WICHITA, Kan., Dec. 14, 2017 /CNW/ -- Spirit AeroSystems
[NYSE: SPR] announced today its Advanced Technology Centre in
Prestwick, Scotland, has developed
an improved method for manufacturing composite parts.
In collaboration with the University of
Strathclyde and the Scottish Innovation Centre for Sensor
and Imaging Systems (CENSIS), Spirit developed an intelligent
heated tool for curing composite components. The new technology can
cure composite parts 40 percent faster at half the cost and
supports a wide range of composite components across industries,
from wind turbine blades to the next generation of composite
aircraft.
"Instead of curing components at a standard temperature for
hours at a time, we can now tailor the cycle time to match
individual part geometries," Stevie
Brown, lead engineer at Spirit's Advanced Technology Centre
in Prestwick, explained. "The autoclave has been a bottleneck in
manufacturing lines, and removing it will reduce cycle times for
components, cut production costs and decrease energy
consumption."
Typically, high-performance composite materials are layered on a
specially formed surface, or tool, and then placed in an autoclave,
where a combination of heat and pressure accelerate the hardening
of the material. Spirit's new technology introduces an intelligent,
multi-zone heated tool, removing the need for an autoclave. The
tool enables complete control of the curing process through
real-time monitoring and feedback.
CENSIS supported the collaboration with funding and provided
project management expertise. The University
of Strathclyde provided technical support and developed the
control algorithm and software for the intelligent tool.
The collaboration will continue through 2018, and Spirit has
already begun applying the technology in research and manufacturing
projects.
On the web: www.spiritaero.com
On Twitter: @SpiritAero
About Spirit AeroSystems
Spirit AeroSystems designs and builds aerostructures for both
commercial and defense customers. With headquarters in Wichita, Kansas, Spirit operates sites in the
U.S., U.K., France and
Malaysia. The company's core
products include fuselages, pylons, nacelles and wing components
for the world's premier aircraft. Spirit AeroSystems focuses on
affordable, innovative composite and aluminum manufacturing
solutions to support customers around the globe. More information
is available at www.spiritaero.com.
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SOURCE Spirit AeroSystems