B178: Mechanical Performance And Weight Optimisation Of Woven E-Glass/Epoxy Composites For Lightweight UAV Structural Applications

MUHAMMAD HAZIM BIN MAHLIL Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Perlis

The increasing use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in logistics, precision agriculture, environmental monitoring, and infrastructure inspection has created a need for lightweight structural materials with suitable mechanical and impact properties. In composite structures, increasing the number of reinforcement plies can improve mechanical performance but also increases laminate thickness and mass, creating a trade-off between structural performance and weight. This study evaluates the mechanical properties and weight efficiency of epoxy-reinforced woven E-glass fibre composites with two to five plies (G2, G3, G4, and G5). The composites are fabricated using a vacuum infusion process and characterised through tensile testing according to ASTM D3039, Izod impact testing according to ASTM D256, and density measurement according to ASTM D792. The effects of the number of glass-fibre plies on tensile strength, impact resistance, density, and the relationship between mechanical performance and material weight are investigated. Vacuum-assisted resin infusion and resin degassing are employed during fabrication to improve resin impregnation and minimise the occurrence of voids and dry regions within the laminates. The results are expected to identify a suitable ply configuration that provides a balance between mechanical performance and density for potential application in lightweight UAV body covers and protective enclosures. The findings may also provide useful information for the design and manufacture of glass-fibre/epoxy composite components where structural performance and weight are important considerations.