There is no doubt that the cost of production of the "new generation" of transport aircraft it should be possible for the lowest, so that the aircraft is operating at a price to sell the airline makes a profit. To develop advanced design concepts to achieve the goal of reducing production costs.
current design practice for aluminum structures based on the use of semi-finished and is based mainly four categories are purchased in the following categories:
-Forged 6%
- Extruded 13%
- Thin sheets of 17%
- Sheets of thickness 64%
Clear that the use of thick plates has a significant proportion of the total aluminum products needed. However, large quantities of raw materials in most applications via the existing treaties, in order to buy a high value on the fly.
convenient design of aluminum components would tend to reduce the use of aluminum plates of thickness and increase the use of profiles and forgingsor to enter into entirely new manufacturing technologies in order to keep the buy-to-fly ratio as low as possible. Extensive research and technology programmes were initiated some years ago, throughout the Airbus system, to acquire and validate the necessary advances in the most promising manufacturing techniques, such as
- aluminium castings
- integrally extruded wing and fuselage panels
- welded structures.
Just to mention some predominant examples:
Casting is the most consistent form "process of near-net. The potential for savings is significant investment casting for aluminum alloys. Because of the good surface quality, virtually no post-processing is required.
The success story is a big Airbus A320 door that has now led to a study of industrial applications for the A340-600 Airbus passenger door.
Extruded sheets for the structures of the fuselage with integrated stringers or, alternatively, on the cross paid compare very positively withriveting process now in terms of weight and cost reduction. On riveted structures, there is a significant additional volume of material and thickness of the skin Stringer also compensate for the rivet holes.
Currently, the Airbus partners have traditionally been the manufacture of fuselage structures, investment in large machinery C02 laser beam welding for the production of solid sheets, about 4 m wide and 10 m long. First test-panels will be to optimize the process and madeto rise to statistical data. high speed welding speed of 15m/min and a high degree of automation allowing a reduction in production costs by 20% compared to the riveting process automatically.
Extruded aluminum plates.
For wing structures technology for heavy and long extruded panels is investigated. This principle has long been used by the Russian aerospace industry, developed primarily for large transport aircraft from Antonov.
The large wings An 124Structure, for example, is constructed of extruded sheet 44, up to 28m long. In fact, the process still required a certain extent, but studies show a double profit, which may be made from riveted reduced buy-to-fly-values and the highest structural efficiency compared to traditional structures.
Airbus wing design offers excellent aerodynamics. But to achieve this goal requires the use of complex double-curved wing, especially towards the end of rootwhere the thickness is greater. This is a production challenge, whether fixed in terms of our current skin with sticks or fully stiffened panels. A process called Adaptive Creep Forming (ACF) is an industrial partner of Airbus' in a consortium with several research institutes for a fast drive to form an accurate contour control of adaptive software offers tools developed. The ACF method also supports our automated wing box assembly. ThisSystem, currently in the demonstration phase, an assembly jig at least without providing the tools with high efficiency detection of machine vision and laser-scanning position. This manufacturing process provides the maximum utilization of the factories. It offers the flexibility and production rates increased to any developments or new products, the geometric within the machine capacity, in principle, with the introduction of software changes alone.
Welding of fuselage structures with thin laser beamTechnology for the welding of thick wings stir friction welding technology is under study with very promising results.
Friction Stir Welding is a non-fusion-based solid phase welding processes in research in association with the TWI. It is a continuous process of hot cutting. A non-consumable rotating tool into a harder material, the piece is passed along a joint between two sheets tightly butted.
The friction heat produces a soft region aroundpin welding submerged behind the formation of a solid phase bond strengthens.
This process leads to a lower heat-affected zone than the traditional welding. This keeps a high proportion of basic material properties of high strength heat treatment of aluminum alloys.
It 'also good for joints long, high-speed chase, with machines similar to those for milling. It offers the possibility of low cost, high integrity of the wing assembly completeStructures.
These few examples of innovation in the design and production of cells to provide any information about how to improve the overall efficiency of the Airbus aircraft.
Expanded metal and composite materials with new production technologies are the means to the economic challenge of meeting the expectations of the airlines for an improvement of 15% to 20% of current operating costs face large transport aircraft.
We must not deny, however, that considerable effortnecessary, innovative techniques and industrial needs, in a world where progress is more a process of self-generation.
With limited opportunities in the current climate, British companies such as Marshall Aerospace maintained by some long-term contracts. MA started the structural design and construction of aircraft engine nacelles for the new advanced light jet, HondaJet.
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