DIMPESA

Project description

The project aims to investigate three areas that will contribute to the global reduction of industry consumption, both in the production stage and in the subsequent operation phase of aircraft:

Out-of-autoclave manufacturing processes: Reduction of energy consumption during manufacturing. Integrated structures:

Co-consolidation: Reduction of weight in aerostructures and, therefore, lower consumption.
Welding technologies: Greater integration, resulting in lower aerostructure weights, which translates into lower consumption.
New assembly techniques: Improved airflow over the surface, favoring lower consumption.

The materials on which the project will focus are thermoplastics, dry fiber, non-crimp fabric, and functional materials.

Regarding manufacturing processes, out-of-autoclave (OOA) processes such as LRI (Liquid Resin Infusion) and TP-ISC (Thermoplastic in-situ consolidation) will be evaluated.

Finally, regarding improvements related to assembly, the design and assembly process will be evaluated to make it as precise and automatable as possible, also reducing the necessary tooling.

For the research on these technologies, Airbus has partners in the consortium with THENEXTPANGEA (TNP) and Titania, Ensayos y Proyectos Industriales, and the collaboration of the Technology Centers FIDAMC (Fundación para la Investigación, Desarrollo y Aplicación de Materiales Compuestos), AIRMEN (Asociación de Investigación Metalúrgica del Noroeste), AIMPLAS (Instituto Tecnológico del Plástico), IDEKO, AITIIP, and the Universities of Cádiz, Oviedo, and the Polytechnic University of Madrid.