Advanced technology successfully transfers established moulding process to boost the aerospace industry
The MIM process is widely used in sectors that demand very high requirements in terms of cost and quality. This method is not well established in aerospace, especially for actuators in flight control systems. The EU-funded ACCOMIM (Actuator components made by alternative metal injection moulding) project aimed at implementing MIM technology in the aeronautics sector in order to identify new application sectors for the technology and advanced manufacturing processes for the industry. Work began by analysing the state of the art in materials that can be used as feedstock for MIM. The ACCOMIM team selected potential materials to verify material strength values for the application and substitution of traditional metallic bar materials used in aircraft applications. Project partners analysed the feasibility of substituting flight control parts with those made from the MIM process. They evaluated the costs and manufacturing of new MIM parts and compared them to standard parts manufacturing such as milling and turning processes. To validate MIM technology for aerospace industry use, researchers chose several parts and manufactured MIM prototypes to demonstrate their quality for future aircraft applications. They assessed the strength and quality of the prototypes and test samples using quality control and visual, dimensional, metallographic, corrosion and non-destructive testing. Design criteria, materials standards, final controls and control data sheets for each reference number were adapted to the characteristics of this new technology in order to produce actuator components for the aircraft industry. By developing a new production technology for the actuator components of flight control systems, ACCOMIM successfully demonstrated that actuators can be manufactured using less cost-intensive and more sustainable MIM methods. The capabilities of MIM technology in aeronautics are well worth pursuing further.
Keywords
Aerospace, metal injection moulding, flight control systems, ACCOMIM, actuator components