G8-2012 Material Efficiency - A first step toward sustainable manufacture

This research will focus on out-of-autoclave processing as a sustainable means of composite manufacturing. The large-scale introduction of composite materials into the aerospace industry will result in lighter planes with greater fuel efficiency. By moving composite manufacturing out of the autoclave, energy consumption during processing will be reduced and production rates will increase. Our proposal will highlight the sustainable aspects of out-of-autoclave composite manufacturing, specifically with regard to vacuum bag only (VBO) prepregs. For our purposes, "sustainability" will refer to preservation and expansion of access to affordable energy, and minimization of environmental impact.

The environmental benefits to replacing metal structures with composite materials are clear. Composite parts are light-weight, providing greater fuel efficiency, and also display higher fatigue and corrosion resistance. The composite manufacturing process, however, contains inefficiencies. While moving composite processing out of the autoclave will reduce energy consumption, there are still environmental concerns associated with thermoset composite manufacturing. Waste management and energy savings are of high priority. We will address these issues through three main subject areas; waste reduction, defect control, and manufacturing efficiency.

Issues of sustainability are central to the continued and expanding applications of composite materials and their contribution to the UK economy. This project will provide data and understanding in a range of areas that will directly impact on the UK's capability to develop and manufacture composite products at reduced cost and with improved performance by more efficient use of materials and other resources. This work is in alignment with the UK National Composites Strategy and the work of the UK National Composites Centre, part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult. The National Composites Centre is owned and operated by the University of Bristol and provides a direct route to exploitation and impact in some of the UK companies most active in advancecd composites desig and manufacture. The PI acts as academic liaision to the UK's National Composites Centre and this link will be used to ensure that the wider UK industrial community will take maximum benefit from the research.