THE FUTURE COMPOSITES MANUFACTURING HUB

先进的复合材料包括增强纤维，通常是碳或玻璃，嵌入基质中，通常是聚合物，提供结构材料。它们对许多用户部门非常有吸引力，特别是交通运输，因为它们结合了重量轻和可根据特定应用定制的优异材料性能。部件通常是通过将纤维放入模具，然后注入树脂(液体模塑)或通过形成和固结预浸渍纤维(预浸料加工)来制造的。目前英国复合材料行业的价值为15亿GB，预计到2020年将增长到40亿GB以上，到2030年将增长到60亿到120亿GB之间。这一范围取决于行业按照其目标应用程序所需的数量和质量水平交付结构的能力。这一潜在增长在很大程度上与下一代单通道飞机、为降低燃料消耗而减轻车辆重量以及用于可再生能源和民用基础设施的大型、轻便和耐用的结构有关。轻质复合材料的好处是显而易见的，它们的使用增长将对英国的气候变化和基础设施目标产生重大影响，此外还会通过就业和出口对经济产生直接影响。然而，实现这一增长必须克服的挑战是巨大的。例如，宝马目前每年生产约20,000辆i3汽车，其中含有大量的复合材料。为了取代批量生产的汽车，这一生产量需要增加高达100倍。空客和波音分别每月生产约10架飞机(分别为A350和787)，使用高比例的复合材料。下一代单通道飞机可能需要每月60架。与其他材料相关的生产成本相对较高，需要降低一个数量级才能实现这样的增长水平。未来的复合材料制造中心将使先进聚合物复合材料制造业发生阶段性变化。该中心将由诺丁汉大学和布里斯托尔大学领导；在克兰菲尔德、帝国理工学院、曼彻斯特和南安普顿进行初步研究；在国家复合材料中心(NCC)、先进制造研究中心(AMRC)、制造技术中心(MTC)和华威制造集团(WMG)进行创新Spokes；并得到复合材料行业18家领先公司的支持。在Hub、Spokes和行业合作伙伴之间，我们将提供至少1270万GB的额外支持，以实现我们的目标。在EPSRC复合材料创新制造中心(CIMComp)取得成功的基础上，该中心将推动自动化制造技术的发展，为要求苛刻的应用提供零部件和结构，特别是在航空航天、交通、建筑和能源领域。在七年的时间里，Hub将通过开发基础工艺科学和技术来支持该行业的增长潜力，以支持复合材料的摩尔定律：生产能力每两年翻一番。为了实现我们的愿景，我们将解决与行业合作伙伴和更广泛的社区合作确定的许多研究重点，包括：高速沉积和快速加工技术；通过验证的模拟进行制造设计；多功能复合材料和集成结构的制造；检验和过程中评估；回收和再利用。将这些优先事项与英国的能力相匹配，我们确定了以下重大挑战，我们将围绕这些挑战开展一系列可行性研究和核心项目：-通过了解工艺科学来增强工艺稳健性-为高质量结构开发高速加工技术

Advanced composite materials consist of reinforcement fibres, usually carbon or glass, embedded within a matrix, usually a polymer, providing a structural material. They are very attractive to a number of user sectors, in particular transportation due to their combination of low weight and excellent material properties which can be tailored to specific applications. Components are typically manufactured either by depositing fibres into a mould and then infusing with resin (liquid moulding) or by forming and consolidation of pre-impregnated fibres (prepreg processing). The current UK composites sector has a value of £1.5 billion and is projected to grow to over £4 billion by 2020, and to between £6 billion and £12 billion by 2030. This range depends on the ability of the industry to deliver structures at required volumes and quality levels demanded by its target applications. Much of this potential growth is associated with next generation single-aisle aircraft, light-weighting of vehicles to reduce fuel consumption, and large, lightweight and durable structures for renewable energy and civil infrastructure. The benefits of lightweight composites are clear, and growth in their use would have a significant impact on both the UK's climate change and infrastructure targets, in addition to a direct impact on the economy through jobs and exports. However the challenges that must be overcome to achieve this growth are significant. For example, BMW currently manufacture around 20,000 i3 vehicles per year with significant composites content. To replace mass produced vehicles this production volume would need to increase by up to 100-times. Airbus and Boeing each produce around 10 aircraft per month (A350 and 787 respectively) with high proportions of composite materials. The next generation single aisle aircraft are likely to require volumes of 60 per month. Production costs are high relative to those associated with other materials, and will need to reduce by an order of magnitude to enable such growth levels.The Future Composites Manufacturing Hub will enable a step change in manufacturing with advanced polymer composite materials. The Hub will be led by the University of Nottingham and University of Bristol; with initial research Spokes at Cranfield, Imperial College, Manchester and Southampton; Innovation Spokes at the National Composites Centre (NCC), Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) and Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG); and backed by 18 leading companies from the composites sector. Between the Hub, Spokes and industrial partners we will offer a minimum of £12.7 million in additional support to deliver our objectives. Building on the success of the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Composites (CIMComp), the Hub will drive the development of automated manufacturing technologies that deliver components and structures for demanding applications, particularly in the aerospace, transportation, construction and energy sectors. Over a seven year period, the Hub will underpin the growth potential of the sector, by developing the underlying processing science and technology to enable Moore's law for composites: a doubling in production capability every two years. To achieve our vision we will address a number of research priorities, identified in collaboration with industry partners and the broader community, including: high rate deposition and rapid processing technologies; design for manufacture via validated simulation; manufacturing for multifunctional composites and integrated structures; inspection and in-process evaluation; recycling and re-use. Matching these priorities with UK capability, we have identified the following Grand Challenges, around which we will conduct a series of Feasibility Studies and Core Projects:-Enhance process robustness via understanding of process science -Develop high rate processing technologies for high quality structures