Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

This project addresses design, development and manufacture of a challenging aircraft geometry, the knife edged 3D closeout structure. This geometry has difficult to fabricate key features with technology gaps, and has been selected for its high technical and economic benefit potential. The research partners will collaborate to resolve its key technology gaps, generate knowledge and create innovative solutions.The project will define baseline metrics using Boeing 737MAX 'similar to' products and will focus on improvements to cost, weight and manufacturing cycle time. An aggregate improvement of 25-50% is targeted. The knowledge generated, and experience gained during the design, tooling and manufacturing optimization processes will provide for competitive advantages. These advantages will manifest themselves as cost reductions, quality improvements and enable fabrication cycle time reductions though application of lean design and lean manufacturing.The overall research project involves six industrial partners, one research consortium, two research organizations and two academic institutions. The grant applied for here is to support the activities of one of the academic partners: The Composites Research Network (CRN) at The University of British Columbia. CRN's role in the overall project is to lead development of simulation methods and best practices, assessment and documentation of design and manufacturing best practices developed during the project. CRN will also identify technical gaps in existing scientific knowledge and document the findings in the Knowledge in Practice Centre hosted by CRN. This project will further the knowledge, experience and capability of advanced composite design, development and manufacturing in Canadian industry. Outcomes will be industrial competitive advantages, best practices documents and Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP).