Abstract: Out of autoclave (OOA) processable composite materials have been
used for the manufacture of prototype and limited production structures since
the early 1990’s, however the material technology and associated processing
knowledge have advanced considerably in the last decade. First generation
OOA materials achieved a cost saving at the expense of performance and therefore
weight, making their use for production structures non viable. The latest
generation of OOA materials addresses the performance deficiencies of the
earlier systems and now permits serious consideration of this class of materials
for production structures. Obvious advantages of OOA processing include the
removal of size constraints and the potential to produce large integrated
structure assemblies in fewer operations. The optimization of these materials
for automated processes such as advanced fiber placement is also believed
to be a key element of technology development which is now taking place. The
status of current OOA technology is reviewed and future development steps
are postulated. The target performance requirements differ between applications
and markets as has always been the case with conventional autoclave curing
materials and predictions are made of how OOA product ranges will be developed
to similarly meet differing needs.