Midlands aerospace firms collaborate with universities to produce aircraft components of the future

Innovations include a new lightweight composite housing for aircraft actuator gearboxes

Aerospace firms in the Midlands will see components developed as part of a regional technology programme fitted to next-generation aircraft.  

The programme, the Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme (ATEP), has been set up by the Midlands Aerospace Alliance. It aims to match the skills of larger manufacturers in the region with niche SMEs and universities to meet emerging aerospace market requirements. The programme has already seen 14 of the region’s businesses collaborate with academics on five projects to develop component technologies for the aircraft of the future. 

One project involving Wolverhampton-based firm Goodrich Actuation Systems was the development of a lightweight composite housing for an aircraft actuator gearbox. It reduces the overall weight of the gearbox by 25%, compared with gearbox housings made from aluminium. 

The new part is based on Airbus’ requirements and Goodrich is hoping that the technology can be certified for use in the near future through its role in the planemaker’s Next Generation Composite Wing programme. Other aircraft manufacturers are said to be “extremely interested” in using the actuator housing.

Carl Maxwell, technology manager at Goodrich, said: “We anticipate seeing these innovative parts flying on next generation civil and defence aircraft so providing highly-skilled jobs in the West Midlands for decades to come.

“Our prototype has proved to be very successful,” he added. “We now need to move forward into developing a process so the part can be certified by the aviation authorities. That will bring the cost down significantly. What we have to do is effectively prove and certify the technology and build on it.”

Other projects in the ATEP programme include high-temperature heat exchanger technology, which could be fitted on to forthcoming aircraft engines. A third project, which involves the University of Birmingham, is a heat transfer system that improves efficiency.