Context

The advantages of lightweight carbon and glass fibre composites in terms of increased fuel efficiency and mechanical performance are now commonly accepted. However, there are persistent economical and technical problems with the recycling of such composites, which are becoming apparent as the first planes with a substantial material fraction of composites are now reaching their end of life. Furthermore, the manufacturing processes are comparably energy- and time-intensive, which creates economic challenges. Progress has already been made in the sector of materials, with new types of thermoplastic and thermoset resins and now is the time to address future manufacturing processes for such materials. The TOSCA project aims to provide key technologies for manufacturing of composite aerostructures in the following areas:

• Epoxy vitrimer resins have shown substantial advantages in terms of repair and recycling, while maintaining almost all the advantages of conventional thermoset resins. However, development is still needed in order to ensure that the processing of such new material is economically competitive. 
• There will be an increased need for automation of the documentation of parts “as manufactured” and “as used”. Integrated inspection systems and methods for health monitoring are needed, that will populate data structures for the digitalization of parts. 
• Lay-up (mostly automated fibre placement), welding, repair and re-work processes are required for the new materials and these processes also need to take digital information into account coming from the inspection processes aiming at a zero-defect manufacturing approach.

These developments will advance the use of new, sustainable materials, by providing not only the material, but also a set of zero-defect manufacturing technologies that can be used at scale for the manufacturing of future aerostructures. This will avoid some of the current weaknesses in the processing of composite structures along their life cycle.