Credit: DLR (CC-BY 3.0).
The Center for Lightweight Production Technology in Augsburg (ZLP-AU) together with Premium Aerotec and Aernnova will deliver the eight metre long upper half shell for the next-generation fuselage demonstrator made of carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastics.
The full-scale multifunctional fuselage demonstrator (MFFD) is one of the major flagship demonstrators within the greater European Clean Sky 2 Large Passenger Aircraft (LPA) project.
“[T]he Large Passenger Aircraft goal is both the high-TRL demonstration of the best technologies and the development of disruptive technologies for '2035+' applications to accomplish the combined key ACARE goals with respect to the environment, fulfilling future market needs and improving the competitiveness of Europe’s aeronautical industries.” https://www.cleansky.eu/large-passenger-aircraft
In this context, DLR ZLP is concerned with the development of cutting-edge in-situ advanced fibre placement (AFP) with a novel flashlamp heating system, as well as the maturation of the welding technologies – especially continuous ultrasonic welding and resistance welding – for dust-free final assembly.
DLR is developing the technologies today to enable tomorrow's zero-emission flight.