The Project

Required abilities and planned activities

The ADVITAC project addresses a set of undividable solutions led by functions and systems integration which is expecting to bring a significant enhancement in cost and weight for composite structures. The topics addressed by these solutions are mainly the AAT.2008.4.1.2, AAT.2008.4.1.5 and AAT.2008.4.2.2. The following solutions will be evaluated during the project and may be considered as the main required abilities and planned activities:

• Create an innovative dry fibre placement solution

  based on the use of a light weight automotive robot and innovative head. Innovative solutions will be developed in order to enhance the active time of the fibre placement system, such as replacement of the head, in an efficient way. The robot will be able to produce dry reinforcement that will later be infused by resin with a high reliability and repeatability. The fibre placement system will allow design optimization and weight saving thanks to software that will allow interaction between design and manufacture.

• Enhance processes

  in order to manufacture a composite structure with no fasteners thanks to Through Thickness Reinforcement (TTR), which will be integrated in the dry reinforcement made with automated dry fibre placement system. A trade off will show the best concept for TTR, Z tufting capabilities will be enhanced using automated tufting. An extensive exchange with regulation authorities will be managed in order to deliver the first stages of TTR certification.

• Find the best architecture

  to meet electrical continuity, lightning strike, EMI shielding requirements. This will involve to the study of the interaction between nano composite structure and metallic strips and lead mesh and to an Innovative hybrid solution. In order to achieve optimal enhancement in the properties of the CNTs/polymer composites, several key issues will be addressed:
  • Improved dispersion of CNTs
  • Alignment of CNTs in the polymer resin
  • Functionalizations of CNTs surface for good adhesion.

• Characterize nano composite thermal behaviour

  in comparison with standard thermal solutions and attempt to create a hybrid solution that uses smartly the properties of the ceramic layer, the insulation layer and the nano composites in order to produce solutions to fire and thermal requirements.

• Implement a full integrated and automated process

  in order to infuse the dry reinforcement integrating a maximum of frames, stringers and components into the skin. The innovation of the infusion process will be the management of the interaction with other technologies found in the project such as dry fiber placement reinforcement, nano composites, through thickness reinforcement and SHM and cure monitoring. The following issues will be addressed:
  • permeability of dry fibre placement reinforcement
  • robot and head requirementss
  • infusion with resin incorporating nano particles …

• Address solutions regarding to acoustic issuess

  linked with APU integration in a composite structure (aero-acoustic, vibro-acoustic). Enhance simulation tool capabilities for composite dynamic simulation (deterministic methods for handling stochastic excitations, enrich the structural modelling features).