Over the past 20 years, the advancement of composite materials has delivered huge benefits to the aerospace industry. Composite materials are commonly used in constructing aircraft components because they are stronger, lighter and more durable than metals like aluminum for many components and applications. This improved strength-to-weight ratio can increase the fuel efficiency of an aircraft by around 25% compared to all-metallic constructions.
However, the repair of composite aircraft components is challenging since composite fibers are layered in complex patterns – an issue that doesn’t exist in metallic structures. Meeting this challenge is one of the key areas of focus for the Centre for Future Materials (CFM), a world-leading research center in advanced composite materials and manufacturing, situated at the Toowoomba campus of the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) in Australia.
“A repair process is initiated by the identification of damage using non-destructive testing (NDT) during routine inspection and maintenance operations,” said Dr Tristan Shelley, a senior research fellow within CFM. “NDT processes for composite structures usually involve the use of ultrasound testing to assess the internal integrity of the structure. The technical and engineering teams must then carefully remove the damaged section and repair it.”
This process requires technical expertise and can prove incredibly costly to aerospace companies, particularly if it leaves an aircraft out of service. However, the project is striving to make composite repairs faster, more efficient and tailored to the damage site. CFM researchers are collaborating on the project with Dassault Systèmes’ Melbourne-based business partner MEMKO and aerospace original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Boeing Australia.
“By relying on Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform, we hope to digitally transform the composite repair process applied to aerospace structures,” Shelley said. “We’re backed by the Australian Government’s iLAuNCH Trailblazer program, which aims to address critical skill gaps and accelerate the development of the country’s space sector. This project is seen as an enabler for both the aerospace and space sectors, where reusability and repair are essential to helping drive down operational costs.”