Digital tools are essential to the production chain. The aim of this project is to develop a digital production platform for flexible composite manufacturing, which will make the aviation industry more sustainable.
In aviation, the pace of development is continuing to increase due to electrification and alternative fuels. The costs for these solutions need to be radically reduced, as does the development time. The only way this can be achieved is through far-reaching automation which requires a very high level of system flexibility on account of the diversity in the production process. The goal of this project is to develop a digital production platform for flexible composite production for sustainable aviation, consisting of a software platform with a range of robot-based production systems. It must be possible for the automation systems developed to be supplied to customers in various configurations and also for third-party equipment to be integrated.
The ultimate goal is to become the global market leader with a digital production platform that will be supplied worldwide. This will make composite products more affordable, improve the reliability and flexibility of production, drastically reduce the time to market of new series and reduce the impact on the environment. The environmental benefits are two-fold: the new applications will consume less energy on account of their lighter weight on the one hand and the amount of waste produced will be greatly reduced on the other hand.
The project consists of the following work packages:
The primary focus is thermoset composite production for aircraft construction components. Two production lines will be developed, one for dry fabric and RTM and one for pre-preg. Both production lines will cover the whole process of production in a high mix: from raw material to the complete finished product.
Find more information at www.nxtgenhightech.nl/composieten.
The next generation of aircraft will need to reduce their CO₂ emissions in many areas. In this project, we are focusing on improving the leading edge of aircraft wings.
We are developing a new technology to bond different types of composites together. This hybrid technology bonds thermoplastic composites with thermosets. The aim is to make aircraft and other large structures lighter and more sustainable.
SAM XL is advancing new technologies for continuous ultrasonic welding and – together with partners – thermoforming of thermoplastic composites so they can be applied in industrial manufacturing of large, lightweight aircraft structures.
SAM XL develops smart robotic solutions for welding ship panels together. This is currently mainly done manually.
SAM XL is developing future production technology using smart robots. These robots can be deployed flexibly: they adapt their operations quickly, without the need for additional programming. This makes variable production straightforward.
The digital knowledge of employees in the manufacturing industry is often limited. This project will focus on speeding up the development, broadening and deepening of that digital knowledge.
Carrying out maintenance quickly and efficiently is essential in the aviation industry. We develop smart software and robotics solutions for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of existing aircraft components.
Robots need to learn to localize themselves and what is happening in their surroundings. This will enable them to operate more accurately and work together. SAM XL is developing a manufacturing testbed for post-production quality inspection, in combination with mobile manipulators.