Public Funding for Dapta Ltd

Next Wing will develop a series of Scalable Models for Aircraft Robust Trades (SMART) models and enabling modelling and simulation capabilities, which will be integrated and subsequently demonstrated at wing level. These are critical enablers to shorten the aircraft Product development cycle and develop products that will deliver on Airbus' sustainability ambitions. The project will deliver: * Wing-level SMART models for components and zonal integration areas * Development of Model Based Systems Engineering-based design environment for SMART model integration * Integration and V&V of models in the design environment via use cases * Development of a collaborative co-development approach * Development of a wing Product line approach The partners collaborating in the delivery of this ambitious project are: Airbus Operations Ltd, Capgemini UK Plc, Daptablade Ltd, Imperial College London, Loughborough University, Queen Mary University London, University of Exeter, University of Manchester, and University of Sheffield.

Next Wing will develop a series of Scalable Models for Aircraft Robust Trades (SMART) models and enabling modelling and simulation capabilities, which will be integrated and subsequently demonstrated at wing level. These are critical enablers to shorten the aircraft Product development cycle and develop products that will deliver on Airbus' sustainability ambitions. The project will deliver: * Wing-level SMART models for components and zonal integration areas * Development of Model Based Systems Engineering-based design environment for SMART model integration * Integration and V&V of models in the design environment via use cases * Development of a collaborative co-development approach * Development of a wing Product line approach The partners collaborating in the delivery of this ambitious project are: Airbus Operations Ltd, Capgemini UK Plc, Daptablade Ltd, Imperial College London, Loughborough University, Queen Mary University London, University of Exeter, University of Manchester, and University of Sheffield.

The use of fibre steering to enhance composite structural performance has been seen as having significant potential for reducing material use and reduction in manufacturing costs. It also has been shown to have capabilities for aero-elastic tailoring. This allows an aircraft wing to bend with a reduced twist. Reducing twist allows the wing to be more efficient over a range of wind speeds. This will have an impact on environmental emissions and improve the economic viability in aerospace structures. This could also be extended into other sectors like automotive and wind energy. Current solutions for fibre steering are automatic tape laying (ATL) and tailored fibre placement (TFP) These have both of limitations. ATL cannot steer with a tight radius and steering causes fibre wrinkling and gaps, compromising the structural performance. TFP is a slow process so cannot deposit material fast enough for anything of a significant size. Also the stitching used compromises the structural performance. iCOMAT have created a new tape laying process, continuous tow shearing (CTS) which promises to rival the speed of ATL but without the wrinkling and gaps. It also can lay around tight radii (100mm). However there is an issue that commercial software does not exist to simplify design, analysis and optimisation of structures using CTS. The project is aiming to develop the prototype CTS head design to a level where it can be introduced to industrial applications. In parallel to this development MSC Software will develop design, analysis and optimisation tools to make it accessible to prospective users. They will also write a tool translating the final design back into fibre paths for the CTS head to follow, completing the "digital thread" in this process. DaptaBlade will develop multi-disciplinary software which will enable coupling of a wing structural model with fluid dynamics analyse to perform aeroelastic tailoring. The project will also create demonstrator structures which will be used to verify the analysis and manufacturing software. These will be structurally tested at TWI.