The design and development of novel component architectures incorporating aluminium matrix composite materials, utilising new CAE methodologies.

复合金属技术公司与国家复合材料中心以及两个工业合作伙伴YASA Motors和GE Aviation正在合作开展TSB资助的项目，以加速先进材料的采用。铝基复合材料（AMC）在用作铝铸件内的插入件时，可以生产重量轻、惯性小、封装尺寸小和机械性能优异的部件。然而，缺乏一个全面的，有效的一套计算机设计和分析工具，目前限制了简单的组件设计的应用。该项目将开发一套新的计算机工具，使工业合作伙伴能够设计和制造包含新型材料结构的复杂AMC增强部件，而不需要采用“制造和测试”方法，从而导致产品开发时间过长。该项目将在组件的数量和种类上产生一个阶段性的变化，这些组件可以通过为行业提供工具来准确预测组件性能和优化设计，从而从这些材料提供的减重机会中受益。

Composite Metal Technology, together with the National Composites Centre and two industrial partners, YASA Motors and GE Aviation, are collaborating on a TSB-funded project to accelerate the take-up of advanced materials. Aluminium matrix composites (AMCs), when used as inserts within aluminium castings, can produce components of low weight and inertia, reduced package size and exceptional mechanical properties. However the lack of a comprehensive, validated set of computer design and analysis tools currently limits applications to simple component designs. This project will develop a new set of computer tools, enabling the industrial partners to design and manufacture complex AMC-reinforced components incorporating novel material architectures, without the need to resort to a ’make and test’ approach which results in unacceptably long product development timespans. The project will produce a step change in the number and variety of components that can benefit from the weight reduction opportunities afforded by these materials by providing industry with the tools to produce accurate predictions of component performance and optimised designs.