Lost Mandrel-Based In-Situ Skirts for Composite Rocket Motor Casing

Skirts are integral parts of an aerospace vehicle's solid rocket motor case body. Pre-fabricated composite skirts are found to pose certain disadvantages in the realization of large-sized composite rocket motor casings (CRMCs). A unique methodology involving the lost mandrel technique is conceptualized and implemented in manufacturing of in-situ composite skirts for CRMCs. Pre-fabricated composite sleeves are used as interim mandrels that act as lost mandrels during the processing of the skirts in the overall casing manufacturing.