Project description
Eco-friendly composite aircraft structural parts
The EU-funded ECO-CLIP project plans to demonstrate the technical, environmental and economic feasibility of manufacturing aircraft structural parts, specifically frame clips and system brackets, using recycled composites derived from factory waste. The project’s overall approach involves developing a short-fibre recycled composite based on CF/LMPAEK, the manufacturing process of clips and brackets and the welding technology for successfully joining them in a fuselage without using fasteners. The whole product development process and manufacturing technology will be validated by life-cycle assessment and cost studies.
Objective
ECO-CLIP project aims to demonstrate the technical, environmental and economic feasibility of manufacturing structural parts of aircrafts, specifically frame clips and system brackets, using recycled CF/LMPAEK obtained from factory waste.
The overall approach of ECO-CLIP is to develop a short fibre recycled composite based on CF/LMPAEK, the manufacturing process for fabricating structural parts of aircraft (clips and brackets) and the welding technology for a success joining in a fuselage demonstrator avoiding fasteners. The whole product development process and manufacture technology will be validated by LCA/LCC studies. As final result, the new manufacturing processing route will be demonstrated as cost-effective and environmentally favorable by LCA and LCC studies. This can be understood in different stages:
• Designing of recycling route to re-use material from factory waste
• Material development: exploring different mixtures of %wt recycled %wt virgin CF/LMPAEK to accomplish the structural and mechanical requirements.
• Design of manufacturing processes fulfilling the use case scenarios (clips and brackets)
• Selected the joining technology for a MFFD
• Assessment of developed technology through a study of ecological and economical impact
The innovation results from ECO-CLIP project will comprise: development of a new composite material based on short fibre recycled CF/LMPAEK, optimised for injection moulding and 3D-printing, and methodology to redesign structural parts to be installed on a MFFD. These solutions will enable to validate the assessment of the technology, and the viability of the environmental and economical impact.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
IA - Innovation actionCoordinator
36410 Porrino
Spain