Development of short distance welding concepts for airframes

General Information

The WEL-AIR framework constitutes a research and technological development project designed to generate new fundamental knowledge to develop new manufacturing approaches by using short distance joining technology for primary structural components (such as skin-frame, skin-cleat, cleat-striner etc.) of the metallic aircraft fuselage. For this purpose, optimum process-property and performance relationships need to be established by satisfying the fatigue and damage tolerance requirements. The research methodology used in this project will follow "develop - test - verify - make recommendations" steps to establish new short distance welding concepts for cost-effective manufacturing of the airframes using Laser Beam Welding and Friction Steer Welding processes. The "testing - verification" steps will be covered by conducting extensive damage tolerance analysis in terms of fatigue, fracture toughness, corrosion, as well as non-destructive testing using various joint configurations and alloy combinations.

EU-Programme Acronym and Subprogramme Area	FP6-2002-Aero-1, 1.3.1.1 Strengthening Competitiveness
Project Type	STREP
Contract Number	AST3-CT-2003-502832
Co-ordinator	GIE EADS CCR (FR)

Total Eligible Costs (€)	Hereon Eligible Costs (€)	EC Funding for Hereon (€)
5.035.405	494.527	253.322

Contact Person at Hereon

Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Norbert Huber, Institute of Materials Research, phone: +49-4152-87 2500 (initial contact: Dr. Mustafa Kocak, Institute of Materials Research) E-mail contact

Participants

Airbus Deutschland GmbH (DE), Airbus France SAS (FR), Alenia Aeronautica SPA (IT), Dassault Aviation S.A. (FR), Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt DLR (DE), EADS Deutschland GmbH (DE), GIE EADS CCR (FR), Institut de Soudure (FR), ISTRAM, Institute of Structures and Advanced Materials, Patras (GR), Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aerospatials (FR), Pechiney Centre de Recherche de Voreppe (FR), Piaggio Aero Industries S.P.A. (IT), Societe Anonyme Belge de Constructions Aeronautiques (BE)

Last Update: 16. April 2021