ILA-The Berlin Airshow-Composite Aspects

摘要

Everybody enjoys a good airshow: the planes flying, the crowds roaring, etc. But the term "Airshow" can-be misleading - since far more than a mere show of airplanes is usually involved. At least with the larger industry shows held in Europe and reported here, the Paris Airshow, Farnborough (in the UK), and Germany's Berlin Airshow, known as the ILA (International Luft Austellung), new technology abounds - including M&P aspects. Highlights are seen below. At the week-long Berlin show in May, EADS Airbus displayed a section of the A340-5/6 composites aft pressure bulkhead on its huge stand. The new composites application is fabricated at Stade, near Hamburg, and a sewing robot was set up to stitch the preform made of MLNC (Multi-Layer Non Crimp) fabrics. In addition, EADS Augsburg is manufacturing the A380 flap track (actual track box) side panels and other structural elements. Notably, EADS says its application (consumption) of carbon composites will increase by some 50 percent during the next 24 months. In a massive composites space application, MAN Technology (MT) displayed its big, monolithic, resin infused carbon R&D booster casing for the Ariane 5. Similar to one seen at the JEC, it features an integral dome (not bonded on or otherwise attached later). This structure is big enough to walk in, ca. 7 ft dia. by 10-12 ft long, with dome, walls ca. 4 cm. thick, and weighing nearly ca. 700 kg.