Within current composite part development and manufacturing processes, a disproportionally high effort is absorbed by finding optimal process parameters and meeting required qualities and tolerances of high performance light weight structures.
In order to reduce the efforts in these processes, the European ECOMISE project is working on a breakthrough production system to enable next generation thermoset composite manufacturing and post-processing. Airborne Technology Centre is one of the partners of the 3 year European ECOMISE project which started in September 2013. Other partners in this project include the NLR, the DLR, Dassault and Bombardier.
Within the new ECOMISE approach, high precision process techniques for advanced dry fibre placement (AFP), infiltration (RTI/ RTM) and curing will be developed in order to maximize process efficiency at reduced costs. The focus is on lowering production time by increasing reproducibility while reducing material consumption, energy use, waste and the amount of rework.
The resulting economic benefits of the ECOMISE approach will be evaluated and demonstrated by pilot implementations for industrial use-cases, considering particularities for volume part (automotive), large part (aeronautic) and thick complex part (marine) productions.
The Airborne Technology Centre (ATC) is responsible for the marine use-case and will focus on improving and automating the making of thick preforms and on monitoring and adjusting the injection and cure of thick walled composites. The AMBV propeller (foto) engineered by Airborne Marine will be used as a basis for the design but the goal is to use the acquired knowledge in all Airborne’s RTM projects.
This project is in line with Airborne Marine’s focus on industrialising the (VA)RTM process for the (thick) the cost effective manufacturing of composite tidal blades. . The 1-shot closed mould (VA)RTM-technology in combination with automated preform technology offers an answer to this challenge. In addition, it offers the possibility to construct tidal blades without adhesive bonding which is immensely beneficial to the reliability of the composite blades. The results of the ECOMISE development project can thus be incorporated directly into Airborne’s market applications which is a great example how Airborne is combining developments in Airborne Technology Centre with business opportunities for our Business Units.