Business
Composites collaboration demonstrates low-cost manufacturing technology
PARIS AIR SHOW - LE BOURGET, France, June 15 /CNW/ - Bristol Aerospace, a division of Magellan Ae...
About this update from Magellan Aerospace Corporation
[{"type":"text","content":"\n\n\n\nPARIS AIR SHOW - LE BOURGET, France, June 15 /CNW/ - Bristol Aerospace, a\ndivision of Magellan Aerospace, in collaboration with Boeing Research &\nTechnology and the Composites Innovation Centre in Winnipeg, MB, completed a\nresearch program to investigate out-of-autoclave processing for potential use\nin composite aircraft components. These composites can be cured in an oven\nunder a vacuum bag with no additional external pressure applied. Next\ngeneration out-of-autoclave composites that offer performance comparable to\ntraditional materials are now being developed by suppliers. The goal of the\nproject was to demonstrate that an out-of-autoclave process could be used to\nfabricate components that would satisfy the strict requirements for aerospace\ngrade parts.\n\n\nHigh performance composite structures for aircrafts are typically\nmanufactured using an autoclave, to cure components under the application of\nheat and pressure. This approach involves significant production costs from\nexpenses required to purchase, operate, and maintain the necessary equipment\nand tooling. Out-of-autoclave processing is gaining increased interest in the\naerospace industry as a potential opportunity for cost savings.\n\n\nThe study focused on potential applications for one commercially\navailable material. Manufacturing trials were conducted at Bristol's Winnipeg\nplant in its state-of-the-art Composites Manufacturing Centre. All three\npartners were involved in inspection to assess the quality of the final test\narticles. "Our first attempt to produce a generic part using an\nout-of-autoclave manufacturing process proved to be a great success," said\nShawna Boyko, Project Manager and Composites Engineering Technical Specialist\nat Bristol. "Inspection and coupon testing of the demonstration article showed\ngood compaction and virtually no voids, exceeding typical quality requirements\nby a fair margin."\n\n\nBased on positive results from the current program, Bristol intends to\ncontinue exploring alternative manufacturing methods for composite structures.\nVice President and General Manager Don Boitson stated "Innovative\nmanufacturing technologies such as out-of-autoclave processing presents an\nopportunity for us to reduce production costs while maintaining a high level\nof quality, increasing the val...