PROJECTS
Funding
European
Duration
-
Status
Complete with results
Geo-spatial type
Network corridors
Total project cost
€3 725 230
EU Contribution
€2 462 675
Project Acronym
DATAFORM
STRIA Roadmaps
Transport mode
Transport policies
Societal/Economic issues,
Safety/Security
Transport sectors
Passenger transport,
Freight transport
Overview
Call for proposal
FP6-2005-AERO-1
Link to CORDIS
Background & Policy context
The DATAFORM project focused on researching and developing digitally adjustable multi-point tooling to manufacture aircraft panels. The main advantageous features of DATAFORM were rapid, universal, and cost-effective with high flexibility compared with present hard fabrication tooling.
It was the aim of DATAFORM to empower the tooling technology with a clear focus on industrial use for aeronautics, and to drive the rapid development of flexible tooling in manufacturing leading to new processes and immediate industrial exploitation. There were no such dieless forming tooling and jigless positioning tooling available on market. DATAFORM could play a key role in realising the full potential of flexible tooling by combining robotic control technology.
Objectives
In particular, DATAFORM aspired to enable rapid, flexible and cost-effective forming of skin panels in aircrafts with digitally adjustable multi-point tooling. The industrial and scientific breakthrough objectives of the project were:
- Fundamental exploration of digitally adjustable tooling using multi-point forming methodology for forming and fabrication. This will lead to the realisation of rapid dieless forming of skin panels and to the accurate jigless fabrication of panel structures in aviation.
- Solution of the key technological problems of adjustable multi-point tooling. This will lead to the development of an adjustable multi-point tooling compositing punch matrices to replace the solid dies or hard tooling.
- Building of integrated CAD / CAE / CAT software and robotic close-loop control devices for the modular system. This will lead to an innovative analysis and optimisation process, the automatic control of punches and quick adaptation to component design or engineering changes.
- Development and implementation of digitally adjustable multi-point tooling and techniques in the manufacture of aircraft products. This will lead to a reduction in tooling costs of 60 %, cut set-up time by up to 50 % and decrease traditional hard tooling lead time. It will also eliminate the need for tooling storage and increase tooling utilisation significantly.
Methodology
The project was structured into six work packages (WPs) as follows:
- WP 1 - Technology assessment and targets specification
- WP 2 - Research of adjustable multi-point tooling technology
WP2 aimed to study the fundamentals of MPF methodology and explore the capabilities of flexible fabrication tooling technology for aircraft panels. A theoretical analysis on the mechanism of MPF was carried out for dieless forming applications. WP2 also studied in detail the use of the adjustable multi-point tooling technology for the procedures of joining, measurement or assembly of aircraft panels, in particular on procedures for surface positioning and non-contact measurement. - WP 3 - Development of digitally adjustable multi-point tooling
The primary objective of WP3 was to build a novel and efficient digitally adjustable multi-point tooling system based on the principle of MPF and to develop automatic robotic control techniques for a flexible fabrication tooling. Two prototypes of dieless stretch forming tooling and jigless positioning tooling with punch matrices were developed. A CAD / CAE / CAM / CAT software platform, was also constructed to deal with the data exchange interface, different materials simulation, and fabrication process control.
- WP 4 - Integration and validation
WP4 aimed to integrate the developed hardware and software components into a DATAFORM tooling system ready for validation and its full functions, and to test and optimise the developed digitally adjustable multi-point tooling, and validate the flexible tooling with different materials for different applications. - WP 5 - Dissemination and exploitation
- WP 6 - Project management
Funding
Parent Programmes
Institution Type
Public institution
Institution Name
European Commission
Type of funding
Public (EU)
Results
There were four main end results:
- Fabrication of three DATAFORM tooling prototypes (i.e. Multi-point stretch-forming tooling machine, multi-point Press-forming tooling machine and multi-point positioning;
- Integration of three DATAFORM tooling prototypes with control unit and CAD/CAM/CAE software;
- Testing of dieless forming of Stretching / Pressing and jigless Positioning;
- Dissemination of DATAFORM project results.
Partners
Lead Organisation
Organisation
Cardiff University
Address
Newport Road 30-36, Cardiff, CF24 0DE, United Kingdom
Organisation website
Partner Organisations
Organisation
Open Engineering S.a.
Address
Rue des Chasseurs Ardennais, 8, ANGLEUR (LIÈGE), Belgium
Organisation website
EU Contribution
€0
Organisation
Centre De Recherche En Aéronautique
Address
Avenue Jean Mermoz 30, Bât. Mermoz 1, / GOSSELIES, Belgium
Organisation website
EU Contribution
€50 000
Organisation
Centre De Recherche En Aéronautique
Address
Avenue Jean Mermoz 30, Bât. Mermoz 1, / GOSSELIES, Belgium
Organisation website
EU Contribution
€0
Organisation
Jilin University
Address
2699 QIANJIN Street, CHANGCHUN, China
Organisation website
EU Contribution
€0
Organisation
Kayser Italia
Address
Via di Popogna 501, 57128 LIVORNO, Italy
Organisation website
EU Contribution
€0
Organisation
Sener Ingenieria Y Sistemas
Address
AVENIDA ZUGAZARTE 56, 48930 GETXO, Spain
Organisation website
EU Contribution
€0
Technologies
Technology Theme
Aircraft design and manufacturing
Technology
Aircraft design model
Development phase
Research/Invention