JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #92 - October/November 2014 - 44

design

Composite aerostructure development in
high-performance enterprises
The use of composites in the aerospace industry is dramatically rising. To achieve high performance in aerostructures
development, companies must embed specialized composite design methods into their development processes.
This is necessary to ensure that as designs progress they
are continuously verified and design teams are aware of
how closely the design meets customer requirements.

By
John W. O'Connor
Director, Product and
Market Strategy - Aerospace
Siemens PLM Software

he past decade has seen a
dramatic increase in the use of
composite materials in aerostructures. Composites technologies,
which were generally used only for
secondary structures a decade ago,
now represent a significant percentage of primary structures in commercial aircraft.
Today, global trends in the aerospace
industry are driving the increased
use of composites. For instance, fuel
costs currently make up a significant
and volatile fraction of the operational cost of commercial airlines. To
control this cost, commercial airlines
demand a more fuel-efficient aircraft.
Lightweight composite materials are
an obvious choice to decrease weight
and thereby improve fuel efficiency.
Maintenance costs are another area
where airlines are seeking an advantage. Managing corrosion in an air-

craft can be challenging and requires
costly inspection to ensure there is no
degradation in the structure. Composites offer an advantage because
they have superior corrosion resistance relative to metallic structures.
This can extend maintenance cycles
and help to lower the overall operational cost of an aircraft.
Trends like these have accelerated the
demand for composite structures in
commercial aircraft. Similar trends
are driving the use of composite materials in other markets such as business jets, helicopters and unmanned
aerial vehicles. Overall, the increased
use of composites has positively
transformed the marketplace, but
added an additional level of complexity in the airframe supply chain.
As airframers and their supply chains
continue to learn how to use composite materials in more critical applications, their potential is increasingly
being realized. The characteristics
of high stiffness to weight ratio, high

44 jec composites magazine / No92 October - November 2014

strength to weight ratio, and fatigue
resistance are resulting in superior
aircraft.
Despite these impressive achievements, the use of composite materials in the aerostructures industry is
still in its infancy. The initial goals
of producing reliable aerostructures have been met. The challenges
that now face the industry focus on
achieving increased weight savings,
faster production rates, and higher
levels of quality within the budgetary
constraints set by customers. Further
progress in meeting these challenges
will come from a combination of
improvements in organizational performance and technological advancements.

Composite development in
high performance enterprises
Developing aerostructures in a highperforming enterprise means that a
focus on quality permeates the entire
process and isn't just a step at the
end. The addition of more compos-

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #92 - October/November 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #92 - October/November 2014