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On Oct. 29, Airborne (The Hague, the Netherlands) and the (FIDAMC, Madrid, Spain), a prominent research institution in composite materials, announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a partnership for joint R&D activities. This partnership aims to innovate and enhance manufacturing processes for composite materials, particularly for future aircraft programs in commercial and defense sectors.

The collaboration will address the industry challenge of automating the production of small- to medium-sized composite parts, an area currently lacking suitable automation technologies for high-rate production. Joint efforts will focus on developing and implementing scalable, efficient and cost-effective automation solutions to increase productivity and reduce material waste in composites manufacturing.

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Key areas of collaboration include:

Automated ply placement (APP). APP is a novel manufacturing method for high-rate production of composite parts, either in prepreg, thermoplastic or dry fiber. It creates tailored blanks or parts by efficiently cutting the material into the required ply shapes, picking and placing them into the laminate at high accuracy.

The collaboration topics involve testing and modeling material properties; developing strategies for managing tackiness; forming laminates into 3D structures; assessing debulking and consolidation needs; and developing demonstrators showcasing APP capabilities.

The partnership will also explore optimized cutting strategies; new gripper technologies; integrate sensor technologies; and explore multi-material laminate concepts and novel laminate strategies.

Additionally, teams will assess innovative materials such as multilayer noncrimp fabrics (NCF), recycled fibers, nonwoven materials, and metallic laminates, and evaluate the role of consumables in process optimization.

Kit by light (KBL). KBL is an augmented reality (AR) solution for improving the productivity of ply cutting and kitting processes, and at the same time reduce material waste. It supports the operator during ply offloading and kitting operations, and uses distinctive and patented software to create sequenced kits in one step. It also provides the capability for automated nesting on the shopfloor by the operators directly.

Efforts will focus on demonstrating system functionality; gathering feedback for algorithm refinement; improving ergonomic aspects; and integrating KBL into digital factory ecosystems for enhanced efficiency and traceability.

A joint development roadmap will be established and regularly updated in coordination with aircraft manufacturers and composites production companies to align with industry needs. Both parties will also engage in joint marketing efforts to showcase the developed technologies. FIDAMC will have the ability to use the equipment and technologies with other partners, including production companies, aircraft manufacturers and material companies, for further testing and development of automation solutions.

Under the terms of the MOU, Airborne will provide expertise in automation and digitalization of composites manufacturing processes and share relevant technologies, including APP and KBL. FIDAMC will contribute research capabilities and facilities for material and technology development and testing, facilitate collaboration with universities and research centers, and disseminate research findings. FIDAMC will also lead efforts in training, material and process research, pre-qualification of materials and manufacturing techniques, and developing demonstrators to validate new composite applications, using its capabilities in molding, press equipment, structural testing, nondestructive inspection (NDI) and digital connectivity.