Spirit AeroSystems says that it has made use of resin transfer molding (RTM) technology from its research and development portfolio to introduce new work at the company's UK facility. The technology will be used in high-volume production of spoilers and other monolithic components. Spirit plans to put together a manufacturing platform with automation and robotics to meet the rate demands, which are currently at over 600 spoilers per month. The RTM design uses a fabrication process that is custom designed to meet the increasingly complex geometries required for advanced composite structures. The process greatly increases design certainty and structural integrity throughout the completed component, Spirit says. This could present an alternative solution to the current composite sandwich structure. Spirit and Airbus have been collaborating on the research and development of the new technology since 2014.
We are pleased to utilize this innovative technology to not only bring improved quality and savings to our customer but also to secure new work for our UK facility,’ said Scott McLarty, vice president and general manager of Spirit's UK and Malaysia facilities. The RTM solution offers non-crimp fabric skins and stiffeners while maintaining existing product interfaces. It allows for greater process control, reduced cycle time and lower energy consumption, according to the company.
This story is reprinted from material from Spirit, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
