4/8/2011 1:58:00 AM
NEWS BRIEFS
Report: Boeing 2.0 Composite Structures Could Cut Fastener Use
The X-48 — a joint venture between Boeing and NASA to test advanced manufacturing technologies. Source: Boeing
Think Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner is radical?
The composites technology used to design it is as many as three decades old, according to Design News.
Touted as a revolution in aerospace design, the Dreamliner utilizes a carbon-reinforced plastic (CFRP) that Boeing says will cut reduce fuel consumption by 20%.
Fasteners have played a prominent role in the nearly three-year delay of Boeing’s new composite 787 Dreamliner, as supply disruptions and improper installation have plagued its test aircraft fleet. (Click here to read summary of fastener shortage study.)
Design News reports that Boeing’s new approach involves dry carbon fiber structures that are stitched together and then placed in a heated tool, allowing epoxy resin to be infused into the structure.
The next-generation composites technology is called Pultruded Rod Stitched Efficient Unitized Structure (PRSEUS), and is reportedly “reinventing” composite design and production.
PRSEUS uses a pultruded rod attached to the skin as a stiffener, potentially eliminating the need for thousands of fasteners throughout the aircraft, according to Design News.
Read FIN Interview with Boeing Chief Fastener Executive John Byrne. ©2011 GlobalFastenerNews.com
Related Stories:
• Bombardier Utilizes Robotic Technology For Final Fastener Installation
• AFS Developing Aircraft Fasteners That Double As Crack Sensors
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