Skip to main content
EnglishEN
European Commission logo print header

Adaptive Control of Manufacturing Processes for a New Generation of Jet Engine Components

Objective

ACCENT addresses the relevance to the call 7.1: “Aeronautics and Air Transport” by “Improving Cost efficiency” and quality of safety critical aircraft engine components. The manufacture of safety critical rotating components in modern aero engines is by nature very conservative. In order to achieve the required engine performance, thermal and mechanical stresses are pushed to the maximum, which in turn leaves the choice of materials to exotic super alloys. These materials are classed as difficult to machine under normal circumstances, but when added to the changes in mechanical properties which occur naturally from part to part, consequently variable and often unpredictable tool life, and the ever present possibility of random and unexpected process anomalies, machining processes can never be fully optimised. Stringent legislative controls are placed on safety critical component manufacture to ensure that parts entering service will function correctly and safely to a declared service life, and in declaring the service life for such a part, the machinability issues stated above have to be taken into consideration. Hence manufacturing process parameters are often reduced or tools are changed early to ensure part surface integrity. The industry method adopted, is to “freeze” to process following process qualification to first article inspection, and successful part validation via laboratory examination and testing. Once frozen, no changes to process parameters are permitted without time consuming and costly re-validation. ACCENT will allow the European Aero Engine manufacturers to improve their competitiveness by applying adaptive control techniques to the manufacture of their components. Being able to adapt the machining process to the constantly changing tool and component conditions whilst operating in a multi-dimensional “approved process window”, processes will be optimised to the prevailing conditions and no longer “frozen”.

Fields of science

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Call for proposal

FP7-AAT-2007-RTD-1
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

CP-FP - Small or medium-scale focused research project

Coordinator

ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
EU contribution
€ 412 100,00
Address
KINGS PLACE 90 YORK WAY
N1 9FX London
United Kingdom

See on map
Region
London Inner London — West Camden and City of London
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Administrative Contact
David Bone (Mr.)
Links
Total cost
No data

Participants (13)

Share this page

Download

Last update: 30 May 2017

My Booklet

Permalink: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/213855

European Union, 2024