STUNNING | World’s largest known thermoplastic aircraft structure

An 8.5 meter long fuselage skin made of thermoplastics has been produced by automated fibre placement.
Within the MFFD framework Royal NLR, together with GKN Fokker (lead), TU Delft, and Germany’s Diehl, have taken on their own project called STUNNING. Their goal is to demonstrate and validate how the use of composites, namely thermoplastics, can help realize a next-gen fleet of aircraft capable of offering the same strength and durability of steel and aluminum, while drastically reducing the total time of production and maintenance activities, as well as the overall weight of aircraft and the subsequent emissions.
For more info visit: www.nlr.org/ca...
About MFFD: www.cleansky.e...

[@wakimdavid2094]

What checks do you perform in term of: 1 - reliability, 2 - NDT.

[@มดแดง-ฃ3ข]

ฉันคิดแบบไว้แล้วเอาพูดเลยตรงนี้ขอจดสิทธิบัตรไว้เลยมันจะเป็นเหมือนเครื่องบินมิกซ์ 21 ช่องอากาศเข้าแต่จะตัดเป็นลูกตัวU

[@hokiebama1187]

look at 1:57, see all the tows not sticking... guess where this thing still has to go.. an autoclave, or closed mold.

[@NLRmedia]

The parts have been consolidated in an autoclave indeed. For more information, see also this link: www.nlr.org/case/case-stunning-the-worlds-largest-known-thermoplastic-aircraft-structures/

[@geoffbutler10]

An autoclave at twice the temperature a typical thermoset would be processed. Not sure how green that is.

[@benwilms3942]

Gefeliciteerd! It looks like a very exciting demonstrator. Is the fibre fused with heat whilst its being laid, or is it friction stirred like aluminium additive?

[@joachimdekruijk5081]

Thanks! It is a so called pre-preg material, meaning carbon fibers impregnated with thermoplastic resin which is quickly heated during the fiberplacement to adhere the layers as shown in the video. After fiberplacement the part is consolidated/heated in an autoclave to realize maximum performance of the material.
Best regards, Joachim de Kruijk, NLR.

[@jimj2683]

@@joachimdekruijk5081 How strong is it compared to normal epoxy carbon fiber?

[@joachimdekruijk5081]

​@@jimj2683 Strength is similar but toughness of thermoplastic materials is in general significantly higher, which has a positive effect on design.

[@olenilsen4660]

@@joachimdekruijk5081 So this will be more resistant to microscopic cracks that can let air and water into the fibres? How does it affect the stiffness of the part, will it flex more under load?

[@CortezDaCardinal]

Soundrack from mass effect when browsing galaxy to trevel to LUL

[@MultiTheStudent]

это вам не позорная рашка