GAP LIFE05 ENV/F/000062 - Clean alternative technology to chemical milling - GAP (Green Advanced Panels) project
Overview
Background & policy context:
Complex shaped panels used in the aeronautical and space industries are made by chemical milling. This process is frequently used on double-curvature parts requiring weight reduction or in parts made from alloys of titanium, tin, nickel, cobalt and magnesium. Main environmental problem associated with the process is the production of a large amount of slurry that are currently disposed of by burning in cement kilns. The process also uses large amounts of water and solvents. Mechanical milling represents a better environmental alternative to the process.
Objectives:
The beneficiary, DUFIEUX Industrie, has made a technological leap in machine tool design that enables complex shaped panels to be mechanically manufactured with at least the same level of efficiency as chemical milling. In this eco-friendly process, the only by-products are aluminium chips that are recycled as secondary raw material. The project aims to demonstrate the performance of the mechanical milling with the partnership of Airbus. Milled panels are important for the plane industry needs because they allow aircrafts to carry greater weight. As a result, the panels significantly reduce oil consumption without impairing the rigidity of the plane.
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