Wight Reduction in the Aerospace Industry Airbus and RWTH Collaborate in Materials Research

More than one million euros are available to the "Airbus Advanced Metal Research Program" to research materials and manufacturing processes for the future use of metallic materials in aircraft construction. The cooperation is a multi-year research project between Airbus and the RWTH Chair for Corrosion and Corrosion Protection.

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The Chair of Corrosion and Corrosion Protection belongs to the RWTH Foundry Institute and represents one of three European partners in the program. The aim is to advance materials development in the aerospace industry in order to achieve a further reduction in weight. The cooperation with Airbus is intended to share the competencies of both parties with regard to corrosion-resistant materials. This will enable the integration of new materials and manufacturing technologies as well as the application of modern analytical methods to predict the long-term behaviour of the manufactured components. Initially, the focus will be on the long-term behaviour of aluminum alloys under environmental influences.

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“Although the share of composite materials in aircraft construction has strongly increased in recent years, light metals are still indispensable. The optimized use of metallic alloys is only possible through a fundamental understanding of the materials. For this reason, we are pleased to collaborate with a research partner such as the Chair for Corrosion and Corrosion Protection, which has long-standing expertise in this field”, explains Claudio Dalle Donne, head of Materials, Process and Testing at Airbus Airframe Engineering.

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Professor Ulrich Rüdiger, rector of RWTH Aachen University, also commented on the programme: “RWTH stands for innovation in materials development. The collaboration with Airbus offers great potential, as two strong partners are joining forces in this area. We are glad that our expertise is in high demand, both nationally and internationally, and we look forward to intensive joint research activities.“

A medium-term goal is to establish the RWTH Chair for Corrosion and Corrosion Protection as a strategic location for basic research relevant to Airbus.

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