JEC Composites Innovation Awards Ceremony 2024 - Aerospace - Process

Aerospace Process category
Finalists
ASPERA Welded Thermoplastic Composite Demonstrator
Spirit AeroSystems (USA)

EmpowerAX – Additive Functionalisation
German Aerospace Center (DLR) (Germany)

One-Shot in Situ Consolidation Wing Upper Cover
AIRBUS DS (Spain)

WINNER
EmpowerAX – Additive Functionalisation
German Aerospace Center (DLR) (Germany)
dlr.de
Partners:
• 9T Labs AG (Switzerland)
• Airtech Europe (Luxembourg)
• Ansys Switzerland GmbH (Switzerland)
• CEAD B.V. (Netherlands)
• Ensinger GmbH (Germany)
• Fiberthree GmbH (Germany)
• FILL Gesellschaft m.b.H. (Austria)
• Hans Weber Maschinenfabrik GmbH / WEBER additive (Germany)
• PRIME aerostructures GmbH (Austria)
• Siemens AG (Germany)
• Suprem SA (Switzerland)
• SWMS Systemtechnik Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH (Germany)

The EmpowerAX Demo Part is a multi-curved thermoset shell additively functionalised with short and continuous fibre- reinforced elements realised by DLR and 12 EmpowerAX members. It demonstrates the industrially available process chain for Additive Functionalisation.

The EmpowerAX Demo Part showcases the concept of Additive Functionalisation and its industrially available process chain. It is a collaborative project within DLR Innovation Lab EmpowerAX where DLR and twelve industrial players – from design and simulation experts over CAD-CAM specialists to printing and material suppliers – joined forces to demonstrate the capability of overprinting a multi-curved thermoset shell with high-performance, short- and continuous fibre-reinforced thermoplastic material. Cost-efficient composite manufacturing is combined with the high agility and design freedom of additive manufacturing.

Key benefits:
• Cost-efficient composite manufacturing
• Overprinting of a multi-curved shell
• Combining thermosetting and thermoplastic polymers
• Short & continuous fibre-reinforced materials
• Industrially available process chain