JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #103 - March 2016 - 49

awards

Space

Interstage CFRP ring for new-generation
launchers using a 3D orthogonal weaved preform
This project consists in the design,
development, manufacturing and testing of a typical interstage CFRP ring
with a diameter of 4.3m for new-generation launchers. It uses 3D orthogonal weaved preforms, injected by
RTM with an epoxy resin system. The
use of composites results in a significant weight reduction of the new
advanced concept versus the current
aluminium design. What's more, this
solution presents a very accurate net
edge geometry.
The project started with the selection
of the 3D preform technology back
in 2013. A mechanical characterization was performed on coupons and

sub-components in order to generate the design allowables. After the
detailed study and development of an
optimized RTM mould tool, a first fullscale 90° ring segment was injected and
submitted to static load cases up to failure to validate the designed preform.
Then, four other 90° segments were
injected and used for the assembly of a
full-scale 4.3m ring demonstrator.
The main advantages are the following: mass reduction, high level
of integration, net edge composite
manufacturing and potential technical
improvements (impact resistance,
transverse electrical and thermal
conductivity, etc.)

Aeronautics

Innovative 3D net-shape layup process
for the manufacture of aircraft CFRP door frame structures
This project saw the light back in
2009 with public funding by BMWi
Airbus and Premium AEROTEC. The
two companies identified a remarkable weight saving and cost potential
in the structural design and material
substitution of cargo and passenger
door surround areas. Airbus took the
lead to design and size a composite
door surround. Premium AEROTEC,
within their role as a Tier-1 supplier
of aerostructures, provided manufacturing engineering competences and
drove all the manufacturing related
aspects of the development. An innovative 3D net-shape layup process was
thus developed in the framework of
the Luftfahrtforschungsprogramm-IV,
using newly developed application
and compaction techniques to manufacture aircraft CFRP door frame
structures. The process is a robotic
automated fibre placement process
using aerospace-grade prepregs, which
are applied accurately along the load

Winners: Sonaca S.A. (Belgium), Bally
Ribbon Mills (USA)

paths using non-conventional fibre
orientations on steered trajectories.
During the technology development,
the fibre orientations were directly
imported into FEM software packages
together with the mechanical testing
of the manufactured test specimens
and 1:1 scale frame components. The
CFRP frame replaces current titanium
aircraft frame structures. While the
main innovation is the complex CFRP
frame, each door surround unit comprises many more unit parts. In order
to harmonize mechanical and thermomechanical properties versus costs,
around 20 more parts were substituted. The result is a door surround that
is mainly made of CFRP parts, thus
offering many assembly advantages
such as easier and faster drilling/riveting and better handling. The composite door surround is a key technological achievement. Its attractiveness
(weight, cost, and performance) has

Winner: Premium AEROTEC
(Germany)
Partners: Airbus Operations GmbH
(Germany), Fraunhofer ICT-FIL
(Germany), Coriolis Composites GmbH
(Germany)

already led to the re-equipment of the
A350-900 starting as of 2018 - driven
by huge cost and weight improvements.

No103 March 2016 / jec

composites magazine 49

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #103 - March 2016