The UK’s National Composites Centre (NCC) announced today the first use of its multi-million pound, twin headed, robotic, Automatic Fibre Placement (AFP) machine - the first of its kind in the country. This initial use of the machine is by NCC member, GKN Aerospace, as part of a UK funded and Airbus led research programme focused on the next generation of super-efficient aircraft wings.
This new AFP machine offers the wider UK industry its first opportunity to consistently and rapidly create complex, double curved structures in composite materials. This means the many qualities of these materials - light weight, high strength, flexibility and lack of corrosion - can realistically be applied, for the first time, to structures such as high performance wing shapes and automotive parts.
NCC Chief Executive Peter Chivers said, “It is great to see this cutting edge machine on site and in use, with commissioning complete. The AFP is one of the NCC’s flagship assets and is already attracting significant interest. This first project is an important illustration of the typical opportunity that the NCC provides. We are a great place for companies to work together accessing the latest equipment and drawing on the skills and knowledge of the NCC’s own team of highly qualified and experienced research engineers to add value to the member companies’ own specialist teams.”
Airbus in the UK Head of R&T Business Development and Partnerships, Colin Sirett, said: “With an order backlog of over 4,400 aircraft and a projected growth of air travel demand of 45% over the next 10 years, research into high volume and low cost manufacturing is essential for Airbus to meet the future market needs. As part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult centres, the NCC provides a powerful partner to develop the necessary technologies.”
Rich Oldfield, Technical Director, GKN Aerospace comments: “The effectiveness of rapid material deposition techniques such as this AFP technology will be critical if the UK is to lead in achieving the fast, accurate manufacturing turnaround necessary to meet escalating future market demand.”
Notes to editors
Pic: GKN employee Tim Smith
About the AFP – Automated fibre placement twin headed robots
The machine cost over £2½m and was paid for with a £1.4m grant from the South West RDA (Regional Development Agency) through GKN Aerospace as part of the Next Generation Composite Wing research programme, and a £1.2m grant from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
The AFP machine will be of vital importance to the work of the NCC in progressing the UK’s composite capabilities - exploring the manufacturing challenges facing many industrial sectors to help ensure the UK industrial base is prepared to face anticipated market requirements in the coming decades.
Conventionally, composites are hand laid up from plies which is very time consuming and can introduce problems with variability in the finished product. Automated Tape Lay up has recently been introduced and is being applied currently in the manufacture of aircraft structures.
The AFP machine is a further step forward in automation, allowing the control of 8 tapes individually to apply material to complex profiles - an area with huge potential benefit for future composites manufacture. Supplied by Coriolis Composites (France), itcomprises two robotic arms, each with an AFP head. These arms work independently and cooperatively, rapidly depositing composite fibres in specific directions and to varying thicknesses to create highly accurate and repeatable composite structures.
These structures will be able to meet detailed strength and stiffness specifications – offering significant potential for future composite structure applications. They will be lower in weight, manufactured in a much shorter timescale, and offer less material wastage than conventionally produced structures.
Initial AFP work
The machine is being used by NCC member, GKN Aerospace, to support research work within the UK’s Next Generation Composite Wing (NGCW) development programme. This is the largest project within the country’s National Aerospace Technology Strategy (NATS) and is sponsored by the UK government’s Technology Strategy Board (TSB). The programme is led by Airbus and involves a consortium of UK-based academic, public and industrial partners including GKN Aerospace, Umeco, GE Aerospace, Bombardier and QinetiQ. NGCW research and development is focused on ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of global aircraft wing technology and wins a significant share of the growing global aircraft market – predicted to reach 26,000 aircraft sales over the next 20 years.
Early indications suggest that aircraft structures created using this AFP machinery could be some 20% lighter than comparable metal structures, lowering aircraft fuel consumption and emissions. And there is also a potential 75% reduction in material
wastage, lowering manufacturing costs and bringing further important environmental benefits.
About the NCC
The NCC is located on Bristol & Bath Science Park and is owned and operated by the University of Bristol, and draws on established links to world class composites research at Bristol, the University of Bath and other UK Universities.
The NCC is part of the first Technology and Innovation Centre, “Catapult centre”, – for High Value Manufacturing. The HVM Technology and Innovations Centre will provide an integrated capability and embrace all forms of manufacture using metals and composites, in addition to process manufacturing technologies and bio-processing.
It will draw on excellent university research to accelerate the commercialisation of new and emerging manufacturing technologies. This was the first of an elite network of Technology and Innovation Centres that are being established by the Technology Strategy Board with over £200m of Government investment overall.
The NCC’s mission is ‘To be an independent, open-access national centre that delivers world-class innovation in the design and rapid manufacture of composites and facilitates their widespread industrial exploitation.’
In November 2009 the Government launched the UK Composites Strategy. This highlighted the importance of composites to the future of UK manufacturing and the Government’s plans for ensuring that the UK has the means to succeed in intensely competitive global markets.
A key part of this strategy was the establishment of the National Composites Centre (NCC), which brings together dynamic companies and enterprising academics to develop new technologies for the design and rapid manufacture of high-quality composite products. The combination of academic and business strengths will speed progress from laboratory to design to factory and into products.
The NCC is a £25m investment supported by: the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (£12m); the South West RDA (Regional Development Agency) (£4m); and £9m from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). It is owned and hosted by the University of Bristol.
About ERDF
ERDF Competitiveness in the South West has one objective - to increase the prosperity of the region through supporting enterprises and individuals to develop ideas and plans which contribute to increased productivity and competitiveness. This objective is supported by four operational objectives:
- Increasing the productivity of the region’s business base, through the promotion and support of innovation, research and development and the application of knowledge;
- Reduce intra-regional disparities through stimulating enterprise and accelerating business growth in those parts of the region lagging behind;
- To increase employment and enterprise in the region's most disadvantaged communities; and
- Protect and enhance the region's environmental assets and work towards developing a low carbon economy.
About BIS
The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills provided £12m towards the project from its Strategic Investment Fund which supported a small number of high-impact manufacturing related projects across the UK.
About the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA)
The HCA is the single, national housing and regeneration delivery agency for England.
The HCA’s role in Bristol & Bath Science Park is one part of a wider transfer of around £300m of Regional Development Agency (RDA) land and property assets to the Agency, which completed on 19 September 2011. The HCA will manage these assets to deliver economic growth and regeneration for local communities. For more information, visit the HCA website.
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) is now responsible for working with partners to develop the project and the wider Bristol & Bath Science Park, where the NCC is based. This will be managed as part of a stewardship agreement with the Government covering three nationally important technology parks, including Bristol & Bath Science Park, Ansty Park, Coventry and the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham.
About the Bristol & Bath Science Park
The Bristol & Bath Science Park is a 59 acre (24 hectare) site in Emerson's Green, north Bristol, which will become home to up to 6,000 jobs.
The Science Park will be the hub for the region's many science and technology businesses, connecting entrepreneurs, fledgling businesses and established brands with vital investors, academia and design. The Universities of Bath, Bristol and West of England are key stakeholders in the science park.
