Jigsaw Structures Ltd & City, University of London are pleased to announce a successful funding bid for the Innovate UK – NATEP: helping SMEs innovate in aerospace Autumn 2022 Competition. The BETA Sealing System 18-month project started in April 2023 with the support of Airbus in the UK, Meggitt Seals and Barrnon as an interested parties and potential end-users.
The industrial-academic partnership between Jigsaw Structures & City builds on the previous relationship established during the Innovate UK funded – Airbus led ALFET & ALFA Seal projects which focused on civil aircraft wing laminar flow enabling technologies.
The current project aims to deliver an innovative wing assembly sealing system employing a high build-rate End Effector to snap-fit an operability-friendly seal. The project also seeks to quantify experimentally the degradation of the seal’s aerodynamic & sealing performance due to wear, contrasted with an analytical assessment of the impact of ageing traditional sealant, building the case for adoption of a snap-fit sealing system over sealant.
The BETA Sealing System project aligns with the ATI “Destination Zero:2050” disruptive innovation strategy:
A Ultra-efficient Priorities
• Fully automated high-rate composite wing structure components manufacture and wing assembly
• Highly flexible advanced wings
B Cross Cutting Enabling Technologies
• Infrastructure – UK Wind Tunnel Test Rigs
• Aerodynamic simulation tools for airframe
The project further addresses priority areas within the UK Jet Zero Council objectives and the ATI’s FlyZero initiative, particularly the focus on delivery at pace of sustainable aviation airframes.
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