been specifically approved by Airbus. Key parameter homogeneity, consistency and
uniformity of the bondline must be ensured.
It is important to note that curing cycles could affect the compatibility between materials, hence validity of
compatibility is restricted to the parameter window of the curing applied within the compatibility validation testing.
Compatibility is also of concern for peel plies.
Airbus shall be informed of any deviation of the above statements and shall approve the modification prior to
implementation.
When a process malfunction occurs during the heat-up phase the curing cycle can be interrupted for inspection and
corrective actions (e.g. elimination of a vacuum leakage) as long as a critical temperature of the autoclave load was
not exceeded. This critical temperature and further instructions relevant for a safe recovery of the process (and so
the autoclave load) must be defined in the process instructions.

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4.5.13 Thickness of Bondlines
4.5.13.1 Bondline thickness in a co-bonded assembly
In a co-bonded assembly the thickness of the bondline has to be in the range of the nominal thickness of the cured
ply of film adhesive. Consistency and uniformity of bondline has to be demonstrated in FPQ. As basic principle the
design of the adherend part and the design of the tooling (i.e. for the parts manufactured) have to assure in concert
that dimensional tolerances are met, which allow information of the required bondline thickness and inner quality.
4.5.13.2 Bondline thickness in a secondary bonded assembly
Adhesive thickness: general criterion 0,14 mm – 0,25 mm (for ABS5320B mandatory), variability of the bondline to
be checked by FPQ.
4.5.14 Post-curing cycle (whenever required)
The conditions for post-curing (if it is required in the documentation associated to the drawing) shall be specified in
the Process Instructions. Post-curing is usually accomplished in an oven, at high temperature, but in the majority of
cases without pressure being applied (i.e. without vacuum bag).
Make sure that the components are not damaged during post-cure. All parts to be post-cured, require sufficient
mechanical support to prevent from potential distortion and damage induced by the temperature loading.
Only one post-curing cycle is allowed for each assembly. That is to say, the post-curing cycle of pre-cured
elements subjected to subsequent bonding shall be performed at the same time than the post-curing cycle of the
adhesive (if needed).
4.5.15 Multiple bonding
Complex structures which are composed of a number of adherend parts may require two or more separate and
successive bonding cycles. This is classified as “multiple bonding”.
In multiple bonding situations, previously cured bonded joints are again subjected to considerable temperature
loading induced by curing cycles of the subsequent bonding steps. Therefore, mechanical support of the complex
structure is required during bonding processing as outlined in chapter 4.1.
The maximum number of cure cycles and conditions (temperature/pressure etc.) of all involved materials shall not
be exceeded. These capabilities are defined in the relevant AIMS specifications. Multiple bonding cycles should be
kept to a minimum in order to aid this point.
Any surface pre-treatment following AIPS06-01-003 (e.g. sanding or peel ply removal) will only occur in areas to be
bonded in the next following step. If a pre-treated surface area has been exposed to a bonding/curing cycle without
being bonded to another adherend part, it shall be considered as no longer being pre-treated and further pre-
treatment will be required. Any masking, or other protection means, subsequently applied onto a pre-treated
surface does not prevent its loss of pre-treatment when subjected to a bonding/curing cycle.
4.5.16 Demoulding of parts
The parts shall not be disassembled from the curing tool until a temperature < +80 ºC is reached.
If applicable, the coordinating holes for contour cutting must be drilled before disassembly of the part.
Use pressurized air and wooden or plastic wedges to remove the assembly from the polymerization tool. Metallic
tools, which might damage parts or tools, are strictly forbidden.
During this operation, remove and identify the process control specimens (when required) from the part or
autoclave load they represent.
4.5.17 Post treatment and handling of bonded parts

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Components may be removed from the bonding facility for further processing only after curing and cooling.
Generally, excess of cured adhesive shall not be removed from the components. In exceptional cases, and if called
out in the drawing, local sanding of adhesive excess and squeeze out may be acceptable to meet fitting tolerances
of the subsequent assembly. Care must be taken that the bond is not damaged.
Use only qualified solvents when cleaning bonded components.
The bonded components must be handled in such a way that permanent damage and/or deformation are avoided.
Special measures must be taken (e.g. use of specially equipped transport rigs) to avoid damage to component
edges, where these edges are final dimensions.
4.6 Quality requirements
Quality Assurance shall ensure that the following Quality requirements are met, and that the process qualification
procedure in accordance with Chapter 0 is performed if applicable.
4.6.1 Personnel
All the work steps of the manufacturing process must be carried out by authorized, trained and competent
personnel recognized by an approved training program.
4.6.2 Materials
Structural materials shall meet the requirements indicated in their Airbus material specifications (AIMS).
A material reception process controlled by Quality Assurance is required in each batch for all structural materials
and peel plies for structural bonding.
Storage of structural and auxiliary materials shall be performed in accordance with the requirements of this
document and the relevant Airbus material specifications.
Processing of prepregs, film adhesives and auxiliary materials shall be performed in accordance with the
requirements of this document, the relevant Airbus material specifications and the relevant Process Instructions.
All auxiliary materials used shall be products approved by Airbus. Special care shall be taken to only use for
structural bonding peel plies qualified according to AIMS12-01-001 and AIMS12-01-002 specification.
Quality Assurance shall ensure in detail:
• Materials are properly identified.

• Materials are stored and packaged to preclude damage and contamination.
• Perishable materials, prepregs and film adhesives are within the allowable storage life at the time of
release from store and within the allowed work life at start of cure.
• Appropriate thawing of materials.
• Pre-packaged kits are properly identified and inspected.
4.6.3 Inspection of production facilities and measuring equipment
All production facilities and equipment used in the manufacturing process shall be certified and need to be
inspected regularly under the responsibility of Quality Assurance:
• Registers and measuring equipment shall be within the validity of their calibration.
• Cleaning and inspection schedule of the lay-up areas shall be established in Quality Assurance
documents. The positive overpressure of cleanrooms shall be controlled with a suitable differential
pressure-measuring device.
• Concentration of particles shall be controlled inside the cleanroom areas in accordance with EN ISO
14644-3 to meet the requirements according of Class 8 conditions as stated in EN ISO 14644-1.
• Measuring equipment for autoclaves, ovens, etc. shall have the capability to record continuously the
temperature, pressure and vacuum, as applicable. If continuous recording is not possible, recording at
maximum intervals of 10 minutes is allowed. Monitoring systems shall be driven by the lowest
thermocouple as long as the highest is considered.

AIPS06-02-006 Page 21
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• Thermocouples shall be checked electrically before the curing operation.

• Pressure in the vacuum hoses and their connections shall be check in order to guarantee their perfect
working.
• Temperature and humidity in the lay-up area shall be inside the limits.
• Correct application of the mould release agent shall be assured (if applicable).
• Removal of protections from adhesive prior to the lay-up shall be performed properly.
• Splices and gaps shall be within the permitted tolerances.
• In curing cycles:
- The requirements established for the cure cycle parameters shall be meet.
- Cured parts, which are exposed to additional temperature cycles during manufacturing or rework,
shall be supported in a sufficient way and Tg onset of all of the incorporated structural materials
shall meet the requirements stated.
• Parts and process control panels shall be correctly identified.
• Cured parts must not be exposed to UV radiation during manufacturing, transport and storage without
adequate protection to avoid ageing.
• Special measures shall be taken to prevent components or even uncured laminates from any kind of
damage or contamination during manufacturing, transport, storage and assembly.
4.6.4 Quality of the assembly
Quality Assurance shall check all the assemblies bonded according to this specification.
Requirements regarding the Inner Quality need to be stated in the drawing sets and/or associated documentation
and shall be verified by a First Part Qualification (FPQ) according to the relevant AP a part from series production
inspection (see chapter 7).
4.7 Key characteristic
Key Characteristics acc. to EN9103 are defined by responsible engineering based on a risk analysis for parts
manufactured by this process. Key characteristics shall be defined on product level and if necessary also on
process level.
They shall be subject to variation control by production organization according to EN9103.
Key Characteristics do not relieve the production organization from meeting all engineering requirements defined in
this document.

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Table 2: Key characteristics
Product Key Characteristic Process Key Characteristic
Requirement/ Sub.- Requirement/

No. Designation Designation
Limit No. Limit
1.1 §4.1 Storage life acc. to IPS
1 Bondline performance AIMS / IPS
1.2 §4.1 Work life acc. to IPS
§4.1 Compatibility between
Part performance / acc. to Drawing
2 CER 2.1 prepreg / adhesive / surface
Bondline performance or CER
preparation
§4.4.2 Environmental max 27ºC

3.1
condition temperature min 15ºC
Bondline performance /
3 AIMS / CER
Inner quality / porosity max 70% RH
§4.4.2 Environmental
3.2
condition humidity min 20% RH
§4.5.5 Tooling preparation / According to
AIPS06-01-003 4.1
cleaning AIPS03-02-019
4 Bondline quality AIPS06-01-002
as applicable §4.5.6 Application of liquid According to
4.2
release agent AIPS03-02-019
(continued)

AIPS06-02-006 Page 23
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Table 3: Key characteristics (concluded)
Product Key Characteristic Process Key Characteristic
Requirement/ Sub.- Requirement/

No. Designation Designation
Limit No. Limit
§4.5.4 Adhesive cutting ->
5.1 none
contamination
5.2 none
tears
5.3 Drawing / CER
geometry
§4.5.9 Lay-up -> adhesive
5.4 Drawing / CMR
positioning
Bondline performance /
5 CER §4.5.9 Lay-up -> adhesive
Part performance 5.5 (1 - 2) mm
squeeze-out after curing
§4.5.9 Adhesive splicing ->
5.6 (0 - 1,5) mm
gap
§4.5.9 Adhesive splicing ->
5.7 (0- 10,0) mm
overlap
acc. to
AIPS06-01-003 /
5.8 §4.5.8 Surface preparation
AIPS06-01-002
as aplicable
Bondline quality / §4.4.5 / §4.5.2 / §4.5.9 /
6 Porosity / Bondline AIMS / CER 6.1 §4.5.11 / §6 acc. to CMR
thickness Heat-up rate
§4.5.2 / §4.5.9 / §4.5.11
7.1 acc. to CMR
Curing / post-curing time
7 Bondline performance AIMS / CER §4.5.2 / §4.5.9 / §4.5.11
7.2 Curing / post-curing acc. to CMR
temperature
Bondline quality / §4.5.2 / §4.5.9 / §4.5.11

8.1 acc. to CMR
Porosity / Bondline Curing pressure
8 AIMS / CER
thickness / Bondline §4.5.2 / §4.5.9 / §4.5.11
performance 8.2 acc. to CMR
Curing vacuum
§4.5.15 Demoulding
9 Part performance AIMS / CER 9.1 acc. to CMR
temperature
general max. 14
§4.5.7 limiting pre-bond days
10 Bondline performance AIMS / CER 10.1
moisture up-take of adherend specific max. 180
days
§6 Bondline thickness min. 0,14 mm
11 Bondline performance AIMS / CER 11
(secondary bonding) max. 0,25 mm

AIPS06-02-006 Page 24
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5 Technical qualification
The Technical Qualification shall be performed, according to the relevant Airbus procedure.
5.1 Qualification of Process Instruction
Qualification tests as described in the following chapter are required in case that a new Process Instruction is
required or an existing Process Instruction will be changed significantly. They are not required for new part related
work instructions.
The qualification documents, shall clearly define the scope and limitations of the individual qualification project.
5.1.1 Definition of Parts/Specimens for Qualification Tests
Parts and specimens for Qualification Tests need to be agreed between the Qualification Project Leader and the
manufacturing shop responsible for the production of these parts/specimens. Parts and specimens will be stated in
the Qualification Test Program (QTP).
The manufacturing shop shall produce parts/specimens for qualification tests by working to the Process
Instructions subject of the qualification activity. Serial production facilities shall be used under serial production
conditions.
The qualification tests shall be made on:
• Coupons specimens.
• Generic or serial production part First Part Qualifications (FPQ) according to relevant AP.
Materials (adhesives, composite materials) and processing cycles qualified by Airbus shall be selected by
Reference Manufacturing Shop Group. The primary selection criteria is compatibility, i.e. only those materials and
processing conditions are allowed to be applied for which compatibility was validated following compatibility test
program as per Chapter 5.2.
Only one batch of adhesive and composite shall be used along the whole qualification process.
5.1.2 Qualification tests on coupon specimens
The qualification tests shall be, at least, the following:
5.1.2.1 Surface preparation prior bonding:
As per AIPS06-01-002 and AIPS06-01-003 specifications, as applicable.
5.1.2.2 For secondary bonding process:
• Visual inspection (squeeze-out, etc.)

• Non-destructive testing (Ultrasonic inspection, X-Ray, etc.) according to AITM6-0011.
• Dimensional inspection and thickness measurements (Bondline thickness)
• Bondline fracture toughness energy, G1C, according to AITM1-0053 B-U (specimen type B, unsupported)
• Single lap shear strength according to AITM1-0019 S11 A (specimen type S11, unsupported)
• Double lap shear strength according to AITM1-0019 D13 A (specimen type D13, unsupported)
5.1.2.3 For co-bonding process:
• Visual inspection (composite surface finish, adhesive squeeze-out, etc.)

• Non-destructive testing (Ultrasonic inspection, X-Ray, etc.)
• Dimensional inspection and thickness measurements (Bondline thickness and thickness of the laminates)
• Interlaminar fracture toughness energy, G1C, according to AITM1-0053 B-U (specimen type B,
unsupported)
• Single lap shear strength according to AITM1-0019 S7 A (specimen type S7, unsupported)

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• Double lap shear strength according to AITM1-0019 D13 A (specimen type D13, unsupported)
For the composite adherend cured in the same cycle than the adhesive:
• Interlaminar shear strength according to EN2563 for carbon fibre laminates or EN2377 for glass fibre
laminates.
• Glass Transition Temperature (Tg) according to AITM1-0003.
• Void content (only for carbon fibre laminates) according to EN2564.
• Degree of cure (%) according to AITM3-0008.
NOTE: G1C and single lap shear strength tests are performed for qualification of surface preparation prior
bonding. In case these tests are also being carried out, it is not necessary to repeat them for qualification of the
bonding process.
5.1.2.4 Mechanical requirements
The specimens for mechanical tests shall be made with the materials selected by the Reference Manufacturing
Shop Group at the beginning of the qualification process.
Unless otherwise agreed between the Reference Manufacturing Shop Group and the workshop to be qualified, the
mechanical tests shall be selected from temperatures established in the material specification of the materials
(adhesive and prepregs) used, and in both conditions, dry as per EN2743 specification, and wet at 85% r.h. up to
equilibrium.
The requirements for each test are included in the IPS (or AIMS if the test is not included in the IPS) of the
materials (adhesive and prepregs) used.
5.1.3 Tests on generic or serial production parts
The workshop to be qualified shall demonstrate the ability to perform a structural bonding process, which meets
general engineering requirements. This is done either by manufacturing of a generic part or by a serial production
part. In both cases the qualification activity should follow the relevant AP. The selection of the materials for the part
to be tested will be stated in the Test Program.
5.1.3.1 Test Program and requirements
The Test Program for demonstration of the ability to perform a structural bonding process shall cover the following
aspects:
• Visual inspection (surface finish, etc.)

• NDI including ultrasonic inspection according to AITM6-0011.
• Specific dimensional inspection and thickness measurements (Bondline thickness and thickness of the
laminates)
• Destructive testing:
- Fibre volume content according to EN2564 specification.
- Microscopic examination of cross sections (sampling zones are defined by the Reference
Manufacturing Shop Group according to the part): laminate quality, fibre volume content (FVC),
porosity, fibre undulations, cracks, delaminating, disbonds, resin rich areas, etc.
• Cut-up of the part with cutting out of mechanical test specimens (the cut-up plane and the types of
mechanical tests are defined by the Reference Manufacturing Shop Group).
The test program shall supplied to the workshop to be qualified in the form of a Qualification Test Programme
(QTP).
The requirements for these tests shall be specified, case-by-case, by the Reference Manufacturing Shop Group
according to the assembly to be bonded.
5.1.4 Validity period and maintaining qualification

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Manufacturing processes, which have been qualified according to this AIPS, shall be applied in the way that they
fulfill the requirements of this AIPS. Process parameters, and critical process steps, which might affect the required
performances, or the in-service behaviour, shall not be changed. In general, no qualification validity limit is given.
Qualification will not be withdrawn unless there are reasons to call it into question.
Qualification can be called into question if any inadequacies are observed during:
• Continued supervision, for example:

- Poor results are obtained on finished product.
- Production facilities are modified.
- Process parameter changed (cure cycle)
- Definition requirements are modified.
- Prolonged stoppages (more than 2 years) occur in the use of the process.
• Periodic examination of the situation or process review, at least every 5 years.
In all cases, when qualification is called into question, total or partial re-qualification may be required.
Specific cases:
Qualification declared on condition that planned corrective actions are carried out must be subject to a scheduled
re-examination.
5.2 Compatibility qualification
To prove compatibility of the specific system consisting of the adhesive, adherend and surface treatment (peel ply),
such as peel ply removal or abrasive methods, the tests stated in table 4 is to be applied as a function of the
specific bonding processing type. Source document which lists compatible configurations is RP1027786.
Table 4: Selection of qualification tests dependant from the bonding process principle
Required inspections
Physico-chemical Mechanical
Bonding process
principle DMA SLSS
G1C,
(Differential Mechanical (Slotted Lap Shear Strength)
AITM1-0053 B-U
Analysis) AITM1-0019, Type S7A
(Type B, unsupported)
AITM1-0003 (unsupported)
Cocuring X
Co-bonding X X X
Secondary bonding X X
Table 5 and Table 6 describe the test-conditions of the required physico-chemical and the mechanical tests,
respectively.

AIPS06-02-006 Page 27
Issue 7
Table 5: Physico-chemical tests cocuring
No. of
Test Temp
Tests 1) Conditioning specimens Remarks
[ºC]
per batch
Adhesive: 2
DRY - Prepreg: 2
Adh./Prepreg Mix: 2
DMA AITM1-0003
Adhesive: 2
70ºC/85% RH
- Prepreg: 2
equilibrium
Adh./Prepreg Mix: 2
1) Only one batch of prepreg material.
Table 6: Mechanical tests for co-bonding and secondary bonding
No. of Requirements
Test Temp
Tests 1) Conditioning specimens Remarks AIMS10-01-006
[ºC]
per batch [MPa]
RT 6 20
Slotted Single Lap DRY AITM1-0019
90 6 20 2)
Shear Strength Type S7 A
[MPa] 70ºC/85% RH (unsupported)
90 6 15 2) No adhesion
equilibrium failure on
-55 6 pre-cured
DRY side
G1C RT 6
AITM1-0053-B-U 450
[J/m²]
70ºC/85% RH
RT 6
equilibrium
1) Only one batch of prepreg material.

2) Requirement at 80°C as per AIMS to be fulfilled at 90°C.
Acceptable failure modes are described in chapter 7.6.1.
6 First part qualification

Introducing new structural components or major changes into serial production using special manufacturing
processes (e.g. composite processes, welding processes) may require a decision from Responsible Engineering on
a First Part Qualification (FPQ), according to the relevant Airbus procedure. Main objective of an FPQ is to prove,
that the inner quality of a structural part / component meets the requirements defined in the Definition Dossier,
taking into account materials, key parameters of the manufacturing process and tooling.
The FPQ typically uses a combination of non-destructive inspection (NDI) and destructive methods (microscopic
examination, mechanical tests, physical/chemical analysis).
A FPQ can be required in the frame of developing and introducing a new structural part / component into serial
production or if major changes of the bonding process have been introduced which could have an effect on the
assembly quality.

AIPS06-02-006 Page 28
Issue 7
A FPQ can be used to confirm that the Inner Quality meets the requirements of responsible Engineering in case of
a new Manufacturing shop.
A FPQ can also serve as a feasibility part, as part of a process qualification (see Chapter 0) to verify the ability of a
manufacturing shop for manufacture monolithic composite parts.
The criteria for the inner quality and consistency of the bondline, e.g. homogeneity, consistency and uniformity plus
no significant agglomeration of porosity shall be demonstrated by means of FPQ, which shall be carried out on one
or a set of representative part(s) by the manufacturer on approval by Airbus Materials & Processes.
Furthermore bond-line thickness of secondary bonded joints is to be mapped within FPQ and checked against the
engineering requirement stated in chapter 4.
6.1 First article inspection
Quality assurance shall initiate planning and performance of a First Article Inspection (FAI) according to the
relevant Airbus Directive on the first part produced in serial production.
The FAI typically uses a combination of visual inspection, dimensional inspection, NDI methods and process
control methods to verify that bonding process as stated in the relevant Process Instructions has produced an
acceptable assembly as described in the definition dossier.
7 Series production inspection

During the structural bonding process of thermoset and thermoplastic composite parts, certain critical steps and
operations must be closely controlled and inspected:
• Surface preparation for structural bonding (refer to AIPS06-01-003 or AIPS06-01-002, as applicable).

• Time and conditions of exposure to or protection from the environment between curing/consolidation of the
adherend and the adhesive curing (pre-bond moisture uptake)
• Time between pre-treatment process and application of adhesive (refer to AIPS06-01-003 or AIPS06-01-
002, as applicable)
• Work life condition of adhesive and prepreg.
• Shop conditions during bonding operation.
• Preparation for cure and curing.
For all parts to be bonded, serial production inspection schedules shall be established and defined in the Process
Instructions, Quality Instructions, drawing set and/or associated documentation.
The inspections to be made, as well as the inspection criteria and the inspection levels, shall also be de-fined in the
Process Instructions, Quality Instructions, drawing set and/or associated documentation.
The shop shall perform the Series Production Inspections under serial conditions, as defined in the subchapters
listed below.
7.1 Visual Inspection
Visual inspection of bonded parts shall be performed for each part regarding:
• Good adhesive squeeze out at the component edges and any damage to the component surfaces
(scratches)
• Check of completeness if all components (doubler/stringer) are well bonded compared with the drawing.
Any defect shall be reworked (see chapter 8)

AIPS06-02-006 Page 29
Issue 7
7.2 Dimensional inspection
Dimensional requirements (geometry, radius, thickness, etc.) shall be compared with the drawing. Dimensional
tolerances shall be in accordance with the drawing or associated documents.
7.3 Non-destructive inspection
Non-destructive inspection (NDI) will be carried out according to AITM6-0011. Drawings, any associated
documentation and the Process Instructions shall indicate the classification of the part according to AITM6-0011, as
well as general requirements for non-destructive testing, conducted as indicated in the appropriate Airbus Test
Method (AITM) specification.
7.4 Tap testing
Bonding defects can be detected by tap testing according to AITM6-5003. The type and scope of such inspections
is specified in the inspection/test schedule and/or the component-specific process specifications.
7.5 Additional inspection operations
Other inspection operations (e.g. determination of the fibre volume, resin and void content as per EN2564,
mechanical tests, etc.) may be required by Quality Assurance in order to guarantee the quality of the assembly.
7.6 Process control of the bondline
Process parameters shall be controlled and recorded.
Process parameters of autoclaves, curing ovens, presses and related equipment in terms of temperature, pressure,
vacuum and time need to be recorded and controlled continuously with a minimum sampling frequency of 0,1 [1/10
min] for each parameter.
Quality assurance shall establish appropriate procedures to identify any deviations of process parameters from
requirements stated in the Process Instructions.
Quality Assurance shall inform the responsible MRB / Design Office in case of any deviation, except specific
approaches for deviations have already been agreed upon between Quality Assurance and the responsible MRB /
Design Office.
7.6.1 Process Control Specimens
Process control panel for the bonding process shall cover all critical process steps as indicated in chapter 7. It shall
be produced under the same conditions in parallel to the part it represents.
Process control specimens shall be performed according to the following categories, as stated in Airbus Manuals:
• Functional class 1 and 2 parts

Process control tests shall be conducted so that for each part, which comprises at least one bond
assembly, as defined in the part drawing, a set of tests (as defined below) representative for each
individual bond assembly has be clearly allocated within the production flow, Composite Engineering
Requirement (CER) document and/or associated documentation) on test specimens bonded in the same
autoclave load than the parts bond assembly they represent.
• Functional class 3 parts:
One set of process control specimens shall be performed for each cure load and bonded assembly
configuration. Specific tests to be performed for each part shall be indicated on the drawing, in the
associated documentation, Composite Engineering Requirement (CER) document or in the Process
Instructions. If the bonding process has proven to be reliable, repeatable and robust during serial
production, testing of control specimen may only be performed if there are doubts about the final quality of
the assembly. This is only applicable with specific approval of the responsible Design Authority and when
all key parameter have indicated acceptable results.

AIPS06-02-006 Page 30
Issue 7
Testing of process control specimen for structural bonding (co-bonding and secondary bonding) of thermoset and
thermoplastic matrices composite parts process shall be:
• Co-bonding process:
- Interlaminar fracture toughness energy, G1C, according to AITM1-0053 B-U (Specimen type B,
unsupported)
- This test is representative of the surface preparation prior to bonding. Each panel shall be
manufactured with the same material (thermoplastic or pre-cured thermosetting composite) as the part
it represents and featuring peel ply (only for pre-cured detail parts) on the surface to be bonded. The
surface preparation prior to bonding for these semi-panels shall be the same as that on the detail parts
their represent. Special attention shall be paid to identify bag and mould side to represent the part.
- Glass transition temperature (DMA) of the cured laminate during co-bonding process, according to
AITM1-0003.
• Secondary bonding process:
In addition to the G1C process control specimen (see co-bonding process), the adhesive cure shall be
monitored by used of additional control specimens. Acceptable measures are:
- Single lap shear strength test according to AITM1-0019 S11 A (Specimen type S11, unsupported).
- Degree of cure (DSC) of the adhesive used in the bondline according to AITM3-0008.
- Direct Cure Monitoring technique, if applicability and reliability have been demonstrated, qualified and
an approved Test Specification is available.
Applicable test requirements for bonding processes previously indicated are the following:
G1C testing:
Unless otherwise specified in the drawing or associated documents a general requirement of G1C ≥ 450 J/m²
(minimum individual value) and a non-adhesion failure mode shall be met by the bonding process (figure 6 and
figure 7)
In exceptional cases, G1C values lower than 450 J/m2 combined with an acceptable failure mode may be
acceptable provided these are higher than any of the relevant G1C AIMS requirement for the substrate materials
used in the bond assembly. A specific G1C requirement for exceptional cases shall be indicated in the relevant
drawing, associated documentation, CER/CMR.
Figure 6 is a schematic view on a typical co-bonded configuration with wet peel ply (AIMS12-01-002) as surface
treatment material for classification of locations of fracture by a numbering system.
Prepreg pre ‐ cured 0

Resin layer from wet peel ply pre ‐cured and 1
textile carrier fabric removed 2
Location of fracture
Film adhesive 3
Prepreg co ‐bonded 4
5
Figure 6: Locations of fracture in a co-bonded configuration with removal of wet peel ply (AIMS12-01-002)
as surface pre-treatment

AIPS06-02-006 Page 31
Issue 7
Figure 7 illustrates the schematic of a typical co-bonded configuration with a surface treatment resulting from dry
peel ply removal, sanding, grit blasting or another as per AIPS06-01-003 qualified surface treatment, which does
not add any material to the adherent surface.
Prepreg pre ‐ cured

0
Pre ‐treated surface 2
Film adhesive 3 Location of fracture
Prepreg co ‐bonded 4
5
Figure 7: Locations of fracture in a co-bonded configuration
Notation of failure modes:
No. Characteristic Quality

0: failure inside adherend (delamination) preferred
1: inter adherend-fibre / resin-layer failure acceptable
2: adhesion failure NOT acceptable
3: cohesive inside the adhesive failure preferred
4: “wet-wet”-interphase failure acceptable
5: failure inside adherend (delamination) preferred
Failure modes other than the adhesion type (2) are acceptable. Preferred failure modes are “adherend failure” (0,
5) and “cohesive inside the adhesve failure” (3)
Adhesion failure (as marked by the identifier “2” in figure 6 and figure 7) is an unacceptable failure mode for bonded
structures that requires an immediate action.
For the case of secondary bonding the schematics of figure 6 and figure 7 apply accordingly, but without the
classification identifiers “4” and “5”, as these do not exist in a secondary bonding.
• DMA testing:
As indicated in the relevant drawing, associated documentation, CER or IPS of the prepreg material used.
• SLS testing:
As indicated in the relevant drawing, associated documentation, CER or IPS of the adhesive used.
• DSC testing:
Degree of cure (DoC) of the adhesive used in the bondline shall be > 98%.
• Direct Cure Monitoring:
As indicated in the relevant drawing, associated documentation, CER/CMR or specific process instructions
of the part.
Unless otherwise stated in the documents associated with the drawings, CER/CMR or in the Process Instructions,
the mechanical tests shall be performed at room temperature without special conditioning.
8 Rework
Some on readily bonded structures applicable repair and rework procedures, if necessary, are described in
AIPS05-04-002 and AIPS03-08-003 specifications.

AIPS06-02-006 Page 32
Issue 7
9 Environment, health and safety

The manufacturing process shall be in line with Airbus Health and Safety and ecoefficiency policies.
Compliance with A1091 shall be ensured for all materials, substances and/or articles implemented during process.
In particular, targeted substances according to A1091 shall not be used, if a safer alternative is available.
Uses made of all substances involved in the process shall be documented in Safety Data Sheet as required by
REACh regulation (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals).

AIPS06-02-006 Page 33
Issue 7
RECORD OF REVISIONS
Clause
Issue Description of modification
modified
1 New standard.
03/06
2 All Complete revision in line with the general changes made in AIPS03-02-019
11/08 Issue3.
3 3.1 Process Control Specimens definition added

09/09
4.5 Process Control Specimens added
7 Chapter modified to include process control specimens
4 4.7 Key characteristics added

04/10
Chapter 4 Revision of Chapter 4.
7.6 Process control of the bondline update
5 5.2.1 Compatibility qualification test program added

03/11
6 Harmonized approach requirements added
4.5.1 Prefit added
6
All Complete revision
01/12
7 4.5.7.2 Extension to 180 days for Specific PBM

07/12
4.5.7.3
Figure 4
4.5.7.4
Figure 5
4.5.7.5
KC 10.1

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AIPS06-02-006

Structural Bonding of Thermoset and

Published and distributed by

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3 Definition, applicability and limitations

6 First part qualification

7 Series production inspection

9 Environment, health and safety

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This specification shall not be used as an inspection document.

The latest issue of the publication referenced shall be used.

A1091 Airbus Requirements for the Management of Hazardous Substances

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3 Definition, applicability and limitations

ABS Airbus Standard (here: semi-finished Product Standard)

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This specification is applicable to structural bonding processes by means of film adhesives.

This specification is not applicable to sandwich structures bonding (AIPS03-02-018).

All Engineering requirements have to be met and controlled in production.

4.1 Structural Materials

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Figure 1: Storage Life, Work Life and Tack Life

Figure 2: Normal Work Conditions for Cleanrooms

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4.2 Auxiliary materials

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General requirements for cleaning process are described in AIPS09-01-002.

4.4 Cleanrooms, equipment and tooling

In cleanroom areas, the following is strictly forbidden:

4.4.2 Autoclaves and ovens for curing

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4.4.3 Thermocouples and vacuum intakes

Tools shall be free of all types of contamination.

4.4.6 Non-destructive inspection equipment

They shall be suitable to perform the NDT inspection required.

4.5.1 Prefit (Secondary Bonding)

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4.5.2 Process parameters

4.5.3 Thawing of materials

4.5.4 Adhesives cutting

• Part or assembly number to which they are applied (P/N).

4.5.5 Tooling preparation

Tooling preparation shall be performed according to AIPS03-02-019.

4.5.6 Application of liquid release agents

Application of liquid release agents shall be performed according to AIPS03-02-019.

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4.5.7 Moisture management of thermoset composite adherends before bonding cycle

4.5.7.2 PBM requirements for a specific bonding configuration

Adhesive: FM300 at all grades as per IPS10-01-006-02.

Pre-treatment: Sanding as per AIPS06-01-003 and peel ply IPS12-01-002-04, IPS12-01-002-05.

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Figure 3: Temperature - relative humidity margins relevant for PBM restriction

4.5.7.3 Moisture barrier protection

Unprotected x days (to be Moisture barrier protection

Inner normal work conditions Within general or specific PBM

Figure 4: Pre-Bond Moisture protection overview

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• At least one per part and bag.

4.5.7.4 Re-drying of composite adherent parts to limit pre-bond moisture

The following standard procedures shall be applied, when validated by qualification:

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