Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAMProject 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 (https://luftfahrtforschungsprogramm.de/)), 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.
Challenge
Revolutionizing 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.
Contributions from the Fraunhofer Institutes
Within the joint project »HERA«, the participating institutes Fraunhofer IGCV, Fraunhofer ICT and Fraunhofer IFAM focus on development of resource-efficient and high-rate thermoplastic-based preforming, forming, and consolidation processes as enabler of eco-efficient and sustainable production solutions for CFRP lightweight structures. Fraunhofer ICT and Fraunhofer IGCV are investigating various technology bricks for automated production of small and large fuselage back-up structure components, such as automated fiber placement, automated tape laying, stamp forming, and thermoplastic short fiber injection for functionalization. Research on plasma-polymer release coating on molds for release-agent-free forming and demolding of thermoplastic CFRP components is performed by Fraunhofer IFAM. The developed technologies will be validated by production of selected test samples in collaboration with the project partners.
