Breakthrough Aerospace Material - BAM

The BAM project researches the use of 3D woven composite material for application to aircraft structures and potentially for use in other sectors in particular the automotive sector. The expected benefits include lower weight structures and reduced manufacturing and assembly costs. The project also considers the design requirements and potential blockers in developing the technology. Suitable candidate structures will be investigated and the associated FE and other predictive software will be developed, delivering an engineering tool set. Manufacturing processes will be assessed and used to manufacture various elements of a typical test pyramid to compare the predictions with the actual performance and to begin thinking about the quality control aspects leading to the route to certification.
The overall objectives of the project are to develop the complete process from design to the manufacture of 3D woven composite fabric components thereby enhancing the UK supply chain in the technologies required to deliver more innovative composite structures.