According to the project participants, this demonstrates how the use of thermoplastic composites can help realize a next-gen fleet of aircraft capable of offering the same strength and durability as aluminum, while drastically reducing the fuselage recurring cost, as well as the overall weight of aircraft and the subsequent emissions. The fuselage lower half, a 8 m by 4 m composite structure, is one of the largest known thermoplastic assemblies in the world and consists of more than 400 thermoplastic fiber-reinforced parts, as well as thousands of spot welds and hundreds of meters of continuous welds. The fuselage lower half will be joined at Fraunhofer IFAM in Stade with the upper half made by German Aerospace Center (DLR) Institute of Structures and Design in Augsburg.
The MFFD project aims to demonstrate high rate production (HRP) of a minimum of 60 aircraft per month (up to 100 aircraft), reduce the total fuselage weight by 1 ton (10%), and reduce the total fuselage recurring cost by €1 million (20%). contributed to these objectives by showcasing novel thermoplastic manufacturing and joining technologies, as well as modular manufacturing techniques and automation.
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