在热塑性复合材料原型的开发中，可制造性设计（DFM）经常被忽视。人们更多地关注的是实现设计原则，而不是确保设计能够提供高批量生产效率。然而，热塑性复合材料运动护膝的设计主要目标是快速循环加工。这是通过比较候选材料、层压结构、快速循环加工方法和设施的充分利用（即设备、劳动力、工厂布局）来实现的。热塑性复合材料夹层结构因其固有的特殊结构特性而被选为基准结构。 选择热成型作为快速循环加工方法。研究了多种候选材料和层压结构，并基于热成型技术进行了优化设计

DESIGNING FOR MANUFACTURABILITY (DFM) HAS OFTEN BEEN OVERLOOKED AS A GOAL IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITE PROTOTYPES. MORE CONCERN HAS BEEN PLACED ON ACHIEVING A DESIGN PRINCIPLE THAN ON ASSURING THAT A DESIGN CAN OFFER HIGH-VOLUME MANUFACTURING EFFICIENCIES. THE DESIGN OF THE THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITE ATHLETIC KNEE BRACE, HOWEVER, HAD A MAIN GOAL OF RAPID-CYCLE PROCESSING. THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED BY COMPARING MATERIAL CANDIDATES, LAMINATE STRUCTURES, RAPID-CYCLE PROCESSING METHODOLOGIES AND THE FULL UTILIZATION OF FACILITIES (I.E., EQUIPMENT, LABOR, PLANT LAYOUT). THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITE SANDWICH STRUCTURES WERE CHOSEN AS A BASELINE STRUCTURE DUE TO THEIR INHERENT SPECIFIC STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES. THERMOFORMING WAS CHOSEN AS THE RAPID-CYCLE PROCESSING METHOD. A NUMBER OF CANDIDATE MATERIALS AND LAMINATE STRUCTURES WERE INVESTIGATED AND AN OPTIMAL DESIGN BASED ON THERMOFORMING D