Centre for Aerospace Manufacturing

Research partner of choice for aerospace manufacturing

nottingham.ac.uk/ifam/cam @UoN_CAM Centre for Aerospace Manufacturing Centre for Aerospace Manufacturing nottingham.ac.uk/ifam/cam nottingham.ac.uk/ifam/cam

Introduction Our research themes The Centre for Aerospace Manufacturing The AMB is the centerpiece of a £100 (CAM) was established in 2010. Since then million investment in manufacturing The Centre for Aerospace it has rapidly expanded its project portfolio research and training; co-funded by the CAM research initially Manufacturing is an which is currently in excess of £10 million. University, UK research councils, industrial focused on innovative Advanced tooling and fixturing This is built on our strong Engineering partnerships and the EU. This facility international research and Physical Sciences Research Council provides the platform to develop, test tooling for aerospace hub with a mission to (EPSRC) and European Union ‘Factories and demonstrate new research concepts assembly processes. This Assembly processes and metrology of the Future’ research record. Industrial and support their accelerated translation conduct translational, partnerships now include Airbus Operations into future production technologies, has evolved as CAM has UK, Airbus Helicopters, BAE Systems, GE alongside our industrial partners. industry focused Aviation, GKN Aerospace, and Leonardo. grown and our five key Automated systems and robotics To deliver high quality, industrial research into future CAM has recently moved into its new home research we follow PRINCE2 project areas of research are: aerospace systems in the Advanced Manufacturing Building management practices and are accredited (AMB) at the University of Nottingham. to ISO 9001:2015. This makes us a unique, Digital factory and the digital factory. academic research environment. Professor Svetan Ratchev Director, Centre for Aerospace Manufacturing Aerostructures and design

Clean Sky 2 Joint Technology Initiative

Our team of engineers CAM are working with GE Aviation and Airbus The Aircraft Division of Leonardo Company Helicopters on a Clean Sky 2, ‘Advanced S.p.A. has partnered with CAM on a and researchers are wing Structure for Rotorcraft Additional Lift project known as VADIS (Variance Aware demonstrator’ project, known as ASTRAL. Determinate assembly Integrated System) helping to shape the which is funded by the Clean Sky 2 JTI. The objective of ASTRAL is to design, future through the ‘Clean develop and manufacture a new wing The aim of the VADIS project is to Sky 2’ Joint Technology concept, capable of increasing the develop innovative assembly solutions rotorcraft cruising speed whilst reducing for cost-effective wing manufacturing. Initiative (JTI). This is fuel consumption. The ASTRAL project CAM will optimise part-to-part wing box forms part of the Rapid and Cost Effective assembly processes by including an advanced a major programme, Rotorcraft (RACER) demonstrator metrology philosophy, predictive shimming, Innovate UK Projects co-funded by the programme that Airbus are developing. computer aided tolerance optimisation, self-adaptive fixturing and auto-updating European Union and The ASTRAL consortium is completing of the adaptive digital twin model. the wing design, stress analysis, cost Innovate UK is a public body with the aim The WingLIFT project, led by Airbus with The SMARTER project, led by BAE Systems industrial partners, modelling and assembly of the novel wing CAM engineers will demonstrate and validate of supporting businesses realise growth Spirit AeroSystems and LŰBBERING, aims with a consortium of other industrial partners architecture. The project will specifically the new assembly methods, making use through development and exploitation to develop intelligent robot control for including Reaction Engines and Magna to develop technology focus on novel digital design and simulation of the assembly cell facilities available at of new ideas. WingLIFT (Lean Innovative positional accuracies greater than 0.1mm Parva, intends to explore the feasibility techniques that can be combined with highly Nottingham. Lasting three years, the project Future Technology) and SMARTER in aerospace assemblies. The technology of conducting manufacturing, repair and that will reduce will integrate with assembly systems to overhaul operations in space. The focus efficient, quality driven and cost effective is due to be completed in July 2020. (Space Manufacturing, Assembly and aircraft energy usage manufacturing technology. The design Repair Technology, Exploitation and monitor key parameters of the process, is on autonomous systems using artificial support quality assurance and provide intelligence and data fusion analytics. CAM and incorporate will be rigorously tested and validated to Realisation) are two Innovate UK projects support the world leading RACER project. that CAM are currently working on. data feedback for real-time improvement. will be studying the potential opportunities, CAM will be delivering a physical proving concepts and delivering roadmaps these technologies The ASTRAL project is planned to span five demonstrator of the WingLIFT system. to successfully manufacture in space. into everyday life. years, with a completion date in June 2020. Facilities Capabilities The Centre for Aerospace CAM has a sub-assembly cell which has  Human – Robot collaboration for control, Manufacturing offers the full recently been successfully utilised to mature optimisation and safety the Technology Readiness Level of automated spectrum of capability; delivering processes for a project involving GKN and  Metrology for accurate positioning solutions from early research to GE Aviation. The project CAM completed and product quality verification used the cell to demonstrate automated industrial application.  End effector development including processes for the assembly of composite design, simulation, manufacture trials The University of Nottingham invested £1.2 panels and metallic ribs. million in a multi-function, final assembly and commissioning cell to enable CAM to demonstrate innovate CAM has now secured funding from the  Design for manufacture and processes and systems. Known as the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund of £3.8 assembly processes ‘Future Automated Aircraft Assembly million, through the Aerospace Technology Demonstrator’ (FA3D), the cell features Institute (ATI); a collaboration between the UK  Virtual reality tools for process visualisation spreadsheet driven process selection, government and the aerospace industry. This RFID part identification, dual collaborative funding is to setup a new demonstrator platform  Aerostructures design and analysis robots, automated conveyor systems, called FA3D Phase 2 (FA3D2). This new platform barrier-less safety systems and integrated will become a national, experimental testbed vision systems for adaptive processes. and technology demonstrator in digital and The cell has been used to demonstrate informatics enabled manufacturing. FA3D2 is a variety of projects for industrial partners. the result of pull from international aerospace companies already benefitting from the FA3D cell and provides a unique opportunity for UK based aerospace companies to test, demonstrate and accelerate the application of break-through technologies.

Our locations Contact us Centre for Aerospace Manufacturing Centre for Aerospace Manufacturing [email protected] Advanced Manufacturing Building Unit 4, Easter Park Jubilee Campus Lenton Lane [email protected] Nottingham Nottingham NG7 2GX NG7 2PX nottingham.ac.uk/ifam/cam @UoN_CAM