Applicability of Short Carbon Fiber technology to aeronautical structural parts of low responsibility

Abstract

The development of structural parts optimized in weight and cost has always been a key aspect in the aeronautical industry. Nevertheless, these premises also appears in other industries. A specific study focused on the automative industry showed the possibility of re-studying a technology analyzed in the past: Short Carbon Fiber injection. The technology offered low recurring costs, high rate possibilities and reliable repetitivity of the processes. Based on these statements, aeronautical parts from the Horizontal Tail Plane (THS) with low structural responsibility were defined as target options. After defining the scope, different engineering and manufacturing studies were performed. The conclusions from both investigations, together with weight and cost estimations, confirmed the potential application of the technology for a present and future implementation. The previous project was included in the project FACTORIA, funded by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, by means of the Centro Tecnológico Industrial (CDTI), in the Strategic Programme CIEN 2016.

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