Airbus aids aerostructures laboratory
An
University of Bath product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
May 19, 2003
The University of Bath has built a new aerostructures laboratory containing a 1.5m-diameter by 3m-length autoclave which will make carbon fibre composite components.
As part of a major refurbishment within the Department of Mechanical Engineering totalling over GBP 4 million, the University of Bath has built a new aerostructures laboratory containing a 1.5m-diameter by 3m-length autoclave which will make carbon fibre composite components.
Composites are made up of long fibres of carbon which are held together in a resin.
The material is formed into shapes when the resin is soft before being put into special bags that are placed in the autoclave where the resin is hardened by applying a combination of heat and pressure over several hours.
The material is light, strong and stiff, and therefore attractive for use in aircraft manufacture.
75% of the funding for the autoclave was obtained from the government's Scientific Research Initiative Fund with the remaining 25% was donated by Bristol based wing designer and manufacturer, Airbus UK.
"It is anticipated that the new facility will be used in conjunction with Airbus UK-sponsored work on composites, whilst at the same time contributing to the development of academic infrastructure in the South West region for composites technology", said Paul Chivers, Vice President, Head of Structures Test Airbus and Head of Research and Technology Airbus UK.
"Our aim within the university is that the autoclave will be used as extensively as possible to further our understanding of these high performance materials", says Dr Richard Butler, Senior Lecturer in the University of Bath's Department of Mechanical Engineering.
"We already have a variety of research projects that are investigating the strength of composite structures, and the ability to manufacture our own components for testing will greatly enhance this work".
This is not the first time that the university and Airbus UK have joined forces; collaboration in research has extended for more than 10 years, and a team of Airbus UK engineers has helped to supervise undergraduate aerospace design projects over a similar period.
Airbus is increasingly using composite materials on its family of commercial aircraft.
On A380 for example around 20% of the aircraft will be composite, including some elements of the wing's leading edge and wing ribs.
In recent years, the company has been further developing its competencies in the manufacture of composite materials at its site in Filton, near Bristol.
This is in preparation for Filton's role in designing and assembling the composite metallic hybrid wings for the A400M military transporter.
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