Overview
ECO-CLIP project aims to demonstrate the technical, environmental and economic feasibility of manufacturing structural parts of aircrafts, specifically frame clips and system brackets, using recycled CF/LMPAEK obtained from factory waste.
The overall approach of ECO-CLIP is to develop a short fibre recycled composite based on CF/LMPAEK, the manufacturing process for fabricating structural parts of aircraft (clips and brackets) and the welding technology for a success joining in a fuselage demonstrator avoiding fasteners. The whole product development process and manufacture technology will be validated by LCA/LCC studies. As final result, the new manufacturing processing route will be demonstrated as cost-effective and environmentally favourable by LCA and LCC studies. This can be understood in different stages:
- Designing of recycling route to re-use material from factory waste
- Material development: exploring different mixtures of %wt recycled %wt virgin CF/LMPAEK to accomplish the structural and mechanical requirements.
- Design of manufacturing processes fulfilling the use case scenarios (clips and brackets)
- Selected the joining technology for a MFFD
- Assessment of developed technology through a study of ecological and economic impact
The innovation results from ECO-CLIP project will comprise: development of a new composite material based on short fibre recycled CF/LMPAEK, optimised for injection moulding and 3D-printing, and methodology to redesign structural parts to be installed on a MFFD. These solutions will enable to validate the assessment of the technology, and the viability of the environmental and economic impact.