10124033LEEF - Leading Edge Electro-FormsClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKUltima Forma and Polar technologies expand the adoption of carbon fibre composite (CFRP) materials for aerospace applications through improvements in their ability to withstand the thermal and erosion requirements of the most demanding environmental conditions. The UK has outstanding expertise in composite materials, from academia, the National Composites Centre, to blue chip companies, such as Rolls Royce, GKN and Airbus. Protecting leading edges of propeller blades and other aerodynamic structures against continual erosion from grit, sand, ice and water droplets, or damage in highly stressed areas encouraging crack propagation resulting in catastrophic failure. An electro-deposited erosion protection layer, as developed by Ultima Forma, can be carefully controlled, readily adapted to different designs, and importantly, scaled through automation as the volumes of leading-edge blades increase, e.g. with the UK's new eVTOL entrants. Ultima Forma's patented material systems are tailored to meet the environmental challenges of different components, including functionally graded, resilient, thickness controlled at different locations through an automated manufacture process. Only the metal required electro-deposited, minimizing weight and mass distribution. The metallization process is a low energy, zero waste, net-shape manufacture, operating close to room temperature, minimizing the carbon footprint of both the manufacture processes and the product. Control and data capture is compatible with AS9100 aerospace manufacture quality standards. Project outputs: design parameters feeding a design guide; digital design tool enabling leading edge design from CFRP aerofoils, co-moulding and bonded demonstrations. Test results for adhesion, erosion and thermal cycling to provide verification data of the process performance. Example parts will be produced with various geometries for process verification and customer engagement through a range of marketing activities including the 2025 Paris Airshow. The project will deliver a disruptive solution that extends time-in-service and operating conditions for hybrid CFRP-metal components together with an advanced design-to-manufacture digital tool and design guide.