An important moment in the history of aviation! Today, a technology demonstrator of future aircraft was delivered at SAM XL on the TU Delft Campus. The eight meter long section of an aircraft fuselage is completely produced from thermoplastic material. This is lighter than the current materials and is produced in one layered piece, enabling joining techniques like e.g. welding, which is a great advantage compared to the contemporary parts assembly. GKN Fokker will conduct the research, using several new manufacturing techniques. “Our work will focus on how to make a new type of assembly a continuous process that is industry ready,” explains Kjelt van Rijswijk, CEO of SAM XL.
Let the experiments begin!