Department Component Design and Manufacturing Technologies

Department

Component Design and Manufacturing Technologies

The Component Design and Manufacturing Technologies department develops monolithic and hybrid lightweight structures and the corresponding manufacturing processes for aircraft, spacecraft and for road and rail vehicles.

For future generations of aircraft, for example, the engineers are developing new lightweight construction concepts for high-lift structures such as wings or tail units and for engine structures. These include the development of innovative designs for the laminarisation of tailplane components or the development of new high-performance compressors in collaboration with other DLR institutes.

These developments are based on thermoset and thermoplastic fibre composites and metals. Building on this, the department develops closed process chains - from design and quality assurance to production technologies that can be automated. This is done in cooperation with the Center for Lightweight Production Technology (ZLP) in Augsburg. The component is designed and the production technology is defined and developed in Stuttgart. Scaling and automation in the development of the production technology takes place in Augsburg.

Scientists at our Tapeplacement facility
Automated Fibre Placement for thermoplastic high-performance structures.
Image: 1/5, Credit:
CRISPmulti Manufacturing
Production steps of a CFRP rotor blade: organic sheet, formed blank, final blade contour after finishing
Image: 2/5, Credit:
Slat demonstrator
Slat of a commercial aircraft in thermoplastic CFRP construction
Image: 5/5, Credit:

More information

Design and Manufacturing Technology

In the field of design and manufacturing technologies, the journey from the first design idea through to the finished component is viewed as one whole system process. This research field has been using digital processes to develop optimal solutions for more than 30 years.

Research Field

Aero Engine Structures

Air travel still faces the following problem: How do we balance the need for cost-effective and efficient transport with growing demands for sustainability and environmental protection? An important part of the answer lies in the systematic further development of various propulsion concepts.

Contact

Sebastian Nowotny

German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Institute of Structures and Design
Component Design and Manufacturing Technologies
Pfaffenwaldring 38-40, 70569 Stuttgart