Clean Sky 2 program makes significant progress in 2019

The European R+D+i programme Clean Sky 2 has presented its results report for 2019. Clean Sky 2, which is part of the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, focuses on the development of new technologies that reduce the environmental impact of the aeronautical industry. To this end, it involves more than 900 players from the public and private sectors, including SMEs (340), research centres (110), universities (150) and industry (300).

Aciturri participates in this initiative as a "Core Partner", leading the EWIRA consortium, focused on new technologies that are implemented in the manufacture and assembly of the ailerons and spoilers of the Regional Flight Test Bed 2 (FTB#2), of Airbus Defence and Space. Along with Aciturri, the Portuguese aeronautics company Caetano Aeronautics and the English technology centre The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) are also involved. As part of this activity, the company is participating in the development of advanced assembly, drilling and manufacturing technologies in additive and compound technology, among others.

In particular, Aciturri completed in 2019 the manufacture of the elemental parts of the spoilers in the final phase of assembly in its Boecillo plant, which were later assembled in the Seville plant. The spoilers are designed to achieve a highly integrated component. The aim is to reduce the number of rivets in the joints of the composite parts to achieve the consequent savings in number of parts and weight. For the company, this means an increase in its manufacturing capacities in composite materials.

Aciturri has also achieved an important progress in the maturity level (TRL) of the jig-less technology for the wing assembly, which has been validated with the delivery of the FTB#2 wings during the year 2019. Thanks to the use of this innovative technique, it is possible to reduce the cost of tools in the assembly processes (by more than 25%), as well as potential improvements in the quality of the parts.

In June 2019, within the framework of the Paris Air Show, Aciturri joined the group of entities that sign the agreement of the Research Association for Clean Aviation, which promotes the development of innovations and concrete plans based on the two previous Clean Sky programs, which will be implemented in a new generation of aircraft from 2030.