AEROPLAS PROJECT

The AEROPLAS project aimed to develop a new manufacturing process for thermoplastic matrix composite materials using low-cost technologies for the aeronautical industry.

The initiative arose from the need to incorporate lighter, more environmentally sustainable, and lower-cost solutions into this sector through the use of thermoplastic materials instead of thermoset composites. This requires the development of new production processes and adapted tooling that are efficient from both an energy and economic standpoint.

To achieve these objectives, the project defined new strategies for the development and manufacturing of composite parts. These strategies span from the design and calculation of real components and process simulation to the development of intelligent molds that allow for their monitoring, using more efficient and less costly methods than current ones.

With this approach, the project sought to reduce the costs associated with the manufacturing of such parts once the thermoset material is replaced by a thermoplastic one. Furthermore, calculation and simulation models for parts manufactured from the new thermoplastic material were developed, and production times and processes were optimized using intelligent molds.

Finally, AEROPLAS contributes to the aeronautical industry's goal of manufacturing aircraft that are more environmentally friendly, safer, have lower fuel consumption, and reduced maintenance needs.