JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #63 - March 2011 - 57

thermoplastic seatbacks per year. The key benefits are weight savings (critical for the future development of aircraft parts), compliance with FST requirements, increased mechanical

Equipment

performance, low cost due to the quick throughput and repeatability of the manufacturing process provided by the braided perform, non-toxic manufacturing process and longer

Winner: Advanced Composites Group Ltd. (UK) Partners: Integran Technologies Inc. (Canada)
Automation

Carbovar technology for composite mould tools

nickel/iron alloy coating that has a low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) matching the CTE of the composite mould tool.

The innovation combines the hardness, durability and damage tolerance of the metallic coating with the lightweight, low thermal mass and low cost of a carbon fibre composite mould tool to deliver a durable and cost effective solution. The Nanovate surface is an ultra-hard, nanocrystalline

The Nanovate surface increases the longevity of the mould, becoming comparable to that of a conventional metallic mould tool. Composite tooling saves the energy required for the heat-up and cooldown phases, and the energy required to lift, rotate and manoeuvre them within the working environment and during the lay-up process (faster material deposition rates). The successful development of this metal/composite hybrid mould technology

Winner: Brötje-Automation GmbH (Germany) Partners: Faserinstitut Bremen e.V.(Germany), Composite Technology Center Stade GmbH .(Germany) and Airbus Operations GmbH (Germany)

A fully-automatic machine to produce curved preforms in aircraft structures

material lifespan. Thermoplastic materials are also recyclable, which is not the case with thermosets.

is the result of a 5-year joint collaborative research and development programme between the Advanced Composites Group Ltd. (ACG) and Integran Technologies Inc. (Integran). The technology was recently commercially launched during a number of top-level visits to major European and US aerospace composite companies. At an average cost of £250,000 per tool for the Dreamliner, this gives a market potential value of £250 million over a 4-year period. Converting just 10% of these “safe” metallic mould tools to Nanovarsurfaced composite mould tools could equate to a potential saving of over £5 million.

CFRP profiles for aircrafts are currently produced manually, resulting in high costs and time consumption. This new process is the first real continuous process for curved profiles used in aircraft applications; curvatures of radii range from 1,500 mm to endless (i.e. straight profiles). It is possible to produce changing curvatures, as well as complex lay-ups with different fibre orientations in 45°, 0° and 90° layers in one profile (in profile web and flanges). The process has been validated under mass production conditions for complex cross sections like the LCF integral frame, which

No63 March 2011 / jec composites magazine are 40% lighter and 50% cheaper than differential frame-clip-skin connections. This frame requires 80% fewer rivets than a traditional construction. The innovation was developed under the Lokost R&D project, partially funded by the German aeronautics programme (LuFo). Airbus and their partners are currently working to apply this technology to the CFRP fuselage of future aircraft like the A350-1000 or A30X. Other possible applications can be found in the automotive sector. Initial discussions with OEM car manufacturers have started.

Special JEC Show 2011

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #63 - March 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #63 - March 2011