EWIRA

Design and manufacture of AM parts for critical flight application

April 2016 – March 2022

The EWIRA project focused on the development of both advanced solutions for determined wing components and innovative efficient final assembly processes to be applied on an adaptive electric external wing for regional aircraft integrating:

New flight control devices for aircraft performance improvements driven by active loads alleviation systems
Highly integrated structures and systems for more efficient actuation
Innovative materials and manufacturing and assembly processes

The key technical objectives of EWIRA are:

The design and development of new inner external wingbox, aileron and spoiler with improved structural, functional and environmental performance using clean and efficient manufacturing and assembly technologies
The development of optimized integration processes to be used in the final assembly of the external wing demonstrators for the correspondent validation tests and possible functional test on request of the WAL (Wing Assembly Line), i.e. electrical bonding.
To support the validation test campaign of the external wing by delivering the required integrated demonstrators accomplishing the required Research Permit to Fly (PTF) and contributing to the test campaign results analysis

Key activities

To develop and validate cost-effective manufacturing and assembly processes
To design advanced solutions for the target components (inner external wingbox, aileron and spoiler),
To support the validation of the new wing through on-ground and in-flight tests (Permit to Fly demonstrators delivery)
To support the technology assessment of the developed solutions carried through to the Technology Evaluator, and the Life Cycle and Cost Analysis (LCCA), driven by Eco-Design transversal activity

Benefits

To develop and validate cost-effective manufacturing and assembly processes
To design advanced solutions for the target components (inner external wingbox, aileron and spoiler),
To support the validation of the new wing through on-ground and in-flight tests (Permit to Fly demonstrators delivery)
To support the technology assessment of the developed solutions carried through to the Technology Evaluator, and the Life Cycle and Cost Analysis (LCCA), driven by Eco-Design transversal activity

MTC role in project

The MTC’s role in the EWIRA project was to evaluate additive manufacturing (AM) to redesign and produce in-flight demonstrators of fittings for innovative aileron attachments. This allowed the implementation of the benefits of AM for reductions in weight and waste material in manufacturing an aileron hinge fitting.

The MTC’s key activities of the EWIRA project are:

To lead lean and efficient redesign of the aileron hinge fitting to reduce component weight and waste material.
Manufacturing of hinge fitting components and test coupons to support the research PTF qualification programme.
Investigate the effects of surface finishing technologies on complex AM components.

The key benefits of the MTC’s contribution to the EWIRA project are:

Redesign of the aileron hinge fitting allowed a 15% weight reduction and 90% waste material reduction.
Co-development (with Aciturri) of a qualification programme for critical AM components.
Furthered the understanding of the challenges of surface finishing technologies on complex AM components.

Other details

Project partners: Aciturri, MTC, Caetano Aeronautic, [topic manager Airbus D&S]
Funding body: Clean Sky 2
Project budget: €7m
Grant to MTC: €618k