CHAPTER 12

TYPES OF REPAIRS
Repairs may fall into one of four types:

1. Bolted on metal or cured composite patches

2. Bonded on metal or cured composite patches

3. Resin injection

4. Laminating on new repair plies

REPAIR FAILURES
All repairs should be performed correctly based on the type of damage and the function of the part on the
aircraft. Some of the most common reasons for a repair to fail are:

1. Poor surface preparation.

2. Contamination of fabric or other materials.
3. Incorrect measuring and mixing of the resin system.
4. Incorrect cure time, incorrect temperature, or inappropraite temperature rise and
drop.
5. Inadequate pressure.
MECHANICALLY-FASTENED REPAIRS WITH PRE-CURED
PATCHES

When the proper facilities or curing and bagging equipment are not available for on-

line work, a pre-cured patch inserted with blind fasteners may be used. This type of

repair usually does not give the maximum strength, because its not a flush repair, it

may cause vibration when performed on critical parts.

COMPOSITE SKIN REPAIR AT RIB LOCATIONS
This repair uses and aluminum double fastened with blind rivets to a composite skin for
reinforcement over a damage rib area.

1. Remove surface finish

2. Remove as much of the damaged skin as possible, without causing further
damage to the skin or rib.
3. Clean area with solvent.
4. Fill in removed skin areas with a potting compound.
5. Use an aluminum doubler extending two inches past the edges of the damage.
Form the aluminum doubler to conform to the shape of the part.
6. Drill rivets holes in aluminum sheet and countersink on one side. Rivet holes
should be spaced evenly at approximately one-inch spacing and close to the rib.
7. Abrade the surface of aluminum with a scothbrite pad for bonding to the
composite.
8. Prepare adhesive and apply to composite skin and aluminum doubler.
9. Position doubler over damaged area and insert fastener.
10. Clean up excess adhesive that squeezes out around doubler.
11. Cure adhesive following manufacturer's instructions.
12. Finish per manufacturer's instructions.

POTTED REPAIR
Potted repairs do not give as much strength to the composite structure as refitting the hole
with a new core.
For this repair:
1. Clean the damaged area.
2. Sand out the delaminated area.
3. Fill the core area with a resin/microballoon mixture.
4. Prepare patches.
5. Apply pressure and cure.
6. Refinish.
DAMAGE TO ONE FACE AND CORE (POTTED REPAIR)
New advanced composited are commonly used for structural applications. For
example, if a plug repair should pop out of a control surface, it could cause
aerodynamic flutter and a subsequent loss of control. Consequently, to prevent a
catastrophic failure, it is critical that any structurally repaired part be performed
correctly.

One of the primary differences between composite repair and the fiberglass
repair is in the way the repair plug is retained in the routed hole in the core.

DELAMINATIONS
Delamination occur when the laminate layers become separated or when the plies
separate from the core material.
DELAMINATION INJECTION REPAIR
1. Clean both surface of the part.

2. Drill a .060 inch diameter hole from one surface down to the delamination at
each end of the delamination. Be careful not to drill through the part.

3. Clean the part again with acetone or MEK.

4. Select and mix resin curing agent as required.

5. Load the mixed resin into a clean syringe with a needle attached. Inject the resin
into one drilled hole untill resin comes out the other drilled hole.

6. Apply pressure and cure.

7. After the cure, remove clamps and vacuum bagging materials, then sand and
refinish.
DELAMINATION AT HONEYCOMB CORE EDGEBAND
This simple repair does not need vacuum bagging, and rarely is cured with heat.

1. Clean surface with solvent.

2. Outline void area and mark injection hole location.

3. Using a 0.060 inch diameter drill, slowly drill into disbonded area. Do not drill
through the part.

4. Use syringe to inject mixed resin into one hole, allowing us air to escape through
the other.

5. Clean excess resin from the surface of the part

6. Cure according to manufacturer's intruction

MISLOCATED POTTING COMPOUND WITHIN A HONEYCOMB
STRUCTURE

1. Locate the correct location of the fastener that requires the additional potting
compound.

2. Drill a 1/8 inch hole at the correction through one skin only.

3. Insert a small Allen wrench through the hole and rotate 360 degree to break the
honeycomb cell walls to a one-inch radius arount the drilled holes.

4. Vacuum out debris.

5. Using a sealant gun, or syringe, force the potting compound through the drilled
hole.

6. Cure in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

7. Re-drill the hole and install the fitting in accordance with the manufacturers's
requirements.
DAMAGE TO LAMINATE STRUCTURES
Solid laminates are structures that do not have a core. They require different
repairs depending on how badly they are damaged, where the damage is, and how
thick the laminate is,
COSMETIC DEFECT
1. Clean area with MEK or acetone.

2. Sand painted area around damage and feather the edges.

3. Scuff sand damage, then clean with solvent.

4. Mix resin with filler or approved surfacing putty.

5. Fill damaged area with resin-filler mixture. It may be applied with a squeegee,
brush, or fairing tool.

6. Cure repair.

7. Sand and refinish.

DAMAGE REMOVAL AND PLY REPLACEMENT

The replacement plies are cured with heat and pressure to restore the
original composite strength. The new impregnated and pre-cut patches are laid into
the sanded-out area with the weave of the new patches in the same orientation as
those of the original part.

An overlap patch usually is one inch larger than the last repair ply. It is used
as a bridge between the repair and the original part.
 DAMAGE TO ONE SURFACE
Fiber damage to one side of the surface that does not completely penetrate the part may be
repaired as follows:

1. Prepare the surface by cleaning and removing paint.

2. Remove damage by scarfing or step-cutting the plies.

3. Select and mix the proper resin and repair material.

4. Prepare the bonding patches.

5. Vacuum bag or apply pressure and cure.

6. Remove vacuum bag materials, bend edges, refinish

GLIDER STEP CUT REPAIR

Glider repair as opposed to the more traditional step cut repairs is to prevent
the surface plies of the repair from delaminating and peeling off the surface of the
skin in case of high impact. Too often the repair patch does not conform to the
shape of the step cut area. This creates an air gap arount the edges of the patch. If
such an air gap occurs, the repair should not considered airworthy.
FIBER DAMAGE THROUGH THE PART
Damage that affects all of the laminate layers of a structure can be addressed in several
ways depending on:
1. The number of plies in the part.
2. The location of the damage.
3. The size of the damage.

To perform this repair:

1. Prepare the surface.
2. Remove all damage by scarfing or step cutting the plies.
3. Select and mix the proper resin and repair material.
4. Prepare the bonding patches.
5. Use a backing plate, if desired, to suppport the structure from the backside.
6. Vacuum bag or apply pressure and cure.
7. Remove vacuum bagging materials, blend edges, and refinish.
EDGE REPAIR
1. This type of removed using the specified scarf or stepcut.

2. New plies are inserted along with and overlaping the patch on both the top and
bottom of the part.

3. The repair plies are left longer than the edge of the existing structure .

4. Once the part has been cured, the edge can be trimmed to the correct length
and shape.
DAMAGE TO ONE FACE AND THE CORE

1. Remove core of honeycomb by routing.

2. Remove damage of laminate by scarfing or step cutting the plies.

3. Clear are by vacuuming and wiping the solvent.

4. Cut honeycomb plug to size, keeping the ribbons direction the same as the
original.
REPAIRS TO BOTH FACE SHEESTS AND HONEYCOMB CORE

1. Rout out core.

2. Scarf both sides of face sheets.

3. Cut core to size, keeping ribbon direction the same as original.

4. Prepare patches in one side.

5. Vacuum bag each side of the repair while curing only one side.

6. Apply the patches on the other side and vacuum bag this side and cure.
REPAIRS TO STRUCTURAL RIBS

The most common problems associated with such repairs concern the

failures of the fix due to severe flexing ans stress. The repairs made to a structural

rib sometimes considered temporary until the entire rib can be removed and

replaced.
CRUSH DAMAGE

If the edge of the rib is crushed, and the manufacturer's does not want

technician cutting into structural materials, the Structural Repair Manuals may state

that the foam and repair plies should be applied without removing the damage.
 REPAIRS TO MISLOCATED, OVERSIZED, OR DELAMINATED
DRILLED HOLES

1. Lightly sand the outer area approximately one-half inch around hole.

2. Blend chopped fiber with mix resin, and fill the hole.

3. Prepare patches

4. Apply pressure and cure.

5. Re-drill holes to correct size or location.

PROPELLER REPAIR

Damage to the tip of the blade may have larger areas that can be prepaired,

rather than the root where it is very structural. If the damage is to root area, you

may only be allowed to repair a small area of damage.