Midlands Aerospace Alliance - Developing new technologies

Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme 1

The first phase of ATEP was launched in 2006 with company grants funded by regional development agency Advantage West Midlands totalling £390,000. Five projects benefited from this programme and produced results with wide-ranging benefits for aircraft programmes of the future and demonstrating the benefits of teaming SMEs and mid-sized companies with, research bodies and end-users in highly focused problem solving.

Composites in actuation systems

Wolverhampton-based Goodrich Actuation Systems worked with local SME Rojac to develop an actuator gear box housing in composite materials to replace traditional aluminium die-casting. The component is 60 per cent lighter than a conventional aluminium part and saves around a quarter of the weight of the full actuation gearbox. Following a series of rigorous and highly successful tests by Goodrich, the company's technology has been welcomed into the Next Generation Composites Wing Programme which is led by Airbus and part-funded by the UK's Technology Strategy Board.

New alloys in heat exchangers Another Wolverhampton-based company, HS Marston Aerospace – part of US company Hamilton Sundstrand Engine & Control Systems - has worked with Telford SME Advanced Chemical Etchings to develop high temperature heat exchangers for aircraft engines made from new alloys. Hi-temp capability is a significant contributor to fuel-burn efficiency, and the ability to operate at higher temperatures can result in CO2 reductions of up to 10 per cent. Tests completed by the company show that the new alloy heat exchanger can operate at up to 300C hotter than existing units. These results have led to HS Marston Aerospace becoming one of 10 partners on the Environmentally Friendly Programme (EFE) launched by Rolls-Royce to develop greener engine technology for the future. Launched in 2006, EFE is addressing engine technologies to cut nitrous oxide emissions by 60 per cent, among other benefits.

	Innovative heat transfer system Another project from ATEP 1 has developed technology that is attracting much interest both inside and outside aerospace and defence. Birmingham and Coventry's Meggitt Control Systems worked with the University of Birmingham and two local SMEs – Solihull's Arden Precision and PAB Coventry – to perfect a heat transfer system that improves heat exchanger efficiency. The technology involves a novel nickel-based metal foam (Retimet) and has proved to be a much more effective medium in heat transfer in a range of environments.

Nano-coatings for tooling Teer Coatings of Redditch and Anapol Coatings of Birmingham linked up to improve the life of tools for forging with the use of nano-coatings technology, working with end-user Rolls-Royce.	Courtesy Rolls-Royce

	Low-cost bonding The University of Wolverhampton, Ajax Toco and Unipart worked on a lower capital equipment cost process which has wide applications for aerospace and possibly other manufacturers and has led to a patent and further funding from other sources.

Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme 2

Work has been under way since 2009 on the second phase of ATEP, a programme run by the MAA to encourage the development and exploitation of new technologies by companies operating in West Midlands' aerospace supply chains.

ATEP 2 is part-funded by the regional development agency Advantage West Midlands (AWM) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and is helping larger manufacturers work in partnership with both SMEs and leading universities to develop new technologies that address emerging market requirements for future aircraft programmes.

Altogether, six projects are accessing £750,000 of grant funding under the programme

Novel materials for springs

Project: Aerospring
Lead: G&O Springs
Partners: Alloy Wire, Reliable Spring Manufacturing, Institute of Spring Technology (research provider), Aero Engine Controls (customer), BAE Systems (customer)

Three SMEs – including two regional competitors – have been brought together with the Institute of Spring Technology (IST) to manufacture springs in novel materials such as titanium and various nickel alloys. Data gathered will enable accurate fatigue predictions for springs produced from any of the materials covered.

New design methods for tyres

Project: ATFEM Aircraft Tyres Finite Element Modelling
Lead: Dunlop Aircraft Tyres
Partners: University of Birmingham (research provider), Airbus (customer)

The ATFEM project is a good example of the innovative results that can be achieved with close industrial cooperation. Airbus, the customer, regularly provides input to Dunlop and the research team on the required direction for the FE modeling work and its future directions, enhancing the value of the collaborative effort. So far, modelling has been validated by work on an existing tyre and is set to move on to predictions for new tyres in future aircraft programmes.

Using surfaces as coolers

Project: TASC Technology Advancement of Surface Coolers
Lead: HS Marston Aerospace Ltd
Partners: Advanced Chemical Etching, University of Wolverhampton (research provider), Rolls-Royce (customer)

The TASC project led by HS Marston, to model a novel surface cooler to increase the effectiveness of engine thermal management, follows on from developments in diffusion bonding carried out under an ATEP 1 grant. To date a test rig has been built and commissioned and sample test results correlated with computer-generated models. Working with Rolls-Royce as customer ensures that test data is truly representative.

Coatings without hazardous elements

Project: Chrome Free Ipcote
Lead: Indestructible Paint
Partners: Ashton & Moore, Clean Burner Systems, Messier-Dowty (customer), Rolls-Royce (customer)

Removing the hazardous elements from protective engine-surface coatings is the objective of the Chrome-free Ipcote project led by Indestructible Paint (IP). All funded partners are SMEs and are learning new technology development capabilities and project management skills as the project develops with the technical support of ceramics institute CERAM. As well as finding a substitute for the hexavalent chrome in current Ipcote coatings, the project team will require data to support the customer accreditation process and the many end-user accreditations.

Ceramics in aircraft brakes

Project: Endurance Braking
Lead: Meggitt Aircraft Braking Systems
Partners: James Kent Ceramic Materials, CERAM (research provider), Embraer (end user), BAE Systems (end user)

In Endurance Braking – a project with wide application in aerospace – SME James Kent and Meggitt Aircraft Braking Systems have been sharing knowledge to try and find an optimum material solution for the friction required at high temperatures. Thermal modelling has started and is being correlated to early test data on new carbon test pieces.

Manufacturing techniques for novel aluminium alloy

Project: A20X Aluminium Alloy
Lead: Aeromet, Worcester
Partners: Grainger & Worrall, University of Birmingham (research provider), London & Scandinavian Metals, Aero Engine Controls (customer)

The Aeromet-led project to develop a novel aluminium alloy A20X with considerable increases in strength characteristics has advanced to the successful casting of a 3,000kg batch of the alloy using production continuous casting equipment. Product demonstrator trials have commenced following chemical, metallographic analysis and mechanical testing of this latest ingot. Simulation modelling of the casting process is also under way, while structural analysis and machining trials will test the extremes of the alloy capability.

Developing new technologies

On this page

Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme 1

Composites in actuation systems

﻿New alloys in heat exchangers

Innovative heat transfer system

Nano-coatings for tooling

Low-cost bonding