High Rate Manufacturing of Large-Scale Composite Structures (HICOMS-S)

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Current manufacturing methods for aerospace parts involve labour intensive techniques, large volumes of consumables and multiple process steps generating long production times. To meet future demand of 80 aircraft per month, the aerospace industry needs to disrupt current production and technological limitations by building more sustainable, large-scale aerospace assemblies at appropriate rates with reduced part counts whilst maintaining the quality levels and accuracies required for components within the aerospace sector.Spillover to other sectors (defence, renewables, automotive) has been identified as part of the business plan. Situated within an open access facility, the equipment requested in HICOMS-S will contribute to the United Nations overarching sustainability goals to reduce carbon emissions, waste and energy use whilst supporting and enabling the UK to lead in the development of future Near Net Shape (NNS) aircraft production. It will push the boundaries of existing R&D, utilising innovative Rapid Tow Shearing (RTS) processes, the world's first automated manufacturing process able to place carbon fibre tapes along curved paths without generating defects. HICOMS-S will enable innovative research using RTS, developing components for aerospace, defence, renewables, transportation and UAM sectors.High Rate Manufacturing of Large-Scale Composite Structures (HICOMS-S) will draw on innovative technologies developed by the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC). It is one of three interlinked projects that make up the Composites at Scale and Speed (COMPASS) portfolio. The other two projects are:* High Rate Manufacturing Automation of Large-Scale Composites (HICOMS-A)* The COMPASS Building: a building to house HICOMS-S and HICOMS-AThe Isothermic High-Rate Sustainable Structures (IHSS) project is also dependent on the COMPASS portfolio. This is the first planned R&D project for the facility - currently at ATI full stage submission in batch 39 (10065311).Combined with the other two projects, HICOMS-S provides the UK with a unique facility that will support industry to derisk the development and manufacture of high-rate, large-scale composite structures (10m x 3.5m). It will address current manufacturing challenges and improve the production of parts at a greater scale and rate.