Aerospace composites

Citation

(2005), "Aerospace composites", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 77 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2005.12777eaf.009

Aerospace composites

Aerospace composites

Keywords: Aircraft, Composite materials

GKN Aerospace reports that it is driving ahead in extending the use of composites in aerospace. Pioneering work underway on the A380, the A400M and a new Advanced Composites Centre (ACC) opens this year.

The aerospace sector has seen a huge growth in the use of composite structures on aircraft. Only 8 years ago, in 1997, the Airbus A340 was launched with 13 per cent of its structure manufactured from composite materials. Today, aircraft such as the Boeing 787 are expected to be manufactured using approximately 50 per cent composites.

GKN Aerospace a leading independent supplier of composite structures to the aerospace market and is a driving force in this growth, supplying military transport and fighter aircraft as well as many commercial airliners.

Working with Airbus on contracts for composite assemblies for the wings of the pioneering A380, GKN Aerospace successfully developed, and is applying, an entirely new composite manufacturing system called Resin Film Infusion (RFI). The company is now extending the application of this new process into the manufacture of aero-engine nacelles and components, such as, Inlets and Fan Cowl Doors. RFI involves the laying up of dry multi-axial fabric interleaved with resin film, which is then cured using either an oven or heated tools. This process has many advantages over more traditional methods. It reduces manufacturing cycle times and component weight, offers improved product quality and consistency, eliminates the limitations to part size caused by the need to cook the part in an autoclave, and brings dramatic manufacturing cost savings.

Following this success on the A380, in 2004 GKN Aerospace received a contract from Airbus that is a further important step forward in the application of composites on aircraft. This contract will represent the first ever application of carbon composites for a primary structure on a large transport aircraft wing. GKN Aerospace will supply composite spars for the wings of the Airbus A400M military transport aircraft. To fulfil this contract, the company will take full advantage of recent developments in knowledge-based engineering (KBE) including the application of CATIA V5 in the design process. In addition, the manufacturing process will progress to a far greater level of automation than has ever previously been realised. In automating the tape laying, the company will speed this time consuming process to 10 times the rate currently being achieved whilst improving the consistency and quality of the finished product.

As part of the company's strategic drive to maintain this technological lead in aerospace composites, this year, GKN Aerospace is to open its ACC at its facility on the Isle of Wight, UK.

It is believed that the ACC will be one of the most advanced research and production facilities of its type in the world today. It will incorporate a new manufacturing operation, where the A400M spars will be produced, alongside an advanced research centre, which will focus on evolving methods to further the automation of the composite manufacturing process.

Phil Grainger, group technical director, GKN Aerospace states: “We believe we can significantly reduce the recurring costs inherent in the process today and, with our world leading capabilities already developed, make composites more broadly applicable across airframe and engine structures”.

Details available from: GKN Aerospace. Tel: +44 (0)1983 283649.