May 15 2006
The Northwest Composite Centre (NWCC) was officially launched on May 12th marking a new era in lightweight aircraft design.
The new £2.1m centre for aerospace composite design and manufacture will carry out cutting-edge research into composite materials which will be used to construct lighter, more fuel efficient aircraft.
The opening will be marked with a special ceremony held at The University of Manchester.
Researchers at the Centre will look at new ways of rapidly and economically manufacturing composite materials (eg. plastics and carbon fibres fused together), which are as strong as steel, yet half the weight of aluminium.
The NWCC is funded by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) through the Northwest Science Fund, which is managed by the Northwest Science Council. The multi-million pound fund is helping to pioneer a number of university/industry partnerships that will help speed up the transfer of scientific discoveries into world-class commercial products. The NWCC is a joint collaboration between the universities of Manchester, Bolton, Lancaster and Liverpool.
Professor Philip Withers, Executive Director of the NWCC, said: "Current methods for producing composites are relatively inefficient which makes using these materials to construct aircraft an expensive option. If we can speed up the production process, and create these materials more cost effectively, and through lower energy usage create a lower impact on the environment, then we have the potential to economically produce planes which are lighter, stronger and more fuel efficient."
The NWCC will be one of only four centres in the world developing a revolutionary new technology known as 'Quickstep', which enables large composite parts to be rapidly manufactured to aerospace standards.
Steven Broomhead, NWDA Chief Executive, said: “Science is a key economic driver providing the impetus for investment and innovation across key business sectors, creating high quality employment and business renewal. The NWDA is pleased to have been able to provide funding to the University of Manchester to help establish a regional centre of excellence in composite materials. Linking into a national network of similar centres, it will ensure the Northwest remains at the forefront of this type of research and help pioneer world-class composite processing for commercial exploitation.”
http://www.futurecomposites.org.uk