Innovation in industry 4.0

    The introduction and integration of new technology tools by all players involved in industrial processes is becoming an essential aspect to carry on improving and innovating in the aeronautical industry, since they provide significant advantages in terms of increasing efficiency, operations optimisation and cost savings.

    The projects we have undertaken or which we are developing under the framework of the “Factory of the Future” or “Industry 4.0” concept include the following:

    GRAPHENE FIBER Project

    Area of innovation: Advanced wiring systems

    The Aim of the project is the development of electrical conductible polyester fibers. It is planned to implement graphene nano particles into the polyester fibers and spinning the fibers to cables which have the same electrical conductibility as copper wires. Trevira will take over the development of the fibers and AERTEC will perform the testing and the commercialization in the aviation industry. The new cables will have less weight and are cheaper in the manufacturing process.

    AERTEC Solutions’ participation in this project is:
    ¬ Find a solution to connect graphene fibers to each other and to connectors
    ¬ Development of a demonstrator to show the performance and the industrial usability of the graphene fibers
    ¬ Development of a test rig for test regarding tensile strength, conductivity, endurance, vibrations …
    ¬ Aviation approval, e.g. for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)

    The partners in this project are: Trevira GmbH, Guben; Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus – Senftenberg (BTU); AERTEC Solutions GmbH, Guben

    Cables
    Funding authority: European Union, European Regional Development Fund (Europäischer Fonds für regionale Entwicklung)
     
     
    NIOBE Project

    Area of innovation: Advanced wiring systems and control units

    This project is led by Carbures Engineering (MDU) with the participation of AIRBUS Defence and Space, AERTEC Solutions and YFLOW as partners. It aims to develop and validate new manufacturing technologies under the Industry 4.0 paradigm which allow onboard electrical products to be manufactured. It takes alternative materials as a basis to do away with the dependence on copper, which is heavier and offers less performance.

    NIOBE intends to develop a new manufacturing model for electrical wiring and switching centres in avionics from an innovative perspective based on state-of-the-art technology and new development methodologies (automation, high added value, quality and competitiveness). In order to achieve this, research will be conducted on innovative materials (like polymer fibres doped with carbon nanotubes, conductive inks and flexible electrical materials), as well as on applying digital control processes on them.


    The NIOBE project’s file number is ITC-20151061 and it has been co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the “Smart Growth Operating Programme 2014-2020” and the Ministry of the Economy and Competitiveness through the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI) under the ERDF INNTERCONECTA 2015 call.
    PASSARO Project / Clean Sky II Area of innovation:Intensive digitising of testing processes in aeronautical manufacturing and assembly environments. 
    The PASSARO project is funded through the Clean Sky 2 Programme under topic JTI-CS2-2015-CPW02-AIR-02-06 “Airframe on-ground structural and functional tests of advanced structures”. It kicked off in July 2016 and aims to demonstrate the applicability of a set of innovative technologies in the design, manufacturing and on-ground testing stages by using representative cabin and wing aerostructure prototypes..
    This project has received funding from the Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No CS2-AIR-GAM-2014-2015-01.
    HERMES Project Area of innovation: Advanced interactive systems and remote support
    This project is led by AIRBUS Defence and Space with the participation of AERTEC Solutions, AVANADE and PLAIN CONCEPTS as partners. It aims to enhance the aeronautical industry’s competitiveness and efficiency by encouraging the application of technologies related to communication, connectivity, remote expert support, the exploitation of information through immersive media and smart information analysis. HERMES is aligned with the European “Factories of the Future” strategy and develops the research priorities for collaborative manufacturing and manufacturing focused on providing digital tools to people who work throughout the production process, including assembly, machine operation, maintenance activities, problem resolution and remote support or guidance.
    The project’s file number is ITC-20151125 and it has been co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the “Smart Growth Operating Programme 2014-2020” and the Ministry of the Economy and Competitiveness through the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI) under the ERDF INNTERCONECTA 2015 call. 
    AI2X Project Area of innovation: Advanced interactive systems and remote support
    This project is led by AIRBUS Defence and Space with the participation of AERTEC Solutions and ISOTROL as partners. It aims to develop technology tools which allow systems verification processes to be carried out in a reliable and safe way at a low cost and with high impact regarding the attainment of high-quality products. Its use is envisaged throughout the entire aircraft life cycle, from the product’s conception phase right up to its manufacturing process and operational phase (maintenance, overhaul and repairs).
    The project’s file number is ITC-20151093 and it has been co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the “Smart Growth Operating Programme 2014-2020” and the Ministry of the Economy and Competitiveness through the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI) under the ERDF INNTERCONECTA 2015 call. 
    AWIMAS project Area of innovation: Advanced interactive systems and remote support
    This project is led by AIRBUS Defence and Space with the participation of AERTEC Solutions, MDU, SKYLIFE and CT INGENIEROS as partners. Within the Factory of the Future framework and using industrial digital mock-ups (iDMU), AWIMAS aims to develop an electrical components model which supports wiring information, not only at the level of isolated components but also as part of a system. This would allow us to analyse how one or several aircraft systems and even an entire aircraft function with regard to electrical continuity, thereby obtaining all the electrical information in the digital mock-up. Additionally, new systems to make use of data equipped with advanced functionalities – like augmented reality and mobility-based technologies – will be developed based on the information gathered by the iDMU so they can be used both in the manufacturing plant and on the aircraft.
    The project’s file number is ITC-20151055 and it has been co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the “Smart Growth Operating Programme 2014-2020” and the Ministry of the Economy and Competitiveness through the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI) under the ERDF INNTERCONECTA 2015 call.