Project description
The joint project HERA, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy within the framework of the Aviation Research Program LuFo VII-1, aims at the development and validation of CFRP technologies for innovative, high-rate capable and sustainable fuselage backstructure parts (frames, door surround structures, small components) for future aircraft generations. The industrial research focuses on the specialist discipline of manufacturing processes for CFRP structures as well as the development of optimized architectural concepts in fiber composite construction in order to achieve maximum weight savings for the entire fuselage. By the end of the project period, the technological feasibility is to be demonstrated through the production of validators and the process chains are to be evaluated with regard to high-rate capability, cost efficiency and sustainability.
Click here to learn more of the joint project HERA, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy within the framework of the Aviation Research Program LuFo VII-1
Challenge
Revolutionising Lightweight CFRP Aerostructures
One of the enablers to achieve the ambitious climate goals of the aviation industry, is for future aircraft generations to be built to be lighter and manufactured in an even more sustainable way. Existing manufacturing processes for fiber composite structures can be optimized in terms of speed, costs, and energy-consumption for targeted production rates of over 70 aircraft per month. Conventional fiber composite construction methods do not currently fully exploit the lightweight potential of CFRP structures. There is a lack of integrated, industrialized process chains for complex fuselage backstructure parts that meet both weight targets and the requirements for automated high-rate production.
Solution
High-rate single curved backstructures parts in CFRP architecture
The joint work is divided into four main work packages: Requirements & Evaluation, High-Cadence Small Components, Sustainable Large Components, and Validation & Application. Airbus Operations GmbH is the consortium leader of this project. All consortium partners from industry and research are developing key technologies such as automated lay-up processes, innovative preforming technologies and efficient consolidation processes. Within the framework of the project, tooling concepts for resilient high-rate production are being developed, processes are being tested on validators and the results are being validated through structural tests and non-destructive testing.
Content from the XELIS GmbH
The overarching objective of the project is to develop and validate innovative, high-rate, and sustainable manufacturing technologies for rear fuselage structures of future aircraft generations. These technologies are intended to make a significant contribution to weight reduction, lower energy consumption, and improved environmental sustainability in the aerospace sector.
Within this project, XELIS focuses on the design, development, and manufacturing of singly curved composite structures. In contrast to conventional discontinuous manufacturing processes, XELIS employs a continuous production approach. This technology offers significant improvements in manufacturing productivity for carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) profiles while enabling highly efficient, automated production.
The feasibility of this approach will be demonstrated through two different component applications using different raw materials. First, the project will demonstrate that the X-CCM® technology is capable of manufacturing curved CFRP components with a precisely defined radius while maintaining high dimensional accuracy and process stability.
In addition, the project will demonstrate, using stringer preforms as an example, that XELIS’ extensive expertise in processing thermoplastic composites can be successfully transferred to thermoset composite materials. For this purpose, XELIS will manufacture uncured thermoset omega preforms, which will be pressed and cured into the final structural component by another project partner.
These newly developed and further optimized manufacturing technologies are expected to make a substantial contribution to the realization of highly efficient, high-performance, and sustainable aircraft structures for future aerospace applications.
Beyond the scope of the project, XELIS aims to rapidly industrialize these technologies and implement them in series production, thereby supporting the competitiveness and sustainability of future aircraft manufacturing.
