The (Airbus) Protocol Programme - ALCAS 09

The ALCAS project aligns with the UK Aerospace Technology Strategy and key aspects of high value manufacturing. The consortium brings together the key UK players with a proven track record in the field of wing construction technologies able to define, develop and demonstrate crucial areas of key wing box and root attachment techniques essential to meet market entry requirements.

The project covers two distinct technology areas with the first researching measurement techniques for key component. The project investigates innovative ways that that they may be measured, compared, re-machined and assembled by economic processes. The second are researches into a variety of differing yet associated areas of composite materials, processing and components.

The main areas covered are the curing processes for optimised tooling, improved NDT techniques to improve measurement capability through various structural thicknesses, the design and manufacturing of test panels to investigate co-cured sacrificial plies, inspection of micro sections, and machining trials. This will also require the fabrication of an additional demonstrator wing section, focusing on the control interfaces and progressing the science associated with resin transfer infusion techniques.