Grant: Industrial Research Chairs

In order to remain competitive, there is a need for the Canadian aerospace industry to reduce its manufacturing costs, whilst adding durability and energy efficiency to its products. In this regard the industry has in recent years placed particular emphasis on carbon fiber composites. These materials whilst satisfying all structural considerations resulting in enhanced durability and reduced weight have traditionally however not competed well in terms of manufacturing costs. Recently new automated manufacturing processes such as Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) have shown significant promise in composite manufacturing cost reduction and much research has been carried out resulting in extensive application to recent major platforms such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Though AFP processing of thermoset matrix materials has provided significant manufacturing cost reduction, there remain further gains to be achieved should the processing be extended to thermoplastic matrix materials. Here it is possible to consolidate material directly on to the tool face with no requirement for autoclave post processing and this combined with other specialist thermoplastic processing such as thermo-stamping and thermo-forming promises significant further cost reductions.The overall objective of this Industrial Research Chair (IRC) is therefore to develop novel scientific and technical know-how relating to the ACM of primary aerospace structures with a special focus on thermoplastic matrix materials. The automation is based on robotic systems conducive with the emerging cyber physical system developments in the aircraft industry and "Factory of the Future" composite primary structure manufacture. Graduate students employed in this program will be provided with an exceptional level of experience at the facilities of both Concordia and Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Ltd., so that they may enter the workforce with the skills required to exploit the developed technologies and derived tools to strengthen the position of the Canadian aerospace industry in the global market place.