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TRIMIS

Welding of airframes by friction stir

PROJECTS
Funding
European
European Union
Duration
-
Status
Complete with results
Geo-spatial type
Other
Project Acronym
WAFS
STRIA Roadmaps
Vehicle design and manufacturing (VDM)
Transport mode
Airborne icon
Transport sectors
Passenger transport,
Freight transport

Overview

Background & Policy context

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Airframes are made by mechanically fastening subcomponents together or by integrally NC machining them from solid material.

Mechanical fastening suffers from a weight penalty, difficulty of automation, requirement for sealants and corrosion problems. NC machining is a wasteful process in terms of time, energy and raw material.

Welding can provide cost savings of up to 30% and weight savings of up to 10%. FSW has great potential for manufacturing airframes. Therefore the objective of the WAFS project was to advance the state of the art of 'Friction stir welding' (FSW) to enable the widespread adoption of the technology to primary structures in airframes.

Project outputs and areas of innovation were:

  • FSW tool designs and process parameters;
  • new techniques for improvement of properties of joints made with FSW;
Objectives

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confidential

Methodology

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confidential

Funding

Parent Programmes
Institution Type
Public institution
Institution Name
European Commission, Directorate-General for Research (DG Research)
Type of funding
Public (EU)

Results

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confidential

Technical Implications

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Policy implications

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confidential

Partners

Lead Organisation
EU Contribution
€0
Partner Organisations
EU Contribution
€0

Technologies

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