Portugal will research and develop new materials for AIRBUS
It is called “Projeto GAVIÃO” and is part of the Research and Development of Technologies for the Production of Large-Scale Aircraft Components, developed by the Portuguese ISQ Group.
In this scope ISQ will contribute with its skills and know-how to the study of new composite materials and their manufacturing processes, with benefits in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions for the aeronautical sector. The focus of the study will be the cylindrical section of the fuselage of a regional transport aircraft.
This challenge follows the success of the work developed over four years in another project called PASSARO, which contributed to the development of multifunctional and intelligent aerostructures and the automation of production processes and technologies associated with aeronautical maintenance in an i4.0 approach.
“We are proud to be once again side by side with AIRBUS Defence and Space, with whom we have established a five-year Research, Development and Innovation program aimed at developing new manufacturing processes of composite and metallic materials as a response to the challenges of the aeronautical sector, and in which the GAVIÃO project is the first phase of this ambitious program”, highlights Pedro Matias, President of the ISQ Group.
ISQ will conduct the environmental sustainability analysis of composite materials and their manufacturing processes, which may result in the introduction of new materials and more efficient production processes in the market, making this type of material more competitive, with clear advantages for aeronautical material manufacturers.
“With the introduction of these new structures, air transport will benefit in terms of aircraft weight reduction and, consequently, savings in terms of fuel consumption, moving towards compliance with the targets imposed by the EU on pollutant emissions.
It is estimated that a fuselage section, composed mostly of composite materials, is 20% lighter than the current market situation and can represent a 30% reduction in energy costs of manufacturing”, concludes Pedro Matias.
Through the use of new materials and new composite manufacturing techniques, it is intended to obtain an improvement of the whole process in the order of 10%.
In order to validate the developments mentioned above, ISQ will carry out tests on both materials and fuselage structures at full scale, involving mechanical characterization and electromagnetic compatibility (i.e. analysis of the structure’s shielding to external magnetic radiation), high speed impacts, non-destructive testing, virtual testing (simulation) and structural and thermodynamic testing.
With a duration of 30 months, the Gavião project will be developed by ISQ in partnership with OPTIMAL Structural Solutions, INEGI and Stratosphere.