Project COFRARE 2020 – Out of autoclave technologies for frame and shear tie of Regional Aircraft
15 dic 2021 Project referenceH2020-CS2-CFP07-2017-02 Num. 821261
Programme and call for tender
Project financed by the program Horizon 2020 of the European Union in the framework of Clean Sky platform under the call JTI-CS2-2017-CfP07-REG-01-11 – Full scale innovative composite frames and shear ties for Regional Aircraft Fuselage barrel on-ground demonstrators.
As part of the COFRARE 2020 European project, of the Clean Sky II program, Abete is engaged in the development of a new manufacturing process in the production of carbon fiber fuselages for the construction of new regional aircraft. The COFRARE 2020 solution with RTM and OOA (Out of Autoclave) technology significantly reduces manufacturing costs and weight, bringing a more viable and competitive process for the application of carbon fiber materials in the fuselage for the construction of small aircraft of regional type. The project is part of the activities aimed at more than one technological demonstrator of Leonardo SPA for the construction of light and sustainable aircraft.
The R&D team and the Abete production units have contributed to developing both the process and the equipment for the realization of the new production process. It integrates process monitoring technologies through different temperature measurement points and is designed to house process sensors that allow the verification of the correct filling of the mold. It is also equipped with a lid lifting hydraulic system, with which opening and closing operations are simplified and speeded up with high precision and control. An automated infusion process allows the control of the phases of the production cycle of the parts. The preforms in carbon fiber have been made with automated technologies of deposition and lamination of the fibers to have the maximum precision in the arrangement of the fibers and an effective compaction of the carbon layers.
The project presented considerable complexity due to the size of the parts which above all have a radius of curvature of 4 meters and overall dimensions of up to 3.5 m x 1.5 m.
Abete collaborated with and with project partners Ecat (Spain) DEMA SPA (Italy)
Photogallery
full archive
Production schedules
ATR 42/72
AleniaAermacchi- AeronauticaCT7-8 & CT7-8C
AvioAero - Propulsione aerospazioMILAS
MBDA - Sistemi missilisticiForming Mould