About CMH-17
The Composite Materials Handbook-17 (CMH-17) provides information and guidance necessary
to safely and efficiently design and fabricate end items using advanced materials.
Its primary purpose is the standardization of engineering data development methodologies
related to testing, data reduction, and data reporting of property data for current
and emerging advanced materials. In support of this objective, the handbook includes
material properties that meet specific data requirements. CMH-17 provides an overview
of the field of advanced materials technology and engineering, an area which is advancing
and changing rapidly. As a result, the handbook is continually changing as sections
and volumes are added or modified to reflect advances in the field.
Mission: To create, publish and maintain proven, reliable engineering information and standards subjected to thorough technical review to support the development and use of advanced materials and structures.
Vision: To be the authoritative worldwide focal point for technical information on advanced materials and structures.
- Engage with experts from the field on a regular basis to discuss critical technical issues for advanced material structural applications, with an emphasis on increasing overall product safety.
- Provide comprehensive, practical engineering guidance that has proven reliable for the design, fabrication, characterization, test and maintenance of advanced materials.
- Be a comprehensive source of material property basis values and design information that can be shared within the industry through providing reliable data linked to control of processes and raw materials.
- Provide a resource for advanced materials education with examples, applications and references to support engineering work.
- Establish guidelines for use of information, identifying the limitations of the data and methods.
- Provide guidelines with references to proven standards and engineering practices.
- Provide periodic updates to maintain the all-inclusive nature of the information.
- Provide information in formats best suited for user needs.
- Employ collective knowledge and lessons learned to serve the needs of the international advanced materials community in all industries represented by members.
CMH-17 is a volunteer organization consisting of participants from industry, government, and academia. Activity is organized into coordination groups that focus on each of the major material technologies: Polymer Matrix Composites, Ceramic Matrix Composites, and Metal Matrix Composites. An organization chart for one of the coordination groups is shown below. The Executive Team and Handbook Chairman oversee coordination and activity for all groups.
Coordination Groups & Working Groups
- Data review working group
- Design and anaylsis working group
- Guidelines working group
- Materials and processes working group
- Statistics working group
- Testing working group
- Data review working group
- Design and anaylsis working group
- Engine applications working group
- Materials and processes working group
- Testing working group
- Bonding processes task group
- Certification task group
- Composites for spacecraft working group
- Core task group
- Crashworthiness working group
- Damage tolerance task group
- Data review working group
- Design task group
- Disbond and delamination task group
- Engine applications working group
- Guidelines working group
- Guidelines vol 3 ch 10 task group
- Materials & process working group
- P-17 task group
- Safety management working group
- Sandwich working group
- Statistics working group
- Supportability working group
- Testing working group
Definitions
Leaders of the entire Handbook activity, including all of the individual Coordination Groups. Traditionally, the Chairmen have come from the sponsoring government agencies (FAA, and DoD), and thus have a special and unique interest in the development of the handbook.
Establishes overall Handbook goals, direction, and operating procedures. The EG establishes long-term Handbook plans, and is concerned with user needs and the long-term viability of the activity.
Approves new additions to the handbook, and can elect to remove existing material from the handbook. Currently, there are three Coordination Groups. The groups cover the distinct material technologies of Polymer Matrix Composites (PMC), Metal Matrix Composites (MMC), and Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMC). The Coordination Group determines the interaction between the Working Groups, resolves issues of overlapping responsibility.
Form the core of the technical work and section writing for the handbook activity. The Working Groups have a charter to cover a specific technical area of the handbook. It is expected that these technical areas will continue to evolve for the duration of the handbook activity.
Are created by a Working Group. These groups are given a specific technical topic to investigate, and report back to the WG. Generally, Task Groups are expected to produce new material for the handbook, which will then go through the normal approval procedure as WG sections.
Provides professional support for the Handbook. Provides publication services to ensure that the book is organized, edited, printed and distributed as a high-quality product. Organizes meetings of all the Coordination Groups and including meeting services such as site selection, invitation, on-site support, and distribution of proceedings. Responsible for maintaining material databases, providing technical review of the data, and statistical data analysis.
Role of the Secretariat
- The Secretariat performs funded activity directed by the FAA. Functions include:
- Expedite work of coordination group
- Prepare and publish CMH-17 Handbook
- Perform statistical data reduction and assist with data review
- Plan, coordinate and provide onsite support for meetings
- Maintain a participant database
- Generate proceedings and maintain archives
- Maintain software
- Promote CMH-17
- Maintain website
- Perform additional special projects as assigned by Chairman
The Secretariat is a contracted organization. The current secretariat is Wichita State University through the National Institute for Aviation Research.