NSERC/Bell Helicopter Textron Industrial Research Chair in Automated Composites Manufacturing

为了保持竞争力，加拿大航空航天业需要减少制造业， 成本，同时增加其产品的耐用性和能源效率。在这方面，该行业在最近 多年来，特别重视碳纤维复合材料。这些材料在满足所有结构要求的同时， 然而，导致增强的耐久性和减少的重量的考虑传统上没有竞争 在制造成本方面。最近，新的自动化制造工艺，如自动化 纤维铺放（AFP）在降低复合材料制造成本方面显示出显着的前景， 研究已广泛应用于波音等最近的主要平台 787梦幻客机。尽管热固性基质材料的AFP加工提供了显著的制造 成本降低，如果加工扩展到热塑性塑料， 基质材料在这里，可以将材料直接固结到工具面上，而不需要 高压釜后处理，这与其他专业热塑性加工相结合， 热冲压和热成型承诺显着进一步降低成本。 因此，工业研究主席（IRC）将开发与以下方面有关的新的科学和技术知识： 主要航空航天结构的ACM，特别关注热塑性基体材料。自动化 基于机器人系统，有利于飞机中新兴的网络物理系统的发展 工业和“未来工厂”复合材料主结构制造。毕业生就业 该计划将在康科迪亚和 贝尔直升机德事隆加拿大有限公司，这样他们就可以进入劳动力市场， 开发的技术和衍生工具，以加强加拿大航空航天工业的地位， 全球市场。

In order to remain competitive, there is a need for the Canadian aerospace industry to reduce its manufacturing costs, whilst adding durability and energy efficiency to its products. In this regard the industry has in recent years placed particular emphasis on carbon fiber composites. These materials whilst satisfying all structural considerations resulting in enhanced durability and reduced weight have traditionally however not competed well in terms of manufacturing costs. Recently new automated manufacturing processes such as Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) have shown significant promise in composite manufacturing cost reduction and much research has been carried out resulting in extensive application to recent major platforms such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Though AFP processing of thermoset matrix materials has provided significant manufacturing cost reduction, there remain further gains to be achieved should the processing be extended to thermoplastic matrix materials. Here it is possible to consolidate material directly on to the tool face with no requirement for autoclave post processing and this combined with other specialist thermoplastic processing such as thermo-stamping and thermo-forming promises significant further cost reductions.The overall objective of this Industrial Research Chair (IRC) is therefore to develop novel scientific and technical know-how relating to the ACM of primary aerospace structures with a special focus on thermoplastic matrix materials. The automation is based on robotic systems conducive with the emerging cyber physical system developments in the aircraft industry and "Factory of the Future" composite primary structure manufacture. Graduate students employed in this program will be provided with an exceptional level of experience at the facilities of both Concordia and Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Ltd., so that they may enter the workforce with the skills required to exploit the developed technologies and derived tools to strengthen the position of the Canadian aerospace industry in the global market place.