Title: Thermoplastic Aircraft Manufacturing Model

Authors: Joseph P. Heil, Ron E. Jones, Louis Kakoulias, Randall L. Allenbach, Chris Tonn

DOI: 10.33599/nasampe/s.24.0134

Abstract: A manufacturing process to produce 80 single aisle sized thermoplastic composite aircraft a month is presented. Within the Hi-Rate Composite Aircraft Manufacturing (HiCAM) program a baseline aircraft fuselage was designed and modeled based on the Boeing 787 one-piece barrel build, but scaled down to a single aisle aircraft. Key Performance Parameters (KPPs) of recurring cost, non-recurring cost, and weight are calculated from the model. The outcome of this simulation indicated a prohibitively high non-recurring cost, so the thermoplastic team modeled the manufacturing flow for a panelized fuselage concept. The minimum success criteria is a 30% cost reduction and less than two percent increase in weight compared to the baseline aircraft. Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) is used to layup skins, stamp forming is used to make body frames, stringers, and passenger door surround parts. In the model, Co-Fusion was used to consolidate the skin while simultaneously welding on stringers to make stiffened panels. Additional welding technologies were considered to minimize fastener use and a vertical build concept was used for final assembly to reduce factory size. This manufacturing concept for a thermoplastic aircraft indicated a 39% cost and 12% weight savings compared to the baseline. Additional trade studies were conducted using Northrop Grumman’s Automated Stiffener Forming technology to make stringers and stamp forming instead of AFP to make skins.

References: 1.“Hi-Rate Composite Aircraft Manufacturing (HiCAM) Project Overview.” Apr. 2022, https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/hicam-overview-apr-2022.pdf. 2.The Boeing Company, Spirit AeroSystems, NASA, ""Baseline Fuselage Barrel Definition Report (P0-1.01 Deliverable Item 4.9.13),"" 2021. 3.The Boeing Company, Spirit AeroSystems, NASA, ""Key Performance Parameters (KPPs) Report (Deliverable Item 4.9.10),"" 2021 4.Spirit AeroSystems, NASA, "" P1.TPC.TDA.01 – Thermoplastic Quantitative Assessment Report (Deliverable Item 4.9.1),"" 2023. 5.https://www.fanuc.eu/it/en/industrial-automation/aerospace 6.(USA Patent No. 10828880 B1, 2020) 7.(USA Patent No. 10703049 B2, 2020) 8.Mason, Karen. “Spar Forming Simplified.” CompositesWorld, 2 Apr. 2019, www.compositesworld.com/articles/spar-forming-simplified-.

Conference: SAMPE 2024

Publication Date: 2024/05/20

SKU: TP24-0000000134

Pages: 15

Price: $30.00