Tue, 17 August, 2021
An open article has been published in The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, detailing the innovative solutions that are being developed as part of the collaborative project, TCTool .
The original article, titled, ‘Development of innovative automated solutions for the assembly of multifunctional thermoplastic composite fuselage,’ shows how innovative tooling and end-effector systems were developed for the assembly of a multifunctional aircraft fuselage.
As the demand for cleaner aircraft grows, there is an increased need for novel new materials and technologies.
Advanced thermoplastic composites offer an excellent material option as they can be readily joined, are of a low density and have a low overall production cost, while also offering improved fracture toughness, recyclability and light-weighting.
However, to fully realise the potential of these materials, new manufacturing techniques and approaches are required.
This is where the TCTool consortium, which includes representatives from TWI along with aerospace experts and Innovation Centres, have been working to eliminate or reduce fixed tooling costs, which can amount to over one-third of non-recurring costs in aircraft assembly.
You can see the paper in full, here.
TCTool received funding from the Clean Sky Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 865131